George King

Who was George King?

Sir George King, was a British botanist appointed superintendent of the Royal Botanic Garden, Calcutta in 1871, and the first Director of the Botanical Survey of India from 1890. King was awarded the Linnean Medal in 1901.

Species described by him include the climbing fig Ficus pantoniana from New Guinea and northern Australia. This botanist is denoted by the author abbreviation King when citing a botanical name.

Sir George King, KCIE, FRS, LLD, MB, died in San Remo Italy and was buried there. He had been born in Peterhead, Aberdeenshire, and graduated from the University of Aberdeen in 1865. There is a memorial plaque to both him and his wife in St Machar's Cathedral, Old Aberdeen.

The Scottish National Portrait Gallery in Edinburgh owns a bronze medallion portrait of him by W Bowshen, which was once King's own replica of the original presented to the Zoological Garden, Calcutta.