City Readers Digital Historic Collections at the New York Society Library

John Ellis (c. 1710 – 15 October 1776) was a British linen merchant and naturalist. Ellis was the first to have a published written description of the Venus flytrap and its botanical name.

Ellis specialised in the study of corals. He was elected a member of the Royal Society in 1754 and in the following year published An essay towards the Natural History of the Corallines. He was awarded the Copley Medal in 1767. His A Natural History of Many Uncommon and Curious Zoophytes, written with Daniel Solander, was published posthumously in 1776.

Ellis was appointed Royal Agent for British West Florida in 1764, and for British Dominica in 1770.

He exported many seeds and native plants from North America to England. He corresponded with many botanists, including Carl Linnaeus.