George Forrest

George Forrest (1873–1932) was a 

pioneering Scottish botanist and explorer, often referred to as the "Indiana Jones of plant collectors". He is best known for his seven extensive expeditions to the Yunnan province of southwest China between 1904 and 1932, which transformed the variety of flora in Western gardens. 

Key Contributions & Legacy

• Botanical Impact: Forrest is credited with introducing over 1,200 plant species new to Western science. He collected more than 31,000 herbarium specimens and thousands of seeds during his career.

• Specializations: He was famously known as the "King of Rhododendrons" due to his discovery of hundreds of species, including the massive Rhododendron protistum var. giganteum. He also significantly advanced the study of Primula, Gentiana, and Camellia.

• Nomenclature: More than thirty genera of plants, such as Rhododendron forrestii and Iris forrestii, bear the specific epithet forrestii in his honor.

• Scientific Methods: He was noted for his meticulous records, including detailed habitat notes and high-quality photography, which provided a rare visual record of China's biodiversity before the Cultural Revolution. 

Notable Life Events

• Career Beginnings: Originally an apprentice pharmacist, Forrest gained botanical knowledge before a chance archaeological discovery—an ancient stone coffin—led to an introduction at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh (RBGE).

• Perils of Collecting: During his 1905 expedition, he was caught in the Batang Uprising. He was the only survivor of a party of 17 after being hunted by Tibetan lamas; he escaped barefoot through the mountains for nine days without food.

• Death: Forrest died of a heart attack in 1932 near Tengchong, China, at the end of his final "magnum opus" expedition. He is buried there next to his friend George Litton.