Barbara Pickersgill (born 1940) is a British botanist with a special interest in the domestication of crops, the genetics, taxonomy, and evolutionary biology of cultivated plants, and the preservation of crop diversity. Her 1966 dissertation for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy from Indiana University concerned the taxonomy of Capsicum chinense.[1] Her doctoral advisor was Charles B. Heiser.
Barbara Pickersgill
| |
|---|---|
Pickersgill in 2006
|
When she was awarded the Linnean Medal it was noted that she "is well known throughout the world for her distinguished investigations on the genetics, cytology and systematics of the genus Capsicum". As well as investigating the origins of domesticated pepper species she also investigated the origins of other cultivated plants, including Vicia, Psophocarpus, Lens, Cicer, Arachis, Ananas, Gossypium, Ipomoea and Zea. She also carried out collecting expeditions to Peru, Brazil, Belize and Papua New Guinea.[2]
In 2005 she retired from the School of Biological Sciences at the University of Reading, to become an Honorary Research Associate. Her research projects include:
In 1993 the Linnean Society of London presented Pickersgill with the Linnean Medal for her contribution to botany.[2]
In 2000 she was the president of the Society for Economic Botany.[3]
On 4 August 2006 the Linnean Society of London organised a one-day conference in honour of Pickersgill.[4]
