Jerzy Rzedowski

Jerzy Rzedowski Rotter (27 December 1926 – March 2023) was a Polish-born Mexican botanist, whose focus was on Mexican floristics, taxonomy, and ecology.

Early life and education Rzedowski was born in Lwów, Poland (now in Ukraine) to Arnold and Ernestyna (nee Rotter) Rzedowski. when he was liberated by the Allies. They then travelled to Mexico in 1946 for a new life.

Publications

Rzedowski was the author of Vegetación de México (1971) and the co-editor and co-author of Flora Fanerogámica del Valle de México (1979; 2001, 2nd edition), and of Flora del Bajío y de Regiones Adyacentes (1991–).

Honors In 1995, he was awarded the Asa Gray Award. In 1999 he was one of the botanists on whom was conferred the Millennium Botany Award. In 2005 he, jointly with Graciela Calderón de Rzedowski, was awarded the José Cuatrecasas Medal for Excellence in Tropical Botany.

The herbaria of Instituto Politécnico Nacional and of Universidad Autónoma de Querétaro are named after Rzedowski, as is also the botanical garden of Universidad Autónoma Agraria Antonio Narro.

The following taxa have been named after him:

Agave rzedowskiana Anthurium rzedowskii Arachnothryx rzedowskii Bernardia rzedowskii Bouvardia rzedowskii Bursera rzedowskii Canthon rzedowskii Cercocarpus rzedowskii Commelina rzedowskii Crotalaria rzedowskii Croton rzedowskii Dalea rzedowskii Dioon rzedowskii Eleocharis rzedowskii Euphorbia rzedowskii Galium rzedowskii Habenaria rzedowskiana Jatropha rzedowskii Magnolia rzedowskiana Pachyphytum rzedowskii Pinus rzedowskii Platanus rzedowskii Psilocybe rzedowskii Rzedowskia tolantonguensis Schoenocaulon rzedowskii Sedum jerzedowskii