Prain, David (1857–1944)

Scottish botanist and director of the Royal Botanical Garden in Calcutta (now Kolkata) and the botanical gardens at Kew in London.

Prain was born in Fellencairn, Aberdeenshire and sent to study at the University of Aberdeen. He won a bursary and taught during the university vacations in order to finance his studies for his MA in natural sciences, which he gained 1878. In 1880 he began to study medicine and on completion of these studies in 1883, he went to India with the Indian Medical Service.

In 1885 he was curator of the Royal Botanical Garden at Calcutta, and he gave up the practice of medicine 1887 in order to work full time there. He was appointed professor of botany at the Medical College in Kolkata 1895 and became superintendent of the Royal Botanical Garden when George King retired 1898. In 1905, he was made the director of the botanical gardens at Kew, where he switched his attentions to British and African plants. He retired 1922 and was knighted the same year.