> [!cite] BHL link: this entry starts at [page 376](https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/33189847) of TL-2 Vol. IV > Author links: [IPNI](https://www.ipni.org/a/7925-1) LSID 7925-1, [Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q689862) QID Q689862 > Support pages: [[Abbreviations|abbreviations]], [[Layout key|layout key]], [[Cite TL-2|cite TL-2]] ### Author Prain, Sir David (1857-1944), British botanist; MB Edinburgh 1882; Indian Medical Service 1884-1887; curator herb. Royal Botanic Garden, Calcutta 1887-1898; superintendent id. 1898-1905; professor of botany Calcutta Medical College 1898-1905; director R.B.G. Kew 1905-1922. **Abbreviated name**: *Prain* \[standard form in IPNI: *Prain*\] #### Herbarium and types [[Collection CAL|CAL]] and [[Collection K|K]]; other material at [[Collection A|A]], [[Collection B|B]], [[Collection BM|BM]], [[Collection DBN|DBN]], [[Collection DD|DD]], [[Collection E|E]], [[Collection HK|HK]], [[Collection K|K]], [[Collection L|L]], [[Collection LE|LE]], [[Collection US|US]], [[Collection W|W]], [[Collection WU|WU]]. – Some letters at [[Collection G|G]], [[Collection HU|HU]], [[Collection K|K]] and SIA; see also Bridson (1980). #### Bibliography and biography Backer p. 462; Barnhart 3: 106; BJI 1: 46, 2: 139; BL 1: 63, 93, 94, 96, 99, 313; Blunt p. 183, 186; BM 4: 1608-1609, 8: 1027-1028; Bossert p. 316; CSP 17: 998; Desmond p. 502-503 (full info.; b. 11 Jul 1857, d. 16 Mar 1944); DNB 1941-1950: 695-696; Hortus 3: 1202 (Prain); IF p. 724; IH 1 (ed. 6): 363, (ed. 7): 340; 2: (in press); Kew 4: 355-358; KR p. 579; Langman p. 594; Lenley p. 334-335. LS 21200, 38054, suppl. 22176; MW p. 393-394; NI 256, 1052, 1559-1560; NW p. 55; PH 209; Rehder 5: 685-686; SK 4: cxix, cxxxiv; ; TL-1/538; TL-2/1290, 2448, 3006, 3218, 4275, 7055. Tucker 1: 567; Urban-Berl. p. 384; Zander ed. 10, p. 703. #### Biofile - Allan, M., The Hookers of Kew 234. 249-250. 1967. - Anon., Bot. Centralbl. 73: 479. 1898 (appointed superint. Calcutta); Bot. Jahrb. 25 (Beibl. 60): 56. 1898 (superint. Calcutta), 38: (Beibl. 87): 42. 1906 (dir. Kew); Bull. misc. Inf. Kew 1930: 96 (on portr.), 1935: 97; Bull. Soc. bot. France 45: 94. 1898 (dir. bot. gard. Calcutta); Gard. Chron. ser. 3. 115: 144. 1944 (obit.); Gard. Mag. 50: 168. 1907 (portr.), 55: 129. 1912 (portr.); Hedwigia 45: (128). 1906 (app. Kew, 63: (151). 1922 (retirement from Kew); Nat. Nov. 20: 213. 1898 (app. director Cinchona plantations in Bengal), 27: 248. 1905 (FRS), 374. 1905 (superint. R.B.G. Calcutta), 32: 72. 1910 (foreign member Akad. Wiss., München); Österr. bot. Z. 48: 367. 1898 (superint. R.B.G. Calcutta); Österr. bot. Z. 56: 79. 1906 (app. Kew); Proc. Linn. Soc. London 156: 125. 1944; The Times 18 Mar 1944; Tropical Life 1906 (Mai): 72. (portr.); Yearbook Amer. philos. Soc. 1944: 379-383. - Bridson, G.D.R. et al., Nat. hist. mss. res. Brit. Isl. 269.138, 269.288. 1980. - Britten, J., J. Bot. 44: 21-22. 1906 (portr.; appointment). - Bullock, A.A., Bibl. S. Afr. bot. 92. 1978. - Burkill, I.H., Obit. Not. Fellows Roy. Soc. 13(4): 747-770. 1944 (obit., portr., bibl.); Proc. Linn. Soc. London 156: 223-229. 1945 (obit.); Chapt. hist. bot. India 243 \[index, many entries\]. 1965. - Drewitt, F.D., Apothec. Garden 88, 89. 1922. - Fletcher, H.R., Story R. Hort. Soc. 299, 374. 1969; R. Bot. Gard. Edinburgh 230, 260. 1970 (recomm. for Calcutta). - Gager, C.S., Brooklyn Bot. Gard. Rec. 27(3): 247 (dir. Kew), 261 (dir. Calcutta bot. gard. 1897-1905). - Gagnepain, F., *in* Lecomte, H., Fl. gén. Indoch., tome prél. 46-47, *pl. 13.* 1944 (portr.). - Hedge, I.C. & J.M. Lamond, Index coll. Edinb. herb. 120. 1970. - Hemsley, W.B., J. Kew Guild 2: 289. 1906 (portr.). - Huxley, L., Life letters J.D. Hooker 2: 560. \[index\]. 1918. - Jackson, B.D., Bull. misc. Inf. Kew 1901: 53. - Kneucker, A., Allg. bot. Z. 12: 36. 1906 (appointm. Kew). - Merrill, E.D., Yearbook Amer. philos. Soc. 1944: 379-383; Chron. bot. 10(3/4): 374-376. 1946 ("the career of Sir David Prain reads more like that of some young American..."), 14(5/6): 214, 244, 259. 1954 (Bot. Cook's Voy.). - Murray, G., Hist. coll. BM(NH) 1: 174. 1904. - Nelmes and Cuthbertson, Bot. Mag. Dedic. 291-292, portr. 1931. - Prain, D., Memoirs and memoranda, chiefly botanical. Calcutta 1894, vi, 419 p. (mainly reprints from periodicals 1887-1893); Bot. notes and papers, reprints from periodicals 1894-1901, Calcutta 1901 (see Nat. Nov. Jun(1) 1901). - Salisbury, E.J., Nature 153: 426-427. 1944 (obit.). - Smith, W.W., Yearb. R. Soc. Edinburgh 1945: 22-24 (obit.). - Stearn, W.T., Nat. Hist. Mus. S. Kensington 301. 1981. - Taton, R., ed., Science in the 19th century 386. 1965. - Taylor, G., Nature 80: 162-163. 1957 (centenary birth). - Thomson, A.D., New Zealand J. Bot. 18: 409-416. 1980 (letters L. Cockayne to Prain). - Verdoorn, F., ed., Chron. bot. 1: 40, 297. 1935, 2: 185, 187, 196, 196, 3: 15, 162. 1937, 4: 154, 276. 1938, 5: 262, 281, 299, 314. 1939, 6: 415, 417. 1941, 7: 141. 1943. #### Composite works - (1) Editor, Hooker's *Icones Plantarum* 29 (1906)-30 (1944), *pl. 2801-3000.* - (2) Editor Curtis's *Botanical magazine* 133 (1907)-146 (1920), *pl. nos. 8112-8873.* - (3) *Flora Capensis, Loganiaceae*, with H.S. Cummins, 4, sect. 1(6): 1036-1055. Feb 1909; *Euphorbiaceae*, with N.E. Brown & J. Hutchinson, 5, sect. 2(2): 216-384. Oct 1915. - (4) *Flora tropical Africa, Cycadaceae*, 6, sect. 2(2): 344-354. Nov 1917; edited volumes 6(2) and 9. Co-author *Euphorbiaceae*, 6, Sect. 1(3): 441-576. Oct. 1911. - (5) *Flore générale Indochine, Dioscoreaceae*, with I.H. Burkill, 6(5): 698-720. Feb 1934, 6(6): 721-745. Nov 1934. - (6) *Index kewensis*, editor (in his capacity of director of Kew) of suppl. 3-5, 1908-1921, see B.D. Jackson. #### Eponymy *Prainea* King ex J.D. Hooker (1888). See ING 3: 1407. #### Note Prain readjusted the policy of the *Index kewensis* of providing taxonomic synonymy. In his opinion "uniformity in the delimitation of species as taxonomic units is unattainable" and so "Kew could not dictate nor profitably argue" reductions to taxonomic synonymy. From supplement 4 onward the Index kewensis became the nomenclator it now is: listing names without expressing taxonomic opinions (quotations from Burkill 1944). ### Publications ##### n.8258. The species of Pedicularis of the Indian Empire **Title** *The species of Pedicularis of the Indian Empire* and its frontiers... Calcutta (Printed at the Bengal Secretariat Press) 1890. Fol. **Notes** *Publ*.: Dec 1890 (p. ii: 1 Jan 1890; p. 196 marked 11 Nov 1890 (registr.)), p. \[i\*\], \[i\]-ii, \[i\]-iv, \[1, h.t.\], \[1\]-196, chart, *pl. 0, 0*a, *1-37*(uncol.; G.C. Das, A.D. Mulla, D. Prain, A.L. Singh). *Copies*: BR, FI, H, NY, U. – Published in and to be cited from Ann. R. Bot. Gard., Calcutta 3: 1-196. Dec 1890. See NI 1560 for artists plates. *Ref*.: Franchet, A., Bull. Soc. bot. France 40: 35-37. 1893 (rev.). ##### n.8259. A list of Laccadive plants **Title** *A list of Laccadive plants*... Calcutta (printed by the Superintendent of Government Printing, India) 1890. Oct. **Notes** *Publ*.: 1890, cover-t.p., p. \[1\]-23. *Copy*: G. – Reprinted from Sci. Mem. med. Officers Army India, part 5 (journal n.v.). See also his *Botany of the Laccadives, in* J. Bombay nat. hist. Soc. 7: 268-295, 460-486. 1892/93, 8: 57-86, 488. 1893-1894. ##### n.8260. An account of the genus Argentone **Title** *An account of the genus Argentone* \[Reprinted from the Journal of Botany 1895\]. Oct. **Notes** *Publ*.: Mai-Dec 1895 (in journal), p. \[1\]-37. *Copy*: FI. – Reprinted and to be cited from J. Bot. 33: 129-135. Mai, 176-178. Jun, 207-209. Jul, 307-312. Oct, 325-333. Nov, 363-371. Dec 1895. ##### n.8261. A revision of the genus Chelidonium **Title** *A revision of the genus Chelidonium* \[Extrait du Bulletin de l'Herbier Boissier... 1895\]. Oct. **Notes** *Publ*.: Nov 1895, p. \[1\]-18. *Copies*: FI, G, U. – Reprinted and to be cited from Bull. Herb. Boissier 3(11): 570-587. 1895. ##### n.8261a. An account of Corydalis persica **Title** *An account of Corydalis persica* Cham. et Schlecht. with remarks on certain allied species of *Corydalis* Vent.... \[Extrait du Bulletin de l'Herbier Boissier... 1899\]. Oct. **Notes** *Publ*.: Mar 1899, p. \[1\]-16. *Copy*: U. – Reprinted and to be cited from Bull. Herb. Boissier 7(3): 162-177. 1899. ##### n.8262. Bengal plants **Title** *Bengal plants* a list of the phanerogams, ferns and fern-allies indigenous to, or commonly cultivated in, the lower provinces and Chittagong with definitions of the natural orders and genera, and keys to the genera and species... Calcutta 1903, 2 vols. Oct. **Abbreviated title**: *Bengal pl.* **Notes** *Orig. ed.*: 2 volumes. *Copies*: MO, USDA; IDC 7317. *1*: 1903 (p. vii: Mar 1903; Nat. Nov. Jan(1) 1904; Bot. Centralbl. 14 Jan 1904), p. \[i-ix\], \[1\]-663, map. *2*: 1903 (Nat. Nov. Jan(1) 1904; Bot. Centralbl. 14 Jan 1904), p. \[i-iii\], \[663\]-1319. *Reprint*: 1963, 2 vols. *Copies*: B, G, NY, US. – Botanical Survey of India, Calcutta. – *1*: \[i-xi\], \[1\]-489; *2*: \[i-iv\], \[491\]-1013. ##### n.8263. The species of Dalbergia of Southeastern Asia **Title** *The species of Dalbergia of Southeastern Asia*... Calcutta (Bengal Secretariat Press) 1904. Fol. **Notes** *Publ*.: 1904 (pref.: 5 Apr 1903; Nat. Nov. Oct(2) 1904), p. \[i\*-iii\*\], \[i\]-iii, \[i\]-iv, \[1\]-114, *pl. 1-91* (uncol., K.D. Chandra, K.P. Dass, A.L. Singh, A.D. Molla, D.N. Choudhury, auct). *Copies*: B, BR, MO, NY. – Issued as part of, and to be cited from Ann. R. Bot. Gard., Calcutta 10, 1904; see NI 1559 for artists of plates. ##### n.8264. Noviciae indicae **Title** *Noviciae indicae*: some additional species of Indian plants... London (printed by West, Newman & Co.,...) 1905. Oct. **Notes** *Publ*.: 1905, p. \[i\]-xxviii, \[1\]-445, *5 pl. Copies*: G, MO. – A reprint of a series of articles previously published in the J. Asiat. Soc. Bengal, vols. 58-73, 1889-1904, listed with precise details on p. vii-viii. The reprint also shows the original pagination. *Reprints journal articles*. The journal articles were reprinted with original as well as continuous pagination at the time of publication with the imprint, on the cover of part 1: Calcutta (printed by G.H. House,...) 1889. *Copy*: NY. The preface material \[i\]-xxviii and the index, p. 429-445 were included only in the 1905 reprint. ##### n.8265. Contributions to Indian botany **Title** *Contributions to Indian botany*... London (Printed by West, Newman & Co.,...) 1906. Oct. **Notes** *Publ*.: 1906, a series of reprints from British and Indian periodicals, 1902-1906, listed in preface. To be cited from original periodicals; p. \[i\]-viii, 1-432, 1-27 \[= 433-459\]. *Copy*: MO. ##### n.8266. An account of the genus Dioscorea in the East **Title** *An account of the genus Dioscorea in the East* part I the species which twine to the left ... Alipore, Bengal (Superintendent, Government Printing Bengal Government Press) 1936. Qu. **Notes** *Co-author*: Isaac Henry Burkill (1870-1965). *Publ*.: 1936, to be cited as Ann. R. Bot. Gard. Calcutta 14(1). *Copies*: BR, NY, PH. *Text*: \[i\*-iii\*\], \[i\]-iii, \[i\]-ii, \[1, h.t.\], \[1\]-210, \[i\]-vi. *Plates*: \[i\*-iii\*\], \[i\]-ii, *pl. 1-32, 32-2, 32-3, 32-3, 32-4, 32-5, 33-80, 80-2, 80-3, 81-85* (uncol.). – Merrill (1947) states that p. 211-428 and *pl. 86-150* were printed 1939 but not yet distributed by Aug 1946. However, he had seen p. 427-528 of which a limited distribution had taken place in 1939. *Note*: A third volume of reprints from periodicals was *Memoirs and memoranda, chiefly botanical*, Calcutta (Baptist Mission Press) 1894, 406 p. (n.v.) (see C.B. Clarke, J. Bot. 32: 345-347. Nov 1894).