Pierre Sonnerat is a Naturaliste and an explorer French, born the August 18th 1748 and dead the March 31st 1814.

He is the nephew of Pierre Poivre, botanist. He made several voyages in Southeast Asia in particular in order to be able to obtain feet of producing spice plants, the Dutchmen having a monopoly on their marketing.

He goes on thus a journey in New Guinea, in particular in the islands Moluques but also of Manila, of 1769 with 1772, after which he describes very many plant species and animal (its account of voyage appears in 1774).

Of 1774 with 1781, it goes on a journey in China. Its report appears in 1782 under the title of Voyage in the Eastern Indies and China, made since 1774 up to 1781 . It is about an important work for the French because, hitherto, in fact the Britanniques are the principal authors of these voyages. Its observations on the people autochtones have a great interest. The quality of its observations is not very good and of many species which it describes are not recognizable.

It is him however which describes the first the Litchi.