Robert Brown

Considered as the pioneer of the 'Brownian Motion', Robert Brown, who set out to be a doctor, soon discovered his love for botany, thus changing the course of his life. As a botanist, he excelled, developing a passion for cryptogams, more commonly known as mosses. In his endeavour he worked in partnership with several other famous botanists including James Dickson and Sir Joseph Banks. One of his major contributions to this field of biology came when he went on an expedition to Australia, accompanying Sir Banks. It was on this voyage that he gathered most of the plant species which he explored in his lifetime. Though a major portion was lost in a shipwreck on his way back to Britain, what remained proved to be significant in the study of plants. Throughout his life, he studied all the specimens he had collected, publishing research papers on them in a bid to share this valuable knowledge. He was also appointed in high official positions at prestigious institutes like the ‘Royal Institute of the Netherlands', 'Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences' and the ‘Botanical Department of the 'British Museum'. His contribution to this field is considered monumental, even today, and hence several species of herbs and other plants have been named in his honour. Read on to know more about this ingenious botanist.