Carlos Luis Spegazzini | |
|---|---|
 Spegazzini on his 65th birthday | |
| Born | (1858-04-20)April 20, 1858 Bairo, Italy |
| Died | July 1, 1926(1926-07-01) (aged 68) La Plata, Argentina |
| Known for | Studies in mycology and vascular plants |
| Scientific career | |
| Doctoral advisor | Pier Andrea Saccardo |
| Author abbrev. (botany) | Speg. |
Carlo Luigi Spegazzini, in SpanishCarlos Luis Spegazzini (20 April 1858 – 1 July 1926), was anItalian-born Argentinian botanist andmycologist.
On the 1881/1882 expedition led byGiacomo Bove to explorePatagonia andTierra del Fuego, the ItalianDecio Vinciguerra was officially both zoologist and botanist, but in fact Spegazzini handled the botanical work.[1]Spegazzini published about 100 scientific papers onvascular plants, describing around 1000 new taxa. He was a professor at theUniversity of La Plata and Buenos Aires in Argentina, curator of the herbarium of the National Department of Agriculture, first head of the herbarium ofMuseo de la Plata, and founder of anarboretum and an institute of mycology in La Plata city. He issued twoexsiccatae, the first series in 1879 with the titleDecades mycologicae Italicae distributing fungi from Italy, the second in 1881 with the titleHongos Sud-Americanos: decades mycologiae Argentinae distributing fungal specimens from Argentina.[2][3][4]
In 1924 he edited the journalRevista Argentina de Botánica, but only four issues were published before his death.
In a 1924Mycologia publication,William Murrill recounted his time visiting with Spegazzini, who was then 66 years old:
Dr Spegazzini is an old man, but strong in body, young in thought, and still full of the spirit of adventure. He has just returned from Tierra del Fuego, is planning to go to Europe next year, and promises me to come to the United States the following year 'if nothing happens'. He was born in a village in Italy and was a student of the fungi there before coming to Argentina. He has described a great many South American plants in various groups but his work is poorly known elsewhere and few of his specimens have been seen by other botanists. ... The Doctor is exceedingly genial in manner and very kind hearted. He and his son stayed with me all day long, showing me specimens, photographs and publications; giving me anything I wanted for our herbarium; taking me out to a sportsman's club for lunch; visiting the museum; and going on a short collecting trip in the woods. We talked French, German, English, Latin and Spanish indiscriminately and recklessly, keeping up a continuous flow of conversation lest our ignorance in certain languages be discovered.[5]
The standardauthor abbreviationSpeg. is used to indicate this person as the author whenciting abotanical name.[6] TheInternational Plant Names Index has more than 2,700 records for plant names of which he is either the author, a co-author or involved in thebasionym.[7] Spegazzini was one of the most prolific authors of new fungal species, havingformally described about 4900 in his career.[8]
He is also honoured in the naming of several taxa including;[9]
