John Robert Akeroyd FLS (1952–) is a British botanist.

Life and work

Educated at St. Andrew's University, he proceeded to Cambridge University for his doctorate on the ecological genetics of weeds. His post-doctoral work was at Trinity College, Dublin (1979–1981), and then at the University of Reading, Plant Sciences Department as a post-doctoral fellow (1981–1999). At Reading he worked on the Flora Europaea.^[1] He succeeded William Stearn as editor of the Annales Musei Goulandris in 1999,^[2] and also editor of Watsonia. He has served as a vice-president of the Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland.^[3] there he was referee for Polygonaceae,^[4] and also served on the Meetings and Publications Committee. He frequently contributes to popular articles on conservation and botany and co-founded Plant Talk conservation magazine associated with the Eden Project.^[5][1] He is also known for his culinary skills.^[6][7]

He collected plants from the Mediterranean and Ireland, and contributed to the herbarium at Reading.^[8][1] John Akeroyd is the botanical authority, for a nearly twenty taxa, such as Arenaria serpyllifolia L. subsp. aegaea (Rech.f.) Akeroyd.^[9] He was elected a Fellow of the Linnean Society (FLS) in 1982.^[8]

Selected publications

• Akeroyd, John (2008). A Beginner's Guide to Ireland's Wild Flowers. Sherkin Island Marine Station. ISBN 9781870492232.
• The wild plants of Sherkin, Cape Clear and adjacent Islands of West Cork. Sherkin Island Marine Station (1996)