Matthew Young Orr

Last updated

Matthew Young Orr FRSE (1883-1953) was a 20th-century British botanist and a specialist on conifers. [1]

Life

Orr studied Botany at University College, Cardiff. From 1906 to 1913 he lectured in botany at the University of Cardiff. In 1913, he moved to Edinburgh to oversee the Royal Botanic Gardens.

In the First World War he served as a lieutenant in the 7th battalion Royal Scots in Gallipoli and Palestine. He was later promoted to captain. [2]

He returned to the Royal Botanic Gardens after the war and worked under William Wright Smith. He later worked with both John Macqueen Cowan and Roland Edgar Cooper.

In 1932, he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. His proposers were Sir William Wright Smith, Malcolm Wilson, John Macqueen Cowan, and Alexander Nelson. [3]

He died on 9 September 1953.

The standard author abbreviation Orr is used to indicate this person as the author when citing a botanical name. [4]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">William Roxburgh</span> Scottish surgeon and botanist (1751–1815)

William Roxburgh FRSE FRCPE FLS 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Isaac Bayley Balfour</span> Scottish botanist

Sir Isaac Bayley Balfour, KBE, FRS, FRSE was a Scottish botanist. He was Regius Professor of Botany at the University of Glasgow from 1879 to 1885, Sherardian Professor of Botany at the University of Oxford from 1884 to 1888, and Professor of Botany at the University of Edinburgh from 1888 to 1922.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">William Wright (botanist)</span> Scottish physician and botanist (1735–1819)

William Wright (1735–1819) was a Scottish physician, botanist and slave owner. In 1783 he was a joint founder of the Royal Society of Edinburgh.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robert Graham (botanist)</span> Scottish physician and botanist (1786–1845)

Robert Graham was a Scottish physician and botanist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">B. L. Burtt</span>

Brian Laurence "Bill" Burtt FRSE FLS, was an English botanist and taxonomist who is noted for his contributions to the family Gesneriaceae. In a career that spanned 74 years, he worked first at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, and then at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh (RBGE). He made numerous field trips to South Africa and Sarawak and described a total of 637 new plant species. Burtt is denoted by the author abbreviation B.L.Burtt when citing a botanical name.

Sir William Wright Smith FRS FRSE FLS VMH LLD was a Scottish botanist and horticulturalist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Hope (botanist)</span>

Professor John Hope was a Scottish physician and botanist. He did enormous work on plant classification and plant physiology, and is now best known as an early supporter of Carl Linnaeus's system of classification. He did not publish much.

The Botanical Society of Scotland (BSS) is the national learned society for botanists of Scotland. The Society's aims are to advance knowledge and appreciation of flowering and cryptogamic plants, algae and fungi. The Society's activities include lectures, symposia, field excursions, field projects and an annual Scottish Botanist's Conference, held jointly with the Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland for exchange of information between botanists working in different areas. Its publications include a twice-yearly newsletter, BSS News, and a scientific journal, Plant Ecology & Diversity. The society is closely linked to the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh and the Scottish universities.

Sir George Taylor, FRS FRSE FLS LLD was a Scottish botanist.

Roland Edgar Cooper FRSE FRSGS was a British botanist and Curator of the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh from 1936 to 1950. Within the Gardens the Roland Edgar Cooper Collection stems from his own work. A number of species found by him bear the name Cooperi. A large number of Rhododendrons collected by Cooper continue to grow in the Gardens.

John Macqueen Cowan FRSE CBE (1891–1960) was a prominent Scottish botanist in the mid 20th century. He is especially remembered for the recording and classification of trees on the Indian sub-continent. He was also an expert on Spermatophytes.

Dr Edward Wyllie Fenton FRSE FLS (1889-1962) was a Scottish botanist. He was President of the Botanical Society of Edinburgh 1944–45.

Robert James Douglas Graham FRSE (1884–1950) was a Scottish botanist.

Henry Smith Holden was a British botanist. Specialising in forensics, he became director of laboratories in New Scotland Yard in 1946.

Douglas Mackay Henderson CBE FRSE FLS was a Scottish botanist, the 12th Regius Keeper of the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh from 1970 to 1987.

James Alexander Macdonald FRSE FIB BSE was a 20th-century Scottish botanist and plant pathologist. Friends and family called him Jay Macdonald.

Dr William McRae FRSE CIE was a Scottish botanist specialising in fungi and lichens. He is largely remembered for his extensive work in India.

James Robert Matthews FRSE FLS CBE LLD (1889–1978) was a 20th-century Scottish botanist. He was president of the British Ecological Society in 1934 and president of the Botanical Society of Edinburgh 1939 to 1942.

James Small FRSE MRIA (1889–1955) was a 20th-century British botanist and botanical author.

Henry Marshall Steven CBE FRSE was a 20th-century Scottish forester and academic. He was Editor of "Forestry" magazine from 1926 to 1946.

References

  1. Ray Desmond. Dictionary of British and Irish Botanists and Horticulturalists.
  2. "Catalogue description Lieutenant Matthew Young ORR. The Royal Scots (Lothian Regiment)" via National Archive of the UK.
  3. Biographical Index of Former Fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh 1783–2002 (PDF). The Royal Society of Edinburgh. July 2006. ISBN   0 902 198 84 X. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 16 November 2017.
  4. International Plant Names Index.  Orr.