Donald Pigott

{{Short description|British botanist (1928–2022)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}} {{Use British English|date=September 2022}} {{Infobox scientist | name = Christopher Donald Pigott | image = | caption = | birth_date = {{birth date|1928|4|7|df=y}} | birth_place = | death_date = {{death date and age|2022|9|11|1928|4|7|df=y}} | death_place = Cartmel, Cumbria, England | education = Cambridge University | workplaces = Cambridge University Botanic Garden, Cambridge University Botany School | fields = Botany, Plant physiology | known_for = ''Tilia'' | author_abbrev_bot = Pigott | spouse = Sheila Megaw | awards = }}

'''Christopher Donald Pigott''' (7 April 1928 – 11 September 2022) was a British botanist who was the fourth Director, Cambridge University Botanic Garden (1984–1995), succeeding Max Walters.<ref name=AGTT/>

== Life and career == Pigott was born on 7 April 1928.<ref>{{cite book |title=Pigott, Prof. Christopher Donald |url=https://www.ukwhoswho.com/view/10.1093/ww/9780199540884.001.0001/ww-9780199540884-e-30863 |publisher=Who's Who 2022 | doi=10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.U30863 | isbn=978-0-19-954088-4 |access-date=26 October 2022}}</ref>{{sfn|HUH|2015}} He was educated at Emmanuel College, Cambridge,<ref name="Guardian">{{cite news |last1=Whittaker |first1=John |title=Donald Pigott obituary |url=https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/oct/25/donald-pigott-obituary |access-date=26 October 2022 |work=The Guardian |date=25 October 2022}}</ref> from 1946, where he was taught by two previous Directors, Humphrey Gilbert-Carter (1921–1950) and Max Walters (1973–1983). Forming a friendship with the latter he was persuaded to spend the summer of 1949 in Uppsala and Helsinki universities where he was impressed by the mapping of the Scandinavian flora and returned to work with Walters on similar projects for the British Isles and used this method in his PhD thesis on Thyme. Under Professor Harry Godwin he also worked on the design of the Botanic Garden's ecological mound.<ref name=AGTT/>

After leaving Cambridge he moved to Sheffield University as Lecturer in Botany.{{sfn|NS|1957}} He returned to Cambridge in 1984 to become Director of the Garden. On leaving Cambridge in 1995 he was succeeded by John Parker and was appointed to the chair in Biology at Lancaster University and subsequently as Emeritus professor. He married fellow Cambridge botanist Sheila Megaw with whom he collaborated.<ref name=AGTT/>

Pigott died in Cartmel, Cumbria on 11 September 2022, at the age of 94.<ref>{{cite newspaper The Times |title=Pigott |department=Register |date=17 September 2022 |page=82 |issue=73891 |column=3}}</ref><ref name="Guardian"/>

== Work == During Pigott's tenure as Director, the great storm of 1987 caused considerable damage to the Garden. In 1990 the University carried out a review which suggested the research aspects of the garden were of decreasing relevance as plant sciences shifted in emphasis from whole plant botany to the cellular and molecular level. Pigott vigorously and successfully defended the Garden's scientific value.<ref name=AGTT/>

Pigott was known for his work on the genus ''Tilia'' (lime trees, Malvaceae), and was the botanical authority for several taxa in that genus, such as:{{sfn|Pigott|2012}} * ''Tilia amurensis'' subsp. ''taquetii'' <small>(C.K. Schneid.) Pigott</small><ref name=Tropicos/> * ''Tilia dasystyla'' subsp. ''caucasica'' <small>(V.Engl.) Pigott</small>

Pigott also carried out a number of botanical expeditions with his wife and with Anthony Hall.{{sfn|Pigott|2012}}

==Selected publications== {{see also| #Bibliography}} * {{cite book|last1=Pigott|first1=Donald|authorlink=Donald Pigott|title=Lime-trees and basswood: a biological monograph of the genus Tilia|date=2012|publisher=Cambridge University Press|location=Cambridge|isbn=9780521840545|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zdkM5L3O4vYC}}

== References == {{Reflist|20em|refs=

<ref name=AGTT>{{harvnb|Lacey|2016|loc=[https://agardenthroughtime.wordpress.com/themes/donald-pigott/ Christopher Donald Pigott]}}</ref>

<ref name=Tropicos>{{harvnb|Tropicos|2015|loc=[http://www.tropicos.org/Person/39194?tab=names Pigott, C.D. ]}}</ref>

}}

== Bibliography == {{refbegin|30em}}

* {{cite web|last1=Lacey|first1=Pippa|title=Changing Perspectives: a Garden through time|url=https://agardenthroughtime.wordpress.com/|publisher=Cambridge University Botanic Garden|access-date=16 December 2016|ref={{harvid|Lacey|2016}}}} ** {{cite web|title=Professor C.D. Pigott - List of publications|url=https://agardenthroughtime.files.wordpress.com/2013/05/donald-pigott-publications-pdf1.pdf|access-date=22 December 2016}}, in {{harvtxt|Lacey|2016}} * {{cite journal|title=Contributors|journal=New Scientist|date=21 February 1957|issue=14|page=43|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bFVbcLqPwlsC&pg=PA43|ref={{harvid|NS|1957}}}} * {{cite web|title=Pigott, Christopher Donald|url=http://kiki.huh.harvard.edu/databases/botanist_search.php?id=25673|website=Harvard University Herbaria & Libraries: Index of Botanists|access-date=22 December 2016|date=2015|ref={{harvid|HUH|2015}}}} * {{cite web|title=Tropicos|url=http://www.tropicos.org/Home.aspx|publisher=Missouri Botanical Garden|access-date=30 December 2015|date=2015|ref={{harvid|Tropicos|2015}}}} * {{cite web|title=Pigott, Christopher Donald (1928-)|url=http://www.ipni.org/ipni/idAuthorSearch.do?id=38667-1|website=International Plant Names Index|date=2005|access-date=7 April 2015|ref={{harvid|IPNI|2005}}}} {{refend}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Pigott, Donald}} Category:1928 births Category:2022 deaths Category:Alumni of Emmanuel College, Cambridge Category:English botanists