1-156-964 - Ann Ronan Picture Library/Heritage-Images

Joseph Dalton Hooker, English botanist, plant geographer and collector. Born in Halesworth, Suffolk, Hooker (1817-1911) served as surgeon-botanist on British Antarctic expedition of HMS 'Discovery' and HMS 'Erebus' in 1839-1843. He made a three year trip to the Himalayas in 1848-1850, bringing back 7000 specimens from the expedition. Amongst these were 25 new species of rhododendron, half as many again as were then known, leading to something of a rhododendron craze amongst British gardeners. In 1855 Hooker became Assistant Director of the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew, and took over the post of Director from his father, Sir William Hooker, in 1865.