Garden Plants Taxonomy

Bijan Dehgan received degrees in Agricultural engineering from Shiraz University (in Iran), certificate in American Language from Columbia University, BS and MS in landscape and Environmental Horticulture and Ph.D. in botany (plant taxonomy, under Professor Grady L. Webster) at the University of California, Davis.  While working on systematic of the genus Jatropha (Euphorbiaceae), he was a lecturer in Environmental Horticulture and curator of the Botanical Conservatory.  He was the principal researcher on selection and propagation of drought tolerant plants for California highways.  He transferred to the Department of Environmental Horticulture at the University of Florida in 1978 and retired as emeritus professor in 2006.  Although the principal investigator in several research projects, his primary focus remained on taxonomy of Jatropha and successful conservation of the endangered cycads through their propagation and growth, so as to prevent collection of wild plants. Abundance of Zamia pumila (=Z. floridana) in landscapes is testimony to successful conservation of an endangered plant.  He was also the principal investigator in revegetation of phosphate mines in Florida. His publications include “Landscape Plants for Subtropical Climates”, “Public Garden Management: A Global Perspective”, “Jatropha (Euporbiaceae) by University of California and New York Botanical Gardens, among others. He has been recipient of awards for teaching and for Contribution to the Advancement of Botanical Science by the Botanical Society of America.