Don Carlin Gunawardena

Don Carlin Gunawardena (1899-1979), BA, MSc, PhD (London), Diploma in Education (Oxon.), was a renowned Sri Lankan botanist, Emeritus Professor of Botany, and Head of the Department of Science at Vidyodaya University, Ceylon (later renamed as University of Sri Jayewardenepura). He was known for his etymological and historical accounts of Sri Lankan flora and fauna and other works on tropical taxonomy.^[1]

Career

After a notable student career at St. Joseph's College, Colombo, Gunawardena matriculated at Ceylon University College as one of its first undergraduates, where he read Latin, Greek, and botany to graduate with a Bachelor of Arts degree. Shortly after graduation he joined the staff of his alma mater, where he served until Major H. L. Reed MA (Cantab.), acquired him for the ‘Remove C Form’ created for students wishing to read Botany at Royal College, Colombo in preparation for a career in medicine.^[1]

In the late 30s, Gunawardena departed for London on study leave from Royal College to read for a master's degree. While in London, he presented his completed MSc thesis, ‘Studies in the Botanical Works of John Ray’ to University College London in 1934^[2][3][3][4] and became a Fellow of the Linnaean Society of London.

Gunawardena returned to service at Royal College until promoted in the late 1930s to Assistant Director of Education stationed at Kandy.^[1] After retirement from public service, he dedicated his efforts to his Doctoral thesis, The botanical history of Ceylon, which was eventually presented to the University of London in 1963.^[5] Upon return from London with his doctorate, Gunawardena was invited to join the then newly formed Vidyodaya University (later renamed as University of Sri Jayewardenepura) to head its Department of Botany; a post which he held until his death at the age of eighty.^[1] Royal College, Colombo annually presents the 'Dr D. C. Gunawardena Memorial Prize for Science' (Grade 12), in his memory.^[6]

Principal work

Gunawardena’s principal work was Genera et Species Plantarum Zeylaniae,^[7] a volume published in 1968 on the etymological and historical accounts of Sri Lankan flora and fauna. The work was an adaptation of the third chapter of his University of London PhD thesis,^[5] and had a forward by one of his tutors, Sir Edward James Salisbury, one time Quain Professor of Botany at University College London, and Director of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.^[7] The volume examines the origins and meanings of the Latin and native names accorded to the flora and fauna of Sri Lanka and is structured in the nature of a dictionary elaborated with bibliographical accounts, local folklore, native uses, and their historical significance. The work is identified as having wider appeal to readers of other Eastern countries, since Linnaeus, who gave fixed names to plants, used Ceylonese plants as types for many of his species in Flora Zeylanica (1747), the first Linnaean Flora of an Eastern country.^[8]

References