Koyapillil Mathai Matthew (1930–2004) was an Indian

Jesuit priest , image = Ihs-logo.svg , image_size = 175px , caption = ChristogramOfficial seal of the Jesuits , abbreviation = SJ , nickname = Jesuits , formation = , founders = ...

and botanist.Savarimuthu Ignacimuthu, S.J. (2016). The Contributions of South Asian Jesuits to Environmental Work. journal of jesuit studies 3. 619-644. doi 10.1163/22141332-00304005 He extensively studied the floral diversity of

Tamil Nadu Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is a state in southern India. It is the tenth largest Indian state by area and the sixth largest by population. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu is the home of the Tamil people, whose Tamil languag ...

, and published several research papers and books. In 1967, he established the Rapinat Herbarium at

St. Joseph's College, Tiruchirappalli St. Joseph's College, Tiruchirappalli (SJC) is a Catholic college in Tamil Nadu, India. It was established in 1844 by the Society of Jesus (Jesuits) and it is regarded as one of the most prestigious institutions in India. It was affiliated wi ...

Early life and work

He was born to Teresa and K. O. Mathai of the Koyapillil family on March 16, 1930 in

Ramapuram, Kottayam Ramapuram is a town in the Kottayam district of the Indian state of Kerala. Etymology The word "Ramapuram" means "the abode of Lord Rama", the village's chief deity. Ramapuram is unique in the sense that it houses the temple of Rama as well as ...

Kerala Kerala ( ; ) is a state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile regions of Cochin, Malabar, South C ...

, India. Born into a family of farmers he completed his school education at St. Augustine's High School, Ramapuram, initial collage studies at SB College Chegannacherry and moved to

Tiruchirapalli Tiruchirappalli () (Renaming of cities in India, formerly Trichinopoly in English), also called Tiruchi or Trichy, is a major tier II city in the States and union territories of India, Indian state of Tamil Nadu and the administrative headqu ...

for higher studies. He did his bachelor's degree in University of Madras, India and completing his M.Sc. degree during 1958-60, he acquired his doctorate (1960–62) on the alien plants of the Palni hills with the guidance of

Hermenegild Santapau Hermenegild Santapau (1903-1970) was a Spanish born naturalized Indian Jesuit priest and botanist, known for his taxonomical research on Indian flora. He was credited with the Latin nomenclature of several Indian plant species. A recipient of th ...

and he did his Doctor of Philosophy from University of Bombay in 1963. He also did Master of Science in 1973 from University Reading, United Kingdom. He extensively carried out field work in Tamil Nadu and this effort resulted in a four-volume The Flora of Tamil Nadu Carnatic. A total of 2020 species was covered in this work. Another contribution is an illustrated Flora entitled the Flora of the Palani Hills in three volumes. He described four new species, one subspecies, and proposed quite a few new combinations. ''

Strobilanthes matthewiana ''Strobilanthes'' is a genus of about 350 species of flowering plants in the family Acanthaceae, mostly native to tropical Asia and Madagascar, but with a few species extending north into temperate regions of Asia. Many species are cultivat ...

'' R.W. Scotland has been published in his honour,.

Awards

He was awarded the Best Teacher Award of the Tamil Nadu State Government in 1989, ZWO fellowship of the Dutch Government, Leiden, 1978. He was conferred with the Indira Gandhi Paryavaran Puraskar for 2002 under the `individual' category posthumously for his outstanding contribution for the environmental protection.

Authority name

Publications

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References

External links

Biographical sketch
{{DEFAULTSORT:Matthew, Koyapillil Mathai 1930 births 2004 deaths 20th-century Indian botanists 20th-century Indian Jesuits