It is our sad duty to announce the passing of Professor Vernon Heywood, 1927-2022. Professor Heywood was a former IABG President, a legendary figure in botany and one of the most original thinkers in modern botany.

Professor Heywood was born on 24 December 1927. In a lifelong research career, he had a particular interest in medicinal and aromatic plants, and in the wild relatives of economic plants. Professor Heywood was appointed Lecturer of the University of Liverpool in 1955, promoted to Senior Lecturer in 1960, and then to Reader in 1963. He became the second Chair of Botany in 1964 and left Liverpool in 1968.

Vernon Heywood was Professor and Dean of botany at Reading University until 1987, when he became founder and head of Botanic Gardens Conservation International.  

Professor Heywood won the Linnaeus Medal in 1987, and many other awards for his botanical research and publications. Taxonomy and Plant Conservation (2006) is dedicated to Professor Heywood in honour of his 75th birthday.

He published over 400 papers and wrote or edited more than 60 books. He is perhaps best known for Principles of Angiosperms Taxonomy (1963), Flowering Plant Families of the World (first edition in 1968).

As a teacher, Professor Heywood trained many students who are now active in the field of plant science and in leadership positions throughout the world.

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