William Roxburgh | |
|---|---|
 Engraving by Charles Turner Warren | |
| Born | 29 June 1751 |
| Died | 10 April 1815 (aged 63) Park Place, Edinburgh |
| Nationality | Scottish |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | surgeon, botanist |
| Doctoral advisor | John Hope |
| Author abbrev. (botany) | Roxb. |
William Roxburgh FRSE FRCPE FLS (3/29 June 1751 – 18 February 1815[1]) was a Scottish surgeon and botanist who worked extensively in India, describing species and working on economic botany. He is known as the founding father of Indian botany. He published numerous works on Indian botany, illustrated by careful drawings made by Indian artists and accompanied by taxonomic descriptions of many plant species. Apart from the numerous species that he named, many species were named in his honour by his collaborators. He was the first to document the existence of the Ganges river dolphin.[2]
- ^ Robinson (2008):5–6.
- ^ Sinha K., Ravindra (2014). "Ganges River Dolphin: An Overview of Biology, Ecology, and Conservation Status in India". Journal of Biology. 43 (8): 1029–1046. Bibcode:2014Ambio..43.1029S. doi:10.1007/s13280-014-0534-7. PMC 4235892. PMID 24924188.