- Cai Xitao
Cai Xitao (zh-tsp|t=蔡希陶|s=蔡希陶|p=Cài Xī Táo,
1911 -March 9 1981 ) was a Chinesebotanist from a village nearDongyang (东阳) inZhejiang province, China.In 1928, after studying at various institutions in
Hangzhou andShanghai , though without attaining any formal qualifications, Cai Xitao was able to secure a job at the Jing Sheng Botanic Laboratory inBeijing (北平静生生物调查所) through family connections [zh icon [http://kepu.xtbg.ac.cn/n45c27.aspx 绿色的梦——蔡希陶 ] ] . In 1932, he was transferred toYunnan province, where he worked as a botanist in the province's temperate climate. In 1938, he set up the Yunnan Botany Research Institute (云南农林植物研究所) in Heilongtan (黑龙潭), and acted as the institute's Vice President.In 1950, Cai Xitao was given charge of the
Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) (中国科学院植物分类研究所昆明工作站), and in 1959 theXishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden (西双版纳热带植物园) was established under his control.Although he suffered during the
Cultural Revolution , Cai Xitao remained devoted to botany until his death on 9 March 1981.Some of the specimen he collected are part of Harvard University Herbaria [http://www.huh.harvard.edu/databases/] . Note that his name is spelled as Tsai, Hse-Tao and Tsai, Hsi-Tao.
References
External links
* [http://www.cpst.net.cn/kxj/zgkxjszj/cx/lxb/pe/sw04042001.htm Cai Xitao Biography (Chinese)]
* [http://www.kib.ac.cn Kunming Institute of Botany C.I.S. Website (Chinese)]
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