Patricia Kern Holmgren

Patricia May Holmgren (née Kern; born 1940) is an American botanist. Holmgren's main botanical interests are the flora of the U.S. intermountain west and the genera Tiarella and Thlaspi. Holmgren was the director of the herbarium at the New York Botanical Garden from 1981–2000, and editor of Index Herbariorum from 1974–2008. Her parents began raising Christmas trees in 1946, and Holmgren spent part of her summers trimming trees and weekends in the fall and winter helping with the business. Holmgren was introduced to nature at an early age; through her father's conservation work on their property, and during family vacations to western national parks during the farm's off-season. From fifth grade to her high school graduation, Holmgren was active in 4-H, winning many contests in forestry and sewing. Holmgren attended Indiana University, getting a B.S. in 1962. She later attended the University of Washington, completing a M.S. in 1964 and a Ph.D. in 1968. At the University of Washington, Holmgren completed a systematic study of Tiarella (Saxifragaceae) with advisor Arthur R. Kruckeberg. Holmgren was also instrumental in conception, fundraising, and design of a new, state-of-the-art building to house the herbarium, the International Plant Science Center, which officially opened for research in 2002. Holmgren continues to work at the garden as Director Emerita of the herbarium. In addition to her herbarium leadership, Holmgren played an active role in a number of botanical societies and botanical journals: Botanical Society of America Centennial Award (2006) The American Society of Plant Taxonomists's Asa Gray Award (2012), jointly with Noel Holmgren The New York Botanical Garden's Gold Medal Award (2013), jointly with Noel Holmgren

Legacy In 2009, botanists W.L.Wagner & Hoch published Neoholmgrenia is a genus of flowering plants from Canada and western USA, belonging to the family Onagraceae and named in her honour.

Plant species named after Patricia Holmgren Astragalus holmgreniorum Barneby—named in honor of Patricia Holmgren and Noel Holmgren Bartsia patriciae N.H. Holmgren Carex holmgreniorum Reznicek & D.F. Murray — named in honor of Arthur H. Holmgren, Noel Holmgren, and Patricia Holmgren Hiraea holmgreniorum C.E. Anderson—named in honor of Patricia Holmgren and Noel Holmgren Mentzelia holmgreniorum J.J. Schenk & L. Hufford—named in honor of Patricia Holmgren and Noel Holmgren Orthocarpus tolmiei subsp. holmgreniorum T.I. Chuang & Heckard—named in honor of Arthur H. Holmgren, Noel Holmgren, and Patricia Holmgren Scutellaria holmgreniorum Cronquist—named in honor of Patricia Holmgren and Noel Holmgren

Selected publications Holmgren, P.K. & Keuken, W. (1975). Index Herbariorum Ed. 6: Geographical Arrangements of the Herbaria Listed in Index Herbariorum, Edition Six. Taxon, 24(4), 543-551. Holmgren, N.H. & Holmgren, P.K. (1979). A new species of Asclepias (Asclepiadaceae) from Utah. Brittonia, 31(1): 110–114. Rollins, R.C. & Holmgren, P.K. (1980). A new species of Caulanthus (Cruciferae) from Nevada. Brittonia, 32(2): 148–151. Holmgren, P.K., Holmgren, N.H., & Barnett L.C. (1990). Index herbariorum. Part I: The herbaria of the world, Edition 8. Holmgren, P.K., & Holmgren, N. H. (1991). Index Herbariorum: Additions to Index Herbariorum, Edition 8. Taxon, 40(4), 687–692. Holmgren, P.K., Kallunki, J.A. & Thiers, B.M. (1996). A short description of the collections of The New York Botanical Garden Herbarium (NY). Brittonia, 48(3): 285–296. Holmgren, N.H., & Holmgren, P.K. (2002). New Mentzelias (Loasaceae) from the Intermountain Region of Western United States. Systematic Botany, 27(4): 747–762. Holmgren, P.K. (2004). Lectotypifications and a new combination in western North American Cleomaceae. Brittonia, 56(2): 103–106. Holmgren, N.H. & Holmgren, P.K. (2010). New combinations and lectotypifications of North American taxa in Caryophyllaceae, Chenopodiaceae, Fumariaceae, Montiaceae, Papaveraceae, and Ranunculaceae. Brittonia, 62(3): 264–266.