Robert Fortune was a Scottish plant hunter who brought back plants from trips to eastern China, where he had many adventures in the mid-19th century. He introduced over 120 new species to the UK, including magnolias, dogwood and Japanese maples. He was responsible for the transfer of tea plants from China to India, where they became one of India's principal exports.
Sources:
Musgrave, Toby, Chris Gardner and Will Musgrave, The Plant Hunters (Ward Lock, 1998)