Allan Cunningham

Allan Cunningham (* July 13, 1791 – June 27, 1839) was a British pteridologist botanist and explorer.

Biography

Allan Cunningham was born in Wimbledon, currently within Greater London. He was chosen by Joseph Banks to travel abroad to collect plants for the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Allan Cunningham is best known for his trips to New South Wales to collect plants. Previously between 1814 and 1816, he had been in Brazil, arriving in Australia in December of that year. Among other exploratory voyages, in 1817 he joined John Oxley's expedition to the Lachlan and Macquarie Rivers, and between 1817 and 1820 he traveled as a botanist's shipboard team on the ship HMS Mermaid. He also participated in an expedition to what is now Canberra in 1824. He visited New Zealand in 1826.

In 1827 Allan Cunningham set out from the upper reaches of the Hunter River to explore the area further inland, discovering the Darling Downs. When in 1828 he returned from Brisbane he discovered Cunningham's Gap. Allan Cunningham traveled on the right side of the pass where the highway currently passes, on the left side of the small town of Aratula. The "Step" from Spicer's Gap which is parallel to the "Passe" from 'Cunningham's Gap' It is currently also used as a vehicle crossing. In 1829 he explored the Brisbane River.

In 1831 he made the trip back to England, and in 1837 he returned to Australia as 'Botanical Governor', resigning from the position the following year. His grave is located in the Royal Botanic Gardens in Sydney.

Honors

Eponyms

The Cunningham Highway is named in his honor, as is the "Paso" of Cunningham's Gap or the species Araucaria cunninghamii. Allan Cunningham named the Darling Downs, and the rivers of Condamine, Dumaresq and Gwydir as well as the McPherson Range, and the Cordeaux and Mitchell mountains.

Descriptions of genera and species

Genres

• Ackama A.Cunn; New Zealand Epiphyte Plants
• Alseuosmia A.Cunn. (1838); New Zealand
• Corokia A.Cunn.
• Homoranthus A.Cunn. ex Schauer de la familia (Myrtaceae: Chamelaucieae)

Species

• Acacia aulacocarpa A.Cunn. de la familia Fabaceae
• Acacia auriculiformis A.Cunn. ex Benth.
• Calyculata space A.Cunn. ex Benth.
• Ligulata A.Cunn. ex Benth.
• Acacia lycopodiifolia A.Cunn. ex-Hook.
• Acacia podalyriaefolia A.Cunn. ex. G.Don
• Acacia polystachya A.Cunn.
• Blonde space A.Cunn.
• Acacia stenophylla A.Cunn. ex Benth.
• Acacia vomeriformis A.Cunn.
• Capparis gibbosa A.Cunn.
• Cassinia argophylla A.Cunn. ex-DC. 1838
• Castanospermum australe A.Cunn.
• Crinum norfalkianum A.Cunn.
• Cymbidium iridifolium A.Cunn. 1839
• Daviesia ulicina Sm. var. ruscifolia (A.Cunn. ex Benth.) J.M.Black 1924
• Elatine gratioloids A.Cunn. de la familia (Elatinaceae)
• Epilobium alsinoids A.Cunn.
• Epilobium pedunculare A.Cunn.
• Erythrorchis cassythoides (A.Cunn.) Garay 1986
• Eryngium ovinum A.Cunn.
• Eucalyptus subulata A. Cunn.
• Freycinetia banksii A. Cunn.
• Robust Grevillea A. Cunn. de la familia Proteaceae.
• Grevillea umbratica A. Cunn. ex. Meissner.
• Helichrysum baxteri A.Cunn. ex-DC.
• Kunzea phylicoides (A.Cunn. ex Schauer) Druce
• Myrsine divaricata A.Cunn.
• Quintinia serrata A.Cunn.
• Robust Grevillea A.Cunn.

Works

• "Natural history appendix". Cunningham, A. [Botany] pp. 497-565 In: P.P. King, Narrative of a Survey of the Intertropical and Western Coasts of Australia Performed Between the Years 1818 and 1822. John Murray, London. (1827).

• The abbreviation “A.Cunn.” is used to indicate Allan Cunningham as an authority in the scientific description and classification of vegetables.