Member

Lyster was born March 14, 1865, in Cambridge, Michigan. He graduated with a BS degree from Michigan Agricultural College in 1888 and instructed in botany until 1890. In 1888, he participated in a major botanical exploring expedition across the northern Lower Peninsula of Michigan. He competed with six other candidates to become "assistant to the botanist" with the U.S. Department of Agriculture from 1890 to 1902 and in 1935 he became botanist in charge of fiber crop investigations. His early works were on weeds (1894-1901) and the later works were on fiber crops like hemp Cannabis sativa. He died November 27, 1944, at the age of 79 in Kenmore, New York. Lyster was a member of the Washington Biologists’ Field Club in 1900, but ended his membership in 1901.