Dharani Dhar Awasthi

Dharani Dhar Awasthi was an Indian botanist, taxonomist, and lichenologist, often given the appellation "Father of Indian Lichenology".

Education and career Awasthi graduated in botany from the University of Lucknow with B.Sc. in 1943 and M.Sc. in 1945. From 1945 to 1946 he was a research assistant in the University of Lucknow's department of botany. From 1946 to 1948 he worked at Kolkata's Botanical Garden and Herbarium in a stipendiary training programme in systematic botany and taxonomy. His doctoral advisor was Sachindra Nath Das Gupta (1902–1990). From 1948 to 1952 Awasthi worked as a botanical assistant at Lucknow's National Botanical Research Institute (NBRI).

The lichen genera Awasthiella and Awasthia, as well as several lichen species, are named in his honour.

Selected publications Articles

Books and monographs