David Burton (botanist)
Encyclopedia
David Burton was a botanist and surveyor in early colonial New South Wales
.
He arrived in the colony in 1791 as superintendent of convicts, and with a private commission to collect plant and seed specimens for Sir Joseph Banks
. He was immediately set to work surveying around Parramatta.
Late in 1791, Arthur Phillip
asked Burton to write a report on the quality of the soil in the Parramatta region. During the course of his work, Burton made was is now recognised as one of the earliest recorded observations on soil allelopathy
:
Burton collected a great many specimens for Banks over the following year, but in 1792 he accidentally shot himself while exploring the Nepean River
.
The plant genus Burtonia
is named in his honour.
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
.
He arrived in the colony in 1791 as superintendent of convicts, and with a private commission to collect plant and seed specimens for Sir Joseph Banks
Joseph Banks
Sir Joseph Banks, 1st Baronet, GCB, PRS was an English naturalist, botanist and patron of the natural sciences. He took part in Captain James Cook's first great voyage . Banks is credited with the introduction to the Western world of eucalyptus, acacia, mimosa and the genus named after him,...
. He was immediately set to work surveying around Parramatta.
Late in 1791, Arthur Phillip
Arthur Phillip
Admiral Arthur Phillip RN was a British admiral and colonial administrator. Phillip was appointed Governor of New South Wales, the first European colony on the Australian continent, and was the founder of the settlement which is now the city of Sydney.-Early life and naval career:Arthur Phillip...
asked Burton to write a report on the quality of the soil in the Parramatta region. During the course of his work, Burton made was is now recognised as one of the earliest recorded observations on soil allelopathy
Allelopathy
Allelopathy is a biological phenomenon by which an organism produces one or more biochemicals that influence the growth, survival, and reproduction of other organisms. These biochemicals are known as allelochemicals and can have beneficial or detrimental effects on the target organisms...
:
Burton collected a great many specimens for Banks over the following year, but in 1792 he accidentally shot himself while exploring the Nepean River
Nepean River
The Nepean River is a river in the coastal region of New South Wales, Australia.The headwaters of the Nepean River rise near Robertson, about 100 kilometres south of Sydney and about 15 kilometres from the coast. The river flows north in an unpopulated water catchment area into Nepean Dam, which...
.
The plant genus Burtonia
Burtonia
Burtonia is a genus in the pea family, Fabaceae.Some authorities treat the genus as synonymous with Gompholobium.It was named after David Burton....
is named in his honour.