Frederick William Burbidge

Who was Frederick William Burbidge?

Frederick William Thomas Burbidge was a British explorer who collected many rare tropical plants for the famous Veitch Nurseries. Burbidge's first job was as a gardener at Kew Gardens. From 1877 to 1878, however, he was an employee of Messrs Veitch and made many expeditions to South-east Asia in search of ornamental plants. From 1879 onwards he was the curator of the Botanic Gardens at Trinity College, Dublin. In 1894, Burbidge was appointed "Keeper of the College Park". Five years later he was awarded the honorary degree of M.A. at Dublin University and in 1897 granted the Victorian Medal of Honour by the Royal Horticultural Society.

Burbidge is credited with introducing the famous pitcher plant Nepenthes rajah into cultivation. He is commemorated in the name of the genus Burbidgea and several species including Globba burbidgei. Nepenthes burbidgeae is thought to be named after his wife.