Alexandr Innokentevich Tolmatchew

Alexandr Innokentevich Tolmatchew (1903-1979) was a twentieth century Russian and Soviet botanist who was a leading expert in the flora of Russia's Arctic. He is the editor of an important multi-volume set, "Flora Of The Russian Arctic - A Critical Review Of The Vascular Plants Occuring In The Arctic Region Of The Former Soviet Union", edited by J. G. Packer and translated into English by G. C. D. Griffiths.cite journal|last=Schmid|first=Rudolf|title=Review of "Flora of the Russian Arctic"|journal=Taxon|volume=45|issue=3|date=1996-08|publisher=International Association for Plant Taxonomy|accessdate=2008-06-21] Tolmatchew was an expert in the family Juncaceae, and the West Siberian species "Luzula tolmatchewii" was named after him by Russian Arctic and subarctic botanist Vladimir Borisovich Kuvaev. He was also an expert in some areas of the Brassicaceae or mustard family, the Caryophyllaceae or carnation family, the Papaveraceae or poppy family and the Ranunculaceae or buttercup family.

Tomatchew is the son of Russian and Siberian mammoth hunter, and paleobotanist, Innokenty Pablovich Tolmachoff, who immigrated to the United States in 1918 in the company of American inventor Vladimir K. Zworykin. The difference in spelling of the surnames is due to the time of transliteration, the son remained in the Soviet Union after his father's emigration.

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