William Roxburgh (1751 - 1815) was a Scottish botanist and surgeon. He studied medicine and botany in Edinburgh and had been a surgeon’s mate on an East India Company ship. At the age of just 21 years he already undertook 2 voyages to India. He worked at the Madras Medical Service as an assistant surgeon and 1780 he became a surgeon. While staying at Madras, William Roxburgh turned his attention to botany and got several positions in Indian botanical gardens. In 1791 he became botanist and naturalist in the Government of Madras. For his outstanding research he has been called “Father of Indian Botany”.
William Roxburgh died at the 10.04.1815 in Edinburgh.
His author abbreviation is: Roxb.