banksia/banksiana/banksii: for Sir Joseph Banks (1743-1829), well-known English naturalist, explorer, and plant collector; a wealthy patron of the natural sciences. After his father died he inherited a large estate and became the local squire and magistrate. He attended Chelsea Physic Garden and the British Museum and established acquaintances with scientific men of the age, becoming an advisor to King George III. He was elected to the Royal Society in 1866 and to Newfoundland and Labrador with Constantine John Phipps, his Eton schoolmate. He was a member of Captain James Cook's first voyage of discovery on the Endeavor to South America, Tahiti, New Zealand and Australia. He had become great friends with the Swedish naturalist Daniel Solander and in 1772 went with him to Scotland and Iceland. In 1778 he became President of the Royal Society, a position he was to hold for 41 years. He was in Cape Town in 1771 and was so impressed with the Cape flora that the following year he sent a gardener from Kew named Francis Masson to collect botanical specimens. He had an incredible influence on the course of British exploration and was responsible for sending botanists and explorers to many parts of the world. Included in these famous voyages was that of George Vancouver to the Northeastern Pacific and William Bligh to the South Pacific. His greatest influence however arguably was on the British colonization of Australia. During this time both Kew Gardens and the British Museum were the beneficiaries of specimens sent back at his behest from all over the world. He is commemoratednot only in the Australian genus Banksia, but also in species names including the South African ones Erica banksii and Wahlenbergia banksiana. His name is also on many geographic features. (Gunn & Codd; Wikipedia)