Balfour, Isaac Bayley (1853–1922)

Scottish botanist, professor of botany at the University of Edinburgh and keeper of the city's Royal Botanic Garden 1888–1922.

Balfour was born in Edinburgh. He was awarded professorships in botany at Glasgow (1879–84) and Oxford (1884–88), before returning to his home town and being appointed the King's botanist in Scotland. In 1880 he explored the island of Socotra, in the Indian Ocean, publishing his findings in the Transactions of the Royal Society, Edinburgh, in 1888. He also edited The Annals of Botany from 1887 onwards.