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Odoardo BeccariItalian botanist and traveler
Date of Birth: 16.11.1843
Country:  Italy |
Content:
- Early Life and Education
- Borneo Expedition
- Return to Italy and Founding of Nuovo Giornale Botanico Italiano
- Expedition to the Red Sea
- First New Guinea Expedition
- Second New Guinea Expedition and Explorations of Southeast Asia
- Third New Guinea Expedition and Return to Italy
- Legacy
- - Beccariodendron Warb. (family Annonaceae)
Early Life and Education
Odoardo Beccari was an Italian botanist and explorer born in Lucca, Tuscany. He attended high school in Lucca and later studied at the University of Pisa.
Borneo Expedition
In 1855, Beccari embarked on an expedition to the island of Borneo with the Marquis Giacomo Doria. He spent several years living with the Sarawak Rajah, Sir James Brooke, in the northern part of the island. During this time, he collected numerous botanical and zoological specimens.
Return to Italy and Founding of Nuovo Giornale Botanico Italiano
Upon his return to Italy, Beccari established the Nuovo Giornale Botanico Italiano, a botanical journal where he published his research on Borneo in its early issues (1869-1871).
Expedition to the Red Sea
In 1870, Beccari joined forces with Orazio Antinori and Professor Issel for an expedition to the Red Sea. They visited the Gulf of Aqaba, the Dahlak Archipelago, and the Bogos and Barka regions in northern Abyssinia.
First New Guinea Expedition
In 1871, Beccari and D'Albertis set out on an expedition to New Guinea. They arrived on the southwest coast on April 9, 1872, and conducted several inland expeditions before returning to Ambon on December 6.
Second New Guinea Expedition and Explorations of Southeast Asia
Beccari made a second trip to New Guinea in 1875. He also explored the Aru and Kei Islands and moved to Makassar in 1873 to continue his research on Sulawesi.
Third New Guinea Expedition and Return to Italy
Beccari embarked on a third New Guinea expedition from November 1875 to June 1877. He returned to Italy after this trip.
Legacy
Beccari's research and expedition reports were published in the Bulletino della societa geografica italiana (1873-1874). His name has been commemorated in the following plant genera:
- Beccariodendron Warb. (family Annonaceae)
- Beccariophoenix Jum. & H.Perrier (family Palmaceae)- Beccarianthus Cogn. (family Melastomataceae)
