Edit History
Morrison, Alexander (1849-1913)
Date Updated: 19 April 2013
Herbarium
Natural History Museum (BM)
Collection
Plant Collectors
Resource Type
Reference Sources
Contributor
Natural History Museum (BM)
First name(s)
Alexander
Last name
Morrison
Initials
A.
Life Dates
1849 - 1913
Collecting Dates
1871 - 1911
Specification
Plant collector
Groups collected
Algae
Bryophytes
Fungi
Pteridophytes
Spermatophytes
Organisation(s)
A, AD, B, BM, BRI, C, CANB, CORD, E, E-GL, GH, K, L, MEL, MICH, MO, NH, NSW, P, PERTH, S, US, WAG, WRSL
Countries
Australasia: Australia, Vanuatu
Associate(s)
Morrison, J.H. (fl. 1871-1892) (co-collector)
Ewart, Alfred James (1872-1937) (co-author)
Mueller, Ferdinand Jacob Heinrich von (1825-1896) (specimens to)
Ewart, Alfred James (1872-1937) (co-author)
Mueller, Ferdinand Jacob Heinrich von (1825-1896) (specimens to)
Biography
Scottish-born medical doctor and botanist active in Australia. Alexander Morrison was born at Wester Dalmeny near Edinburgh, Scotland. He studied medicine at Edinburgh University, taking a two-year break from his course at one point due to ill health. During this time he visited Melbourne. He went on to complete his medical degree and carried out postgraduate studies in Glasgow, Würzburg and Vienna before returning to Australia as a medical officer on a migrant ship in 1877. He then settled in Melbourne, practising medicine for 15 years before ill health demanded he retire from his work. Leaving his practice, he travelled to the South Seas and for a time lived in the New Hebrides (Vanuatu), where he collected plants. These he sent to Ferdinand von Mueller in Melbourne.
After retiring as a medical practitioner in 1897 Morrison was recruited to the Bureau of Agriculture as the first Government Botanist for Western Australia. After nine years he returned to practising medicine, however, and in 1912 moved back to Melbourne, where he was appointed assistant botanist to Alfred Ewart. His work with Ewart was cut short by his death the following year.
Morrison collected a large number of specimens in Western Australia and Victoria, as well as gathering plants on his trip to Vanuatu in 1896. He bequeathed this vast personal herbarium to the University of Edinburgh, which holds about 9,000 Morrison specimens. Kew has a further 5,000 and many more are to be found in Australian and U.S. collections, as well as in European herbaria.
Sources:
J. Lamond & A. Bennell, in P.S. Short (ed.), 1990, History of Systematic Botany in Australasia: 259-264
J.H. Maiden, 1921, Journal of the Royal Society of New South Wales, 55: 164.
After retiring as a medical practitioner in 1897 Morrison was recruited to the Bureau of Agriculture as the first Government Botanist for Western Australia. After nine years he returned to practising medicine, however, and in 1912 moved back to Melbourne, where he was appointed assistant botanist to Alfred Ewart. His work with Ewart was cut short by his death the following year.
Morrison collected a large number of specimens in Western Australia and Victoria, as well as gathering plants on his trip to Vanuatu in 1896. He bequeathed this vast personal herbarium to the University of Edinburgh, which holds about 9,000 Morrison specimens. Kew has a further 5,000 and many more are to be found in Australian and U.S. collections, as well as in European herbaria.
Sources:
J. Lamond & A. Bennell, in P.S. Short (ed.), 1990, History of Systematic Botany in Australasia: 259-264
J.H. Maiden, 1921, Journal of the Royal Society of New South Wales, 55: 164.
References
Brummitt, R.K. & Powell, C.E., Authors Pl. Names (1992): 438; Hedge, I.C. & Lamond, J.M., Index Coll. Edindb. Herb. (1970): 112; Vegter, H.I., Index Herb. Coll. M (1976): 559;
Date Updated: 19 April 2013
Herbarium
Natural History Museum (BM)
Collection
Plant Collectors
Resource Type
Reference Sources
Contributor
Natural History Museum (BM)
First name(s)
Alexander
Last name
Morrison
Initials
A.
Life Dates
1849 - 1913
Collecting Dates
1871 - 1911
Specification
Plant collector
Groups collected
Algae
Bryophytes
Fungi
Pteridophytes
Spermatophytes
Organisation(s)
A, AD, B, BM, BRI, C, CANB, CORD, E, E-GL, GH, K, L, MEL, MICH, MO, NH, NSW, P, PERTH, S, US, WAG, WRSL
Countries
Australasia: Australia, Vanuatu
Associate(s)
Morrison, J.H. (fl. 1871-1892) (co-collector)
Ewart, Alfred James (1872-1937) (co-author)
Mueller, Ferdinand Jacob Heinrich von (1825-1896) (specimens to)
Ewart, Alfred James (1872-1937) (co-author)
Mueller, Ferdinand Jacob Heinrich von (1825-1896) (specimens to)
Biography
Scottish-born medical doctor and botanist active in Australia. Alexander Morrison was born at Wester Dalmeny near Edinburgh, Scotland. He studied medicine at Edinburgh University, taking a two-year break from his course at one point due to ill health. During this time he visited Melbourne. He went on to complete his medical degree and carried out postgraduate studies in Glasgow, Würzburg and Vienna before returning to Australia as a medical officer on a migrant ship in 1877. He then settled in Melbourne, practising medicine for 15 years before ill health demanded he retire from his work. Leaving his practice, he travelled to the South Seas and for a time lived in the New Hebrides (Vanuatu), where he collected plants. These he sent to Ferdinand von Mueller in Melbourne.
After retiring as a medical practitioner in 1897 Morrison was recruited to the Bureau of Agriculture as the first Government Botanist for Western Australia. After nine years he returned to practising medicine, however, and in 1912 moved back to Melbourne, where he was appointed assistant botanist to Alfred Ewart. His work with Ewart was cut short by his death the following year.
Morrison collected a large number of specimens in Western Australia and Victoria, as well as gathering plants on his trip to Vanuatu in 1896. He bequeathed this vast personal herbarium to the University of Edinburgh, which holds about 9,000 Morrison specimens. Kew has a further 5,000 and many more are to be found in Australian and U.S. collections, as well as in European herbaria.
Sources:
J. Lamond & A. Bennell, in P.S. Short (ed.), 1990, History of Systematic Botany in Australasia: 259-264
J.H. Maiden, 1921, Journal of the Royal Society of New South Wales, 55: 164.
After retiring as a medical practitioner in 1897 Morrison was recruited to the Bureau of Agriculture as the first Government Botanist for Western Australia. After nine years he returned to practising medicine, however, and in 1912 moved back to Melbourne, where he was appointed assistant botanist to Alfred Ewart. His work with Ewart was cut short by his death the following year.
Morrison collected a large number of specimens in Western Australia and Victoria, as well as gathering plants on his trip to Vanuatu in 1896. He bequeathed this vast personal herbarium to the University of Edinburgh, which holds about 9,000 Morrison specimens. Kew has a further 5,000 and many more are to be found in Australian and U.S. collections, as well as in European herbaria.
Sources:
J. Lamond & A. Bennell, in P.S. Short (ed.), 1990, History of Systematic Botany in Australasia: 259-264
J.H. Maiden, 1921, Journal of the Royal Society of New South Wales, 55: 164.
References
Brummitt, R.K. & Powell, C.E., Authors Pl. Names (1992): 438; Hedge, I.C. & Lamond, J.M., Index Coll. Edindb. Herb. (1970): 112; Vegter, H.I., Index Herb. Coll. M (1976): 559;
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