Helena M. L. Forbes (11 September 1900 – 5 September 1959) was a Scottish botanist, plant collector and curator who worked primarily on South African flora.
Helena M. L. Forbes | |
---|---|
![]() | |
Born | (1900-09-11)September 11, 1900 Forfar, Scotland |
Died | September 5, 1959(1959-09-05) (aged 58) South Africa |
Occupation | Botanist |
Years active | 1919 - 1955 |
Employer | Natal Herbarium |
Helena Madelain Lamond Forbes was born on 11 September 1900 in Forfar, Scotland.[1] When she was a young child, her parents emigrated to Durban and Forbes childhood was spent there.[1] On 1 July 1919 she joined Natal Herbarium in Durban as a Junior Assistant in the Botany Division.[2] She became responsible for herbarium maintenance and plant identification.[3] From 1936-37 she worked at Kew Gardens as the South African Liaison Officer.[4] She subsequently returned to South Africa, where she joined the National Herbarium in Pretoria in 1938.[1] In 1940 she returned to Natal Herbarium as Curator and stayed in post until her retirement on 10 September 1955.[1][2] At her retirement she was described as "a stalwart that kept botanical wheels turning at the herbarium".[3] She suffered from rheumatoid arthritis and died on 5 September 1959.[2]
Forbes was recognised as an authority on the flora of the Natal and, whilst she did not publish widely, she did contribute major revisions of two genera: Psoralea and Tephrosia.[1] Work on Psoralea had begun as early in her career as 1923 and in 1934 she began her work on Tephrosia.[3] During her lifetime she published thirty-two plant names,[5] some of which include: the taxon Ophrestia;[6] Kalanchoe albiflora.[7] During her time at the Natal Herbarium she contributed 1400 specimens to the collection, most of which were from the region.[4] Early in her career she worked on the genus Cassia, as well as flora from Isipingo.[3]
The Indian Ocean alga Beckerella helenae is named after Forbes.[8]
The standard author abbreviation H.M.L.Forbes is used to indicate this person as the author when citing a botanical name.[11]
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: url-status (link)