Curt Backeberg

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Curt Backeberg (1894 – 1966) was a German horticulturist especially known for the collection and classification of cacti.

He travelled extensively through Central and South America, and published a number of books on cacti, including the six-volume, 4,000-page Die Cactaceae, 1958-1962, and the Kakteenlexikon, first appearing in 1966 and updated posthumously.

Although he collected and described many new species and defined a number of new genera, much of his work was based on faulty assumptions about the evolution of cacti and was too focused on geographic distribution; many of his genera have since been reorganized or abandoned. The botanist David Hunt is quoted as saying that he "left a trail of nomenclatural chaos that will probably vex cactus taxonomists for centuries."^[1] Nevertheless, his observations regarding the subtle variations among cacti have proven useful for hobbyists, who continue to use many cactus names proposed or upheld in his works.

The standard author abbreviation Backeb. is used to indicate this individual as the author when citing a botanical name.^[2]

References

↑ Anderson, Edward F. (2001), The Cactus Family, Pentland, Oregon: Timber Press, ISBN 978-0-88192-498-5 , p. 98
↑ [http://www.ipni.org/ipni/advAuthorSearch.do?find_abbreviation=Backeb. "Author Query for 'Backeb.'"]. International Plant Names Index.

Authority control	WorldCat VIAF: 32060762 LCCN: n85807437 ISNI: 0000 0001 0884 9779 GND: 102010455 BNF: cb12291000w

Persondata
Name	Backeberg, Curt
Alternative names
Short description	German botanist
Date of birth	1894
Place of birth
Date of death	1966
Place of death

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