James Anderson (botanist)
James Anderson was an 18th-century Scottish physician and botanist. In 1783 he was a joint founder of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. He spent his later life in India.Life
He was born on 17 January 1738 in Long Hermiston, west of Edinburgh. the son of Dr Andrew Anderson, the local physician. He was educated locally at Ratho school then studied Medicine at the University of Edinburgh.
Anderson became an East India Company naval surgeon in 1759, and moved to the Madras Presidency in 1765. He was made surgeon-general of Madras in 1781, and ultimately physician-general. He died at Madras and a monument to him by Chantrey is installed at St George's Cathedral in Madras.
Interested in medicinal plants and horticulture, he set up a botanical garden in Madras where Anderson introduced mulberry trees, and experimented with making silk. He introduced apple trees also, and sought to produce local cochineal. He wrote on the cultivation of sugarcane, coffee and cotton.Botanical reference
named the genus Andersonia after him.
