Career

In his later years he also developed an interest in genetics. After obtaining his Doctor of Philosophy with a dissertation on the genus Monardella, he became staff member at the University of California in 1924. In 1941, he was made faculty research lecturer.

Epling published more than one hundred scientific works ranging from monographs to contributions to local floras, and described numerous species new to science—including the well known psychoactive Salvia divinorum—as well as some new genera.