Archibald Menzies

He was the first recorded European to reach the summit of the Hawaiian volcano Mauna Loa and introduced the monkey puzzle tree (Chile pine) to England.

[2] While working with his elder brother William at the Royal Botanic Gardens, he drew the attention of Dr John Hope, professor of botany at Edinburgh University, who encouraged him to study medicine there.

[4] In 1786 Menzies was appointed surgeon on board the Prince of Wales (Captain James Colnett), on a fur-trading voyage round Cape Horn to the northern Pacific.

[4] This ship, in company of Princess Royal (Captain Duncan), visited North America, China, and Hawaii (the Sandwich Isles) several times; Menzies collected a number of new plants on this voyage, and also ensured that none of the crew died of illness.

[6][7] In 1794, while Discovery spent one of three winters in Hawaii, Menzies, with Lieutenant Joseph Baker and two other men, made the first recorded ascent to Mokuaweoweo, the summit of Mauna Loa.

He was able to pop some seeds into his pocket and grow them on board ship on the way back to Europe, and returned to England with five healthy plants, the first seen in Britain.

[citation needed] Similarly, John Edward Gray named the most common species of freshwater mussel in New Zealand, Echyridella menziesii, after Menzies.

His specimens came from diverse locations, including Nova Scotia, Staten Island, the west coast of North America, Sumatra, the Cape of Good Hope, New Zealand, Tahiti, Hawaii, and Saint Helena.

His collections were studied by prominent lichenologists of the time, including Erik Acharius, who formally described 15 new species based on Menzies's specimens.