78:. Extensive plant collections were made by the pair through the Minshan Ranges and 'Stony Mountains' in their first season, followed by explorations in the Datong Mountains just to the north-west of Xining. Purdom himself traveled as far west as Lake Qinghai (KokoNor) in search of new plants. Their base camps included Zhugqu (Siku), Jone, as well as the Buddhist monasteries of Quezang (Chebson Abbey) and Tiantang. After completing the work in Gansu, Purdom and Farrer returned overland, traveling by horseback and river-boat southwards through the Dabashan Range and into the Sichuan basin before returning to the coast by way of the Yangtze River steamboat service. The expedition was a great success despite the very definite threats to their lives both from superstitious Tibetan locals and the 'White Wolves' rebels.
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planning the development of the rapidly expanding railway system. In the later capacity he was based in the city of
Xinyang on the Beijing to Hankou rail-line working under the eminent Chinese forester, Han An. Here, a hundred years later, Purdom has been afforded a unique Chinese honour, with the Purdom Forest Park, containing some of his original plantings, named in his recognition. At this point he came into professional contact with the Belgian railway engineer and botanical collector, Joseph Hers, who was himself working on the new railway heading towards Xi'an. Hers acknowledged their friendship and collaboration in an article that he wrote in 1923.
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heavily involved with early Union activities particularly promoting the rights of junior workers which eventually led to his unjustified dismissal. Despite being a bane to the, then, Kew
Director, David Prain, the latter recognized the talents of William Purdom and recommended his employee as being very suitable as a plant collector for a joint venture by
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himself indicated that many of the photographs which he used in his lectures and in his 'China' books were in fact taken by Purdom. Many of the latter, and also extremely interesting photographs that Purdom took whilst in China in 1916-1920 are held at the RBG Edinburgh on behalf of the
Lakeland Horticultural Society.
63:, to the peaks of Tabaishan, as well as in the Minshan Mountains and Lamashan near Jone. He failed in an attempt to reach the monastery of Labrang and the Amnye Machen range due to the hostility of the local lamas. In this period of severe turmoil in China, Purdom's life was at risk on several occasions
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The pair with similar interests and a love for China, planned to edit Flora of China, but the plan was abandoned probably owing to the premature death of Purdom in
Beijing 1921 from complications following a minor operation on an infected gland in his neck. Hers went on to acknowledge Purdom, both as
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Following the expedition, Purdom chose to remain in China and in 1916 was appointed an
Inspector of Forests to the Chinese Government in Beijing, particularly concerning himself with re-afforestation projects. When that department was dissolved in 1918, he transferred to the section of government
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Purdom collected several hundred herbarium specimens under his own name, most of which are represented at the Arnold
Arboretum and Kew Garden's herbariums. He became an accomplished photographer and a large collection of his images are held at the Arnold Arboretum and can be viewed on line. Farrer
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in the
English Lake district, he traveled to London to work at the Hugh Low, Enfield Nursery, then onto the Veitch establishment at Coombe Wood. In 1902, Purdom took up a position as a gardener at Kew Botanic Garden soon becoming promoted to a sub-foreman (leading-hand) position. Purdom became
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Purdom collected very many plants new to science and horticulture. Although many of the epithets originally given in his honour have been superseded, quite a number across a wide spectrum of genera still remain in use. These names were given by botanists at both the Arnold
Arboretum using the
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Purdom collected and photographed plants for the
Arboretum, as well as the great British Nursery firm for three years 1909- 1911. Over many months in the field, he traveled and collected from as far north as Duolun Nor and
89:(1921). In those volumes, Farrer very much indicates that the expedition could not have succeeded without the drive, the organisational talents and experience of his co-worker William Purdom.
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LUO Gui-huan，LI Ang, "Impacts of Arnold
Arboretum in Harvard University to Early Development of Botany in China", Journal of Beijing Forestry University, 10/3 (Sep 2011), pp.1-8.
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specimens that he had sent there, and those at Kew (whence he had been earlier dismissed) when studying flowering specimens of new plants sent there by the Veitch Nursery.
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6. Gordon, Francois (2021) "Will Purdom, agitator, plant-hunter, forester" ISBN 9 781910 877371, Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh
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In 1914, Purdom and the well-known English horticulturalist, Reginald Farrer, set out on an ambitious expedition to Qinghai
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Botanical records now reveal that it was Purdom who first discovered the peony species,
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http://english.ihns.cas.cn/Publications_new/Ra/201310/W020131015358023540791.pdf
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These two years of exploring and plant collecting are described in Farrer's
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Published by author in an edition limited to 250 copies. Melbourne 2019.
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a friend and botanical collaborator in his later writings in the
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Purdom, W. (1913a). Plant-collecting in China by Mr Purdom.
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Purdom and Farrer Plant Hunters on the Eaves of China.
238:is used to indicate this person as the author when
208:Purdom, W. (1913b). Aesculus chinensis in China.
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277:Bulletin de la Société Dendrologique de France.
99:Bulletin de la Société Dendrologique de France.
315:. Ohio State University. 2002. Archived from
39:to the northern provinces of China in 1909.
85:(2 vols) (1917), and Farrer's posthumous
379:"Explorers" on Arnold Arboretum website
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197:Published articles by William Purdom
109:Purdom's eponymous species include:
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339:International Plant Names Index
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293:. North Craven Heritage Trust
275:Hers, J. (1923b). Coniferes.
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313:"Farrer, Reginald 1880-1920"
291:"REGINALD FARRER OF CLAPHAM"
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355:5. Watt, Alistair (2019).
83:On the Eaves of the World
289:Hobson, Amanda (1992).
74:province of North-west
175:Dracocephalum purdomii
59:on the fringes of the
16:British plant explorer
210:Gardeners’ Chronicle.
203:Gardeners’ Chronicle.
115:Rhododendron purdomii
163:Leptodermis purdomii
229:author abbreviation
205:pp. 229– 231.
169:Astragalus purdomii
133:Dryopteris purdomii
127:Ligularia purdomii
87:The Rainbow Bridge
37:Harvard University
364:978-0-646-59786-7
157:Berberis purdomii
151:Caragana purdomii
139:Gentiana purdomii
68:then Tibetan Amdo
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419:Plant collectors
414:Arnold Arboretum
399:Veitch Nurseries
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121:Populus purdomii
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61:Ordos Desert
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409:1921 deaths
404:1880 births
191:Joseph Rock
393:Categories
279:49:p. 170.
251:References
187:P. rockii
51:, out to
49:Wutaishan
70:and the
31:and the
384:About
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323:29 May
297:7 June
240:citing
234:Purdom
57:Yan'an
29:Veitch
76:China
72:Gansu
53:Yulin
47:, to
360:ISBN
325:2007
299:2007
185:and
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