George Anderson ( - January 10, 1817), English botanist, member of the Horticultural and Linnean Societies of London, collaborated with Joseph Sabine. He died as a result of a fall from a gig.
[From
The Edinburgh Annual Register for 1817, 1821, p. 102-103:] The Linnaean Society....On Tuesday, February 4, part of a paper, by the late
G. Anderson, Esq. F. L. S. was read, entitled, A Monograph of the Genus Paeonia. Linnaeus at first confounded all the species of paeonia under the name paeonia officinalis. He afterwards added paeonia tennifolia, and paeonia anomala was admitted into his Mantissa. Since that time, very little has been done by botanists to this genus, which is still involved in much confusion. The present monograph was owing to the zeal of Mr Sabine, F.L.S. who collected into his garden all the varieties of pseonia to be found in Great Britain, to the number of more than seventy. The descriptions were drawn up by Mr Sabine and Mr Anderson conjointly, from living specimens.
All the species of paeonia belong to the northern hemisphere, and to cold climates. None of them have been observed in America. They are all hardy enough to stand the winter in England. The species described are the following :—
1. Montana. This constitutes the pride of the Chinese gardens, in which it has been cultivated above 1400 years. More than 200 varieties are known, and prized as much by the Chinese as the tulips are by the Dutch gardeners. This species is remarkable for the beauty and variety of its colours.
2. Albiflora.—Originally from Tartary. Introduced by seeds from Pallas. Different varieties are cultivated in England.
3. Anomala,—Originally from Siberia. Admitted by Linnaeus into his Mantissa.
4. Tennifolia.—Easily distinguished from the preceding species by its linear leaves. Admitted by Linnaeus in the third edition of his Species Plantarum.
....At the same meeting [Tuesday, February 18], the remainder of Mr Anderson's Monograph of the genus Paeonia was read. Nine other species were described, making 13 in all; the principal of which were P. officinalis, corallina, humilis, arietina, peregrina, mollis, humilis.
[From
Transactions of the Linnean Society of London, Vol. XII, 1818, p. 283] Postscript by Joseph Sabine, Esq. "Two days after the preceding account had been brought to its present state, by the diligence and industry of my most valued friend, he was accidentally killed by a fall from a carriage. This melancholy event happened on the 10th of January last, near his own house at West-Ham; and the superintendence of the publication of this paper in consequence of this misfortune has fallen on me alone: thus the gratification I had enjoyed in assisting him in the composition, and which would have been complete had we been able to see the result of our inquiry placed in the pages of the
Transactions of the Society, was suddenly destroyed; and that which would have afforded me so much pleasure, has now been a task, accompanied with the most painful recollections.
