William Munro
Encyclopedia
William Munro was an English plant collector, botanist, agrostologist, and officer.
in 1818. In 1834 he entered the 39th (Dorsetshire) Regiment of Foot
as an ensign
. He was promoted Lieutenant in April 1836, Captain in July 1844, Mayor in May 1852 and Lieutenant Colonel in November 1853. He served many years with his regiment in India but during the Battle of Maharajpore he was severely wounded on 24 December 1843. In 1878 he achieved the rank of a General.
in 1840. He conducted collecting expeditions to India (1834-1838), Kashmir (1847), and Barbados (1870-1875). His main research field were tropical grasses, including the bamboo
species of which he published a monograph in 1868. The genus Munronia is named in his honour.
Munro died in Taunton
, Somerset
on 29 January 1880.
This botanist is denoted by the author abbreviation Munro when citing
a botanical name
.
Military career
Munro was born as eldest son of William Munro in Druids Stoke, GloucestershireGloucestershire
Gloucestershire is a county in South West England. The county comprises part of the Cotswold Hills, part of the flat fertile valley of the River Severn, and the entire Forest of Dean....
in 1818. In 1834 he entered the 39th (Dorsetshire) Regiment of Foot
39th (Dorsetshire) Regiment of Foot
The 39th Regiment of Foot was an infantry regiment of the British Army, formed in 1719 and amalgamated into The Dorsetshire Regiment in 1881.The regiment was raised by Colonel Richard Coote in Ireland in August 1702...
as an ensign
Ensign (rank)
Ensign is a junior rank of a commissioned officer in the armed forces of some countries, normally in the infantry or navy. As the junior officer in an infantry regiment was traditionally the carrier of the ensign flag, the rank itself acquired the name....
. He was promoted Lieutenant in April 1836, Captain in July 1844, Mayor in May 1852 and Lieutenant Colonel in November 1853. He served many years with his regiment in India but during the Battle of Maharajpore he was severely wounded on 24 December 1843. In 1878 he achieved the rank of a General.
Plant collecting and Agrostology
Munro became a Fellow of the Linnean Society of LondonLinnean Society of London
The Linnean Society of London is the world's premier society for the study and dissemination of taxonomy and natural history. It publishes a zoological journal, as well as botanical and biological journals...
in 1840. He conducted collecting expeditions to India (1834-1838), Kashmir (1847), and Barbados (1870-1875). His main research field were tropical grasses, including the bamboo
Bamboo
Bamboo is a group of perennial evergreens in the true grass family Poaceae, subfamily Bambusoideae, tribe Bambuseae. Giant bamboos are the largest members of the grass family....
species of which he published a monograph in 1868. The genus Munronia is named in his honour.
Munro died in Taunton
Taunton
Taunton is the county town of Somerset, England. The town, including its suburbs, had an estimated population of 61,400 in 2001. It is the largest town in the shire county of Somerset....
, Somerset
Somerset
The ceremonial and non-metropolitan county of Somerset in South West England borders Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west. It is partly bounded to the north and west by the Bristol Channel and the estuary of the...
on 29 January 1880.
This botanist is denoted by the author abbreviation Munro when citing
Author citation (botany)
In botanical nomenclature, author citation refers to citing the person who validly published a botanical name, i.e. who first published the name while fulfilling the formal requirements as specified by the International Code of Botanical Nomenclature...
a botanical name
Botanical name
A botanical name is a formal scientific name conforming to the International Code of Botanical Nomenclature and, if it concerns a plant cultigen, the additional cultivar and/or Group epithets must conform to the International Code of Nomenclature for Cultivated Plants...
.
Works (selected)
- Discovery of Fossil Plants at Kamptee, 'Proc. Agr. Soc. India,' 1842, pp. 22-23
- On Antidotes to Snake-bites, 'J. Agr. Soc. India,' 1848, vi. 1-23
- Report on Timber Trees of Bengal, 'Edinburgh New Phil. J.,' 1849, xlvi. 84-94
- Froriep Notizen, 1849, x. 81-7, 'Characters of some New Grasses collected at Hong Kong & in the vicinity by Mr. Charles Wright in the North Pacific Exploring Expedition,' 'American Academy Proceedings,' 1857-60, vi. 362-8
- An Identification of the Grasses of Linnæus's Herbarium, now in possession of the Linnean Society of London, 'Linn. Soc. J.,' 1862. vi. 33-55
- A monograph of the Bambusaceae. In: Trans. Linn. Soc. London. 26, 1868.
External links
- Biography at Wikisource
- Biography
- General William Munro, C.B., 39th Regiment - Soldier and Plantsman