Francis Masson facts for kids
Francis Masson (born August 1741 – died December 1805) was a Scottish botanist and gardener. He was also the very first "plant hunter" for Kew Gardens in England. A plant hunter travels to far-off places to find new and interesting plants.
Contents
A Life of Plant Hunting
Masson was born in a city called Aberdeen in Scotland. In the 1760s, he started working at Kew Gardens as a junior gardener.
First Big Adventure: South Africa
Sir Joseph Banks, a famous director at Kew, chose Masson for an exciting mission. He was the first plant collector sent abroad by Kew. Masson sailed with Captain James Cook on a ship called HMS Resolution. They landed in South Africa in October 1772.
Masson stayed in South Africa until 1775. During this time, he sent over 500 different kinds of plants back to England. This was a huge success!
Challenges and New Journeys
In 1776, Sir Joseph Banks sent Masson on another trip. This time, he went to places like Madeira, the Canary Islands, the Azores, and the Antilles.
While in Grenada, Masson was captured and held by the French. This was a very scary experience that stayed with him. He was eventually set free, but many of his plant collections were ruined. A big hurricane in St. Lucia destroyed almost everything else.
When Masson returned to Kew, he found gardening quite boring after his adventures. He asked Banks for another chance to collect plants abroad. However, a war with France made these trips much harder.
More Expeditions and Difficulties
In 1783, Masson collected plants in Portugal. In October 1785, he began his second journey to South Africa. Things had changed a lot there since his first visit. The British had tried to take over the area in 1781.
The local Governor made it hard for Masson to move around freely. This made him very frustrated. When he sailed back to England in March 1795, his plant collections were not as impressive as his first trip.
In September 1797, Masson set sail for North America. This voyage was very dangerous. His ship was captured by a French pirate! Masson and his fellow travelers thought they might be executed. Luckily, they were moved to a German ship going to Baltimore. From there, he found a way to New York City, arriving in December.
For the next seven years, he traveled widely, collecting plants and seeds. He visited places like the Niagara Peninsula and Lake Ontario. However, he only found 24 new plant species. This was a very small number compared to his amazing finds in South Africa.
Death
Masson found the harsh winters of North America very difficult. He died after a short illness in Montreal on December 23, 1805. He was buried there on Christmas Day at the Scotch Presbyterian Church.
Legacy
Francis Masson described more than 1,700 new plant species. This means he was the first to officially record and name them. Some of the plants he described include:
- Agapanthus inapertus, also known as Drooping Agapanthus
- Amaryllis belladonna, or Belladonna Lily
- Zantedeschia aethiopica, known as Arum Lily
- Strelitzia reginae, the beautiful Bird of Paradise Flower
- Senecio cruenta, or Cineraria
- Protea cynaroides, the King Protea
- Kniphofia rooperi, also called Red Hot Poker
- Trillium grandiflorum, the Great White Trillium
Plants Named After Masson
The group of plants called Massonia was named in honor of Francis Masson. There is also a special plaque remembering him in the Cruickshank Botanic Garden in Old Aberdeen.
See also
- List of gardener-botanist explorers of the Enlightenment
- European and American voyages of scientific exploration
