British horticulturalist and plant collector. Born in London, Marian Whiting spent part of her childhood in Hong Kong, an experience which instilled in her a lifelong affection for the Far East. After studies at London University she spent two years training at the horticultural college in Swanley, Kent, and in 1914 made her way to the United States and across the Pacific back to Hong Kong and Canton (Guangzhou). She spent two years collecting plants in the region of the latter, before returning to London. Whiting volunteered at Kew Gardens from 1926 onwards and in 1934-1935 made another plant collecting expedition to Hong Kong and Canton, on her way visiting Penang and Singapore. She also visited Manila and Montalban in the Philippines, Japan, Hawaii, North Africa and Canada. In all about 600 specimens from Whiting’s trips were deposited at Kew, with duplicates going to Sun Yatsen University herbarium in Guangzhou.

Sources:
M.J. van Steenis Kruseman, "Cyclopedia of Collectors", Flora Malesiana, online edn:
http://www.nationaalherbarium.nl/fmcollectors/W/WhitingMM.htm, accessed 20 September 2011.