Genus Blackiella

For John McConnell Black (1855–1951), Scottish botanist, linguist, author and illustrator who emigrated to Australia in 1877. His major publications were The Naturalised Flora of South Australia (1909) and The Flora of South Australia (published in four parts from 1922–1929) describing 2 430 species, both indigenous and naturalised. He began a revision of this book in 1939 and was working on part three in 1951 when he died. Already fluent in six languages he developed an interest in Australian Aboriginal languages and published papers on them. He received many distinctions for his botanical work, including being made an associate honoris causa of the Linnaean Society, London (1930) and being awarded an MBE (1945). He was president of the Royal Society of South Australia (1933–1934).