William Jack (botanist)
| William Jack | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1795 |
| Died | 15 September 1822 (aged 27-28) |
| Nationality | British |
| Fields | medicine, botany |
William Jack FRSE (1795 in Aberdeen – 1822 in Bencoolen, Sumatra) was a noted Scottish botanist and medical practitioner.
Life
He was born in Aberdeen on 29 January 1795.
He studied at the University of Aberdeen and received an M.A.
degree at the age of 16, then continued studies in Medicine in London, graduating as an M.D. , and was admitted to the Royal College of Surgeons of England in 1812.
He then travelled to London for further studies in surgery, becoming a Member of the Royal College of Surgeons in 1812.
Jack was employed by the East India Company as a surgeon in India, where he corresponded extensively with botanist Nathaniel Wallich.
In 1818 he accompanied Stamford Raffles to Sumatra where he extensively documented the rich flora of that region until his death in 1822.
Much of his work, including manuscripts, drawings, and collections, was destroyed by fire in 1824.
He died at Bencoolen in Sumatra on 15 September 1822.
Botanical References
Three plant genera are named after him:
- Jakkia Blume, 1823, a synonym of Xanthophyllum, in family Polygalaceae
- Jackia Wall., 1824, a synonym of Jackiopsis Ridsdale, in family Rubiaceae
- Jackia Spreng., nom. illeg., 1826, a synonym of Eriolaena in family Malvaceae
Published works
- Descriptions of Malayan Plants 1820–1822. Originally published in Malayan Miscellanies, and reprinted in various forms at later dates.
- William Jack, communicated by Robert Brown (1823) , Transactions of The Linnean Society of London 14(1): 1-22
- William Jack, communicated by Aylmer Bourke Lambert (1823) , Transactions of The Linnean Society of London 14(1): 23-45
- William Jack, communicated by Henry Thomas Colebrooke (1823) , Transactions of The Linnean Society of London 14(1): 114-130
Credits to the contents of this page go to the authors of the corresponding Wikipedia page: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William Jack (botanist).