George Argent

Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, United Kingdom

Dr. Graham Charles George Argent of the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh in the United Kingdom is considered as Edinburgh's "Indiana Jones" of Botany.

He has gathered exotic plants from the remotest and most inhospitable places on Earth, ventured through sweltering rainforests and up remote mountains, braved dangerous wildlife and civil wars, in search of the world’s rarest plant life (www.scotsman.com)

He authored 131 new species and varieties of plants particularly in the family of Ericaceae, Campanulaceae, Convolvulaceae, Musaceae and named 2 sections under Subgenus Rhododendron. He has authored 5 books on the taxonomy and cultivation of Rhododendrons. Six species of plants have also been named after him.

In 2015 he published the second edition of Vireya Rhododendron book with over 300 species described and keyed, many of which are illustrated. Dr. Argent is completing an account of Vaccinium (c.40 species) of Borneo. He has well advanced accounts of Vaccinium and Diplycosia for the Philippines well advanced and during the same year he presented a keynote address on Ericaceae of the Philippines in Manila (2015).

Even in retirement he is still working on Ericaceae and Musaceae of Southeast Asia. He recently presented a keynote speech at the Flora Malesiana Symposium (Edinburgh) 2016 and a second paper on Professor Sleumer’s contribution to Flora Malesiana.

Dr. Argent has been conferred very prestigious awards in the UK and the US such as the Honorary Fellow of the University of Edinburgh, Royal Horticultural Society Loder Cup, American Rhododendron Society 2002 Gold Medal Award and the 2013 David Fairchild Medal for Plant Exploration.