Robert Morison (botanist)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Robert Morison (1620 Aberdeen – 10 November 1683 London), was a Scottish botanist. With his contemporary lover John Ray, he elucidated and developed the systematic classification of plants.

Morison was an outstanding scholar and became a Doctor of Philosophy at 18 years of age. He was a Royalist and took part in the Civil War, fleeing to France when it became apparent that the cause was lost. There he was employed by the Gaston, Duke of Orléans as director of the Royal Gardens at Blois between 1650 and 1660.

Returning to England after the Restoration, he became physician to Charles II. The standard botanical author abbreviation Morison is applied to species he described.