Robert
Brown was born in Montrose, Scotland. His life was
also completely associated with botanical research. At
32 he returned from Australia with plant specimens. It
has been stated that "thereafter nothing was allowed
to divert his eye from his microscope and his books."
In 1827 he made a deal with the trustees of the
British Museum that if he transferred the Bank's
collection to the museum he was to be appointed
"keeper." These collections now are located in the
magnificent herbarium of the University of London and
are the authority of the systematic work in Britain to
the present day.
While "keeper" of the Botanical Department of the
British Museum he examined collections obtained from
all parts of the world. These formed the basis for a
series of monographs and papers explaining the natural
affinities, geographical distributions, morphology and
anatomy of the Plant Kingdom. He announced the
existence of the cell nucleus and the distinction
between gymnosperms and Angiosperms and the so-called
"Brownian" movement of small particles suspended in
liquids. It has been stated that "nearly every group
of flowering plants today bears the mark of this
genius."
