Frederick William Burbidge

Frederick William Burbidge
File:Frederick William Burbidge.png
Born	Wymeswold
Died	Dublin
Nationality	British
Occupation	Explorer; plant collector
Known for	Victorian Medal of Honour by the Royal Horticultural Society

File:Burbidgea nitida from Curtis's Botanical Magazine 1879.jpg

An illustration of Burbidgea nitida from Curtis's Botanical Magazine (1879). The plant was discovered by Burbidge on an expedition in Borneo.

Frederick William Thomas Burbidge (1847 in Wymeswold, Leicestershire, England – 1905 in Dublin, Ireland) was a British explorer who collected many rare tropical plants for the famous Veitch Nurseries. Burbidge's first job was as a gardener at Kew Gardens. From 1877 to 1878, however, he was an employee of Messrs Veitch and made many expeditions to South-east Asia in search of ornamental plants. From 1879 onwards he was the curator of the Botanic Gardens at Trinity College, Dublin. In 1894, Burbidge was appointed "Keeper of the College Park". Five years later he was awarded the honorary degree of M.A. at Dublin University and in 1897 granted the Victorian Medal of Honour by the Royal Horticultural Society.

Burbidge is credited with introducing the famous pitcher plant Nepenthes rajah into cultivation. He is commemorated in the name of the genus Burbidgea (Hook.f.) and several species including Globba burbidgei (Ridl.). Nepenthes burbidgeae (Hook.f. ex Burb.) is thought to be named after his wife.

Selected publications

• (also available as pdf)

External links

• Nationaal Herbarium Nederland: Frederick William Burbidge