Barbara Pickersgill

Barbara Pickersgill
Pickersgill in 2006

Barbara Pickersgill (born 1940) is a British

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:

• The molecular systematics and the use of wild species in the improvement of farmed chilis (Capsicum)
• Research on the domestication of crops, notably the common bean, Phaseolus vulgaris, working with the Centro Internacional de Agricultura Tropical (CIAT) in Colombia
• The genetic diversity, conservation and improvement of
  tropical
  crops such as:
  • Quinoa (
    Chenopodium quinoa), working with the Centro Internacional de la Papa (CIP) in Peru
  • Banana (
    from the East African Highlands

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

On 4 August 2006 the Linnean Society of London organised a one-day conference in honour of Pickersgill.[4]

References

Scholia has a profile for Barbara Pickersgill (Q3294180).

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Barbara Pickersgill.

• Harvard University Herbaria, Index of Botanists, Author Query for 'Pickersgill'