Olivier Jules Richard (22 March 1836 – 7 January 1896) was a French botanist, mycologist and lichenologist who published on the anatomy and symbiosis of lichens. A native of La Mothe-Saint-Héray, he studied law in Paris. He later served as procureur de république (prosecutor) in Marennes (1873–76), La Roche-sur-Yon (1876–85) and Poitiers (1885–91). In 1890 he became a member of the Société botanique de France. He was an outspoken opponent of Simon Schwendener's theory of lichenization.