Biography.guide
Home › People › Botanist › José Cuatrecasas
Portrait of José Cuatrecasas

José Cuatrecasas

1903 – 1996

Spanish-American pharmacist and botanist

Don't just read it — keep itBiographies to ownE-book · Audio · Video From $7 →

About José Cuatrecasas

Lived 1903 – 1996 (aged 93). José Cuatrecasas was a Spanish and American botanist, university teacher, taxonomist, pharmacist, botanical collector and scientific collector.

José Cuatrecasas (1903–1996) was a Spanish botanist. He was born on March 19, 1903, in Camprodon, Catalonia, Spain.

His research focused on the high-elevation páramo and sub-páramo regions of the Andes Mountains in South America, especially the flowering plant families Asteraceae and Malpighiaceae. He played an important role in the founding of the Organization for Flora Neotropica.

In 1997, the Smithsonian Institution established the José Cuatrecasas Botanical Fund to "support significant research projects that emulate the spirit of the research of José Cuatrecasas". The Smithsonian also awards a José Cuatrecasas Medal for Excellence in Tropical Botany annually.

Honors 1950 Guggenheim Fellowship

Multiple plant species have been named for him, including Narcissus cuatrecasasii , Joseanthus cuatrecasasii, Pradosia cuatrecasasii, and Tessmannianthus quadridomius (where "quadridomius" is Latin for "cuatre casas").

Biography shop

Don’t just read it —
keep it.

Full-length biographies made to live with: read them, listen on the way to work, watch them tonight.

  • E-book
  • Audio
  • Video
Browse the shop — from $7

Instant download · yours to keep · every purchase keeps this site free

Important facts

Birth century
Nationality
Education
University of Barcelona, Universidad Central
Positions held
Professor
Employers
University of Barcelona, Universidad Central, National University of Colombia, National Science Foundation
Awards
Order of Boyacá; Grand Cross of the Order of Civil Merit; Grand Cross of the Civil Order of Alfonso X the Wise; Guggenheim Fellowship; Narcís Monturiol Medal
Also known as
Cuatrec., Jose Cuatrecasas, Cuatrecasas i Arumí, Josep, J. Cuatrecasas

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped José Cuatrecasas's

Frequently asked questions

Who was José Cuatrecasas?

Spanish-American pharmacist and botanist (1903–1996)

When was José Cuatrecasas born?

José Cuatrecasas was born on 19 March 1903 in Camprodon.

When did José Cuatrecasas die?

José Cuatrecasas died on 24 May 1996 in Washington, D.C..

What was José Cuatrecasas's occupation?

José Cuatrecasas was a botanist, university teacher, taxonomist, pharmacist, botanical collector and scientific collector.

What nationality was José Cuatrecasas?

José Cuatrecasas was Spanish and American.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: José Cuatrecasas

· Wikidata: Q3088960

· DBpedia: José Cuatrecasas

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). José Cuatrecasas. https://biography.guide/jose-cuatrecasas/

MLA: "José Cuatrecasas." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/jose-cuatrecasas/.

Chicago: "José Cuatrecasas." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/jose-cuatrecasas/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-25 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

Page generated 2026-09-27 05:12 UTC