] Elian Emily Collins (née Pemberton 4 September 1858 - c.1945) was an English

botanist Botany, also called plant science, is the branch of natural science and biology studying plants, especially Plant anatomy, their anatomy, Plant taxonomy, taxonomy, and Plant ecology, ecology. A botanist or plant scientist is a scientist who s ...

naturalist Natural history is a domain of inquiry involving organisms, including animals, fungi, and plants, in their natural environment, leaning more towards observational than experimental methods of study. A person who studies natural history is cal ...

and an early collector of plant specimens in

Thailand Thailand, officially the Kingdom of Thailand and historically known as Siam (the official name until 1939), is a country in Southeast Asia on the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese Peninsula. With a population of almost 66 million, it spa ...

. She discovered several plant species new to science and had numerous species named after her. Her estate was settled in 1953 when she left her house, Collinston to the British Embassy.

Biography

Early life

Collins was born in

British Burma British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. * British national identity, the characteristics of British people and cultur ...

on 4 September 1858. Her baptism, 12th April 1865, was recorded in Moulenin. She married David John Collins, a surveyor, and travelled with him to Thailand in 1877.

Collecting work

Collins was an early collector of plant specimens in Thailand. She collected plants mainly in the regions of

Chonburi Chonburi (, , IAST: , ) is the capital of Chonburi Province and, as part of the district Mueang Chonburi District, Mueang Chonburi, the List of municipalities in Thailand, seventh-largest city in Thailand. It is about 100 km southeast of Ba ...

(Si Racha) and

Chanthaburi Chanthaburi (, ) is a town ('' thesaban mueang'') in the east of Thailand, on the banks of the Chanthaburi River. It is the capital of the Chanthaburi Province and the Mueang Chanthaburi District. The town covers the two ''tambons'' Talat an ...

between 1902 and 1938. She was encouraged in her collecting efforts by Dr

Arthur Francis George Kerr Arthur Francis George Kerr (1877–1942) was an Irish medical doctor. He is known particularly now for his botanical work, which was important for the study of the flora of Thailand. He encouraged other botanists to collect plant specimens in Tha ...

whom she met in

Si Racha Si Racha (, ) is a subdistrict and town in Thailand on the east coast of the Gulf of Thailand, about southeast of Bangkok in Si Racha district, Chonburi province. The town is the center of the Si Racha district, the ninth-largest urban ci ...

in September 1911. Collins frequently sent Dr Kerr specimens which were incorporated into his private herbarium. These specimens are now held at the

Natural History Museum, London The Natural History Museum in London is a museum that exhibits a vast range of specimens from various segments of natural history. It is one of three major museums on Exhibition Road in South Kensington, the others being the Science Museum (Lo ...

. Collins also sent specimens to other botanists as well as to the

Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew is a non-departmental public body in the United Kingdom sponsored by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. An internationally important botanical research and education institution, it employs 1,10 ...

. She corresponded with Professor

William Grant Craib William Grant Craib (10 March 1882 in Banff, Aberdeenshire – 1 September 1933 in Kew) was a British Botany, botanist. Craib was Regius Professor of Botany (Aberdeen), Regius Professor of Botany at Aberdeen University and later worked at the R ...

, Regius Professor of Botany at Aberdeen University and author of ''Florae Siamensis Enumeratio''. Collins was recognised by him as one of two important collectors who supplied specimens to the Royal Botanical Gardens herbarium from the Si Racha area in Thailand. The other collector being Dr Kerr. Collins corresponded with Sir

Arthur William Hill Sir Arthur William Hill (11 October 1875, in Watford – 3 November 1941, in Richmond, London, Richmond) was Director of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, and a noted botanist and taxonomist. The only son of Daniel Hill, he attended Marlboroug ...

, Director of the

. As well as providing specimens, she sent photographs and information on common names and economic uses of local plants she collected and supplied Kew. She also corresponded with Sir

David Prain Sir David Prain (11 July 1857 – 16 March 1944) was a Scotland, Scottish botanist who worked in India at the Calcutta Botanical Garden and went on to become Director of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Life Born to David Prain, a saddler, and ...

and through him provided Trinity College, Dublin with specimens. Her specimens are held in Herbaria around the world including in the Department of Agriculture Herbarium (BK), Bangkok, Harvard University Herbarium, The Natural History Museum, Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, Missouri Botanical Garden Herbarium, New York Botanical Garden Herbarium and the

United States National Herbarium The United States National Herbarium is a collection of five million preserved plant specimens housed in the Department of Botany at the National Museum of Natural History, which is part of the Smithsonian Institution. It represents about 8% of the ...

. After Collins stopped collecting in 1938 very few botanists appeared to collect systematically in this area of Thailand until the mid 1970s. Collins was among the first members of The Natural History Society of Siam when it was established on 6 March 1914. This organisation became a section of the

Siam Society The Siam Society Under Royal Patronage () was established in 1904 with a mission to promote knowledge of the culture, history, arts, and natural sciences of Thailand as well as those of neighbouring countries. The premises of the Society in Bangko ...

in 1925. Collins was instrumental in releasing the mosquito eating fish Gamusia into Thailand waters in January 1929.

Awards

Collins was made a Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the King's Birthday Honours List of 1938. Emily Pemberton Bangkok

Species named in Collins' honour

Several plant species have the descriptive term "collinsae" or "collinsiae" in their name in her honour. These include * ''

Actephila collinsiae ''Actephila'' is a genus of about 36 species of flowering plants in the family Phyllanthaceae native to Southeast Asia, China, the Himalayas, Papuasia and northern Australia. Plants in the genus ''Actephila'' are monoecious trees or shrubs with ...

'' * '' Ardisia collinsae'' * '' Lagerstroemia collinsae'' * '' Rivea collinsae'' * '' Eugenia collinsae'' * '' Stemona collinsiae'' * '' Tarenna collinsae'' * '' Mitrephora collinsae'' * '' Zanthoxylum collinsae'' * '' Argyreia collinsae'' * '' Phyllanthus collinsiae''

Death

She continued to reside in Thailand until her death sometime after World War II.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Collins, Elian Emily British women botanists English botanists 1858 births 1945 deaths English expatriates in Thailand British expatriates in British Burma