William Purdom
Encyclopedia
William Purdom was a British
plant explorer sent by Veitch
and the Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University
to the northern provinces of China in 1909. He collected and photographed plants for the Arboretum along China’s Yellow River for three years, 1909–1911. He was appointed Inspector of Forests to the Chinese Government. Rhododendron purdomii was named after him at the Arnold Arboretum. He and Belgian horticulturist J. Hers planned to edit Flora of China, but the plan was halted by the dismissal of the department. Later, Hers wrote Directory of Longhai Area Plants.
In 1914 Purdom and a companion Reginald Farrer
set out on an ambitious expedition to Tibet
and the Province of Kansu
province of North-west China
. These two years of exploring and plant collecting are described in Farrer's 'On the Eaves of the World' (2 vols) (1917), and Farrer's posthumous 'The Rainbow Bridge (1921).
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
plant explorer sent by Veitch
Veitch Nurseries
The Veitch Nurseries were the largest group of family-run plant nurseries in Europe during the 19th century. Started by John Veitch sometime before 1808, the original nursery grew substantially over several decades and was eventually split into two separate businesses - based at Chelsea and...
and the Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
to the northern provinces of China in 1909. He collected and photographed plants for the Arboretum along China’s Yellow River for three years, 1909–1911. He was appointed Inspector of Forests to the Chinese Government. Rhododendron purdomii was named after him at the Arnold Arboretum. He and Belgian horticulturist J. Hers planned to edit Flora of China, but the plan was halted by the dismissal of the department. Later, Hers wrote Directory of Longhai Area Plants.
In 1914 Purdom and a companion Reginald Farrer
Reginald Farrer
Reginald John Farrer , was a traveller and plant collector. He published a number of books, although is best known for My Rock Garden...
set out on an ambitious expedition to Tibet
Tibet
Tibet is a plateau region in Asia, north-east of the Himalayas. It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people as well as some other ethnic groups such as Monpas, Qiang, and Lhobas, and is now also inhabited by considerable numbers of Han and Hui people...
and the Province of Kansu
Gansu
' is a province located in the northwest of the People's Republic of China.It lies between the Tibetan and Huangtu plateaus, and borders Mongolia, Inner Mongolia, and Ningxia to the north, Xinjiang and Qinghai to the west, Sichuan to the south, and Shaanxi to the east...
province of North-west China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
. These two years of exploring and plant collecting are described in Farrer's 'On the Eaves of the World' (2 vols) (1917), and Farrer's posthumous 'The Rainbow Bridge (1921).