Economic Botany Collection

Catalogue no.:

46130

Botanical classification:

LABIATAE Ocimum gratissimum

Common name:

Fever plant, mosquito plant, tea bush, shrubby basil

Geographical description:

Calcutta, India

Item description:

2 basil wood necklaces

Length:

79cm (small), 98cm (large)

No. of beads:

184, 102

Bead size:

0.4cm, 0.9cm

Plant information:

Perennial herb which is woody at the base. Native to the tropics from west to Southern Africa, to India and South East Asia.

Donor date:

24/05/1884

Donor:

Dr (later Sir) George King 1840-1909 - Dr King was born in Peterhead, Aberdeenshire and, after his parents died, joined a family publishing firm, later studying medicine. At Aberdeen University he developed an interest in botany. After graduation he joined the Indian Medical Service (IMS), but continued to devote his spare time to naturalist pursuits. After taking positions in the Saharanpur Botanic Garden and Indian Forest Service he was eventually made superintendent of the Royal Botanic Garden, Calcutta and of cinchona cultivation in Bengal. Here he established a method of distributing the drug at a low price. He organised the Botanical Survey of India and became Professor of Botany at the Medical College of Bengal, Calcutta from 1871 to 1895. King authored over sixty publications and had several plants and a genus of orchid named after him. He was awarded medals by the University of Uppsala, the Linnaean Society and the Royal Horticultural Society (Victoria Medal), and was elected Fellow of the Royal Society in 1887.