James Lee Zarucchi (1952–2019)

Abstract

James L. Zarucchi, Ph.D., F.L.S., passed away on July 21, 2019, in St. Louis, Missouri at age 67. He was the Anne L. Lehmann Curator of North American Botany at the Missouri Botanical Garden, where he had been employed since 1984. Most recently, he served as Vice President and Editorial Director of the Flora of North America project. A native of Eureka, California, Jim graduated in 1970 as co-valedictorian of Eureka High School. He continued his education at Harvard University, where he was supported in part by a scholarship from the United Ancient Order of Druids. Jim received three degrees in Biology from Harvard: A.B. magna cum laude in 1974; A.M. in 1976; and Ph.D. in 1982. His advisor and mentor was Dr. Richard Evans Schultes, who introduced Jim to fieldwork in Colombia beginning in 1973. Jim subsequently made many field trips to Colombia, especially the regions of Vaupés, Amazonas, and Antioquia, and also made later collecting trips to Brazil and Madagascar. While at Harvard, Jim served as a Teaching Fellow (1974–1981), a Resident Tutor in Lowell House (1977–1981), and Acting Curator of the Economic Herbarium of Oakes Ames (1977–1981). From 1981 to 1982, he received a NATO Postdoctoral Fellowship in Science, pursuing research at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, and British Museum (Natural History), London. In 1982, he was elected a Fellow of the Linnean Society. In 1982–1983, he was the recipient of a Smithsonian Postdoctoral Fellowship in the Department of Botany, where he studied Neotropical Apocynaceae. In 1984, he was hired as an Assistant Curator at the Missouri Botanical Garden in St. Louis, Missouri, serving as Coordinator of the Neotropical Legume Project. Jim's career at Missouri Botanical Garden also included an unusually wide breadth of responsibilities, including: Coordinator, Peru Checklist; Editor, Flora of China Checklist; and beginning in 1996, Head of the Flora of North America Department. He was also Director of the International Legume Database and Information Service, a collective of over 120 international research scientists. Jim authored or co-authored around 100 papers and book chapters, and among his most significant publications were J.L. Zarucchi, A revision of the tribe Ambelanieae (Apocynaceae-Plumerioideae), 1987; Advances in legume biology, eds. C.H. Stirton and J.L. Zarucchi, 1989; Catalogue of the flowering plants and gymnosperms of Peru, eds. L. Brako and J.L. Zarucchi, 1993; and the many volumes of Flora of North America produced under his editorial direction. Jim was respected by many botanists around the world, and the condolences that poured in after his death reflected that. According to his longtime colleague Dr. Kanchi Gandhi, Nomenclature Editor of FNA: “Jim was one of the most learned in the practical knowledge of floristic text editing, especially in very refined and taxonomic aspects. At the same time, he endeavored to instill some portion of that extensive taxonomic and nomenclature information, for which he was so esteemed, into the mind of fellow FNA colleagues. His acute and comprehensive editing contributed to the quality of FNA volumes. As the editorial director of the project, his keen mind imbued enthusiasm and inspiration to those who worked and interacted with him.” Dr. Michael Balick, Vice President for Botanical Science at The New York Botanical Garden, knew Jim when both were graduate students at Harvard. He recalled Jim as “a great friend, excellent traveling buddy (so many stories!) and scientist. His work is a wonderful legacy as well.” Dr. Robert Kiger, Director Emeritus of the Hunt Institute at Carnegie Mellon University, was a close friend and colleague who worked with Jim for many years, and said of him: “I don't know how we're going to fill the enormous gap that's left without him and his invaluable dedication and expertise.” Dr. Peter Raven, President Emeritus of the Missouri Botanical Garden, said the following: “I knew Jim well and communicated with him almost every day, fretting along with concern for the different parts of FNA. We also enjoyed trading stories about Humboldt County and California, and he sometimes brought back pine cones or interesting rock specimens to indulge my hobbies. He was a nice, caring, concerned, exact person who never drew attention to himself, and in his own unassuming but objective way he made a massive contribution.” Jim's personal interests were varied. In his home garden, he enjoyed cultivating heirloom varieties of vegetables such as kohlrabi and pumpkins, not to eat them but for their interesting appearance. Inspired by a trip to Bali and Singapore, he created a grove of potted Plumerias, which filled the basement in the wintertime. He maintained many friendships, not only with botanical colleagues around the world but also in his home town, at the Humboldt Botanical Garden and the Lost Coast Brewery in Eureka. Jim was also knowledgeable about historic architecture and antiques. He and his wife enjoyed restoring and furnishing their three-story home, built in 1908, in the Compton Heights historic district of St. Louis. Zarucchi is survived by his wife, Jeanne Morgan Zarucchi, Professor of Art History and French at the University of Missouri-St. Louis, to whom he was married for 41 years. Memorial contributions may be made to the Humboldt Botanical Garden in Eureka, California, or the Humane Society of Missouri, in St. Louis, Missouri.