Leslie Edward Wostall Codd
Encyclopedia
Leslie Edward Wostall Codd (16 September 1908 Vants Drift, Dundee District, Natal
- 2 March 1999 Pretoria
), was a South African plant taxonomist.
He attended the Natal University College where he obtained an M.Sc in 1928. He continued his studies at Cambridge University in 1929, and the Imperial College of Tropical Agriculture in Trinidad
in 1930, where he met his future wife, Cynthia. He worked with the Department of Agriculture in British Guiana
between 1931 and 1936. In 1937 he was appointed to the Pasture Research Section of the Department of Agriculture in Pretoria
. In 1941 he was awarded a D.Sc degree by the University of South Africa
.
In 1945 he assumed the post of Officer-in-Charge at the Prinshof Experiment Station in the Division of Botany, where he was involved with the selection, growing and testing of pasture grasses. At the same time he was in charge of the Botanical Survey of South Africa.
While stationed at Prinshof he frequently visited the Kruger National Park
on plant collecting trips. He saw the need for an informal botanical guide to the reserve and in 1951 produced "Trees and Shrubs of the Kruger National Park", one of the most popular items in the series Memoirs of the Botanical Survey of South Africa. With librarian Mary Gunn, he co-authored Botanical Exploration of Southern Africa in 1981, a history of the country's plant collecting, collectors and early botanical illustrations.
He succeeded Robert Allen Dyer
as director of the Botanical Research Institute from 1963 until his retirement in 1973, and worked in the Flora Research Section thereafter.
Codd is commemorated in numerous specific names including Brachystelma
coddii Dyer
, Agapanthus
coddii Leighton etc. His specimens number more than 10 000 (PRE, K, SRGH) and are mainly South African, with about 500 having come from Caprivi
and Barotseland
in 1952.
Natal Province
Natal, meaning "Christmas" in Portuguese, was a province of South Africa from 1910 until 1994. Its capital was Pietermaritzburg. The Natal Province included the bantustan of KwaZulu...
- 2 March 1999 Pretoria
Pretoria
Pretoria is a city located in the northern part of Gauteng Province, South Africa. It is one of the country's three capital cities, serving as the executive and de facto national capital; the others are Cape Town, the legislative capital, and Bloemfontein, the judicial capital.Pretoria is...
), was a South African plant taxonomist.
He attended the Natal University College where he obtained an M.Sc in 1928. He continued his studies at Cambridge University in 1929, and the Imperial College of Tropical Agriculture in Trinidad
Trinidad
Trinidad is the larger and more populous of the two major islands and numerous landforms which make up the island nation of Trinidad and Tobago. It is the southernmost island in the Caribbean and lies just off the northeastern coast of Venezuela. With an area of it is also the fifth largest in...
in 1930, where he met his future wife, Cynthia. He worked with the Department of Agriculture in British Guiana
British Guiana
British Guiana was the name of the British colony on the northern coast of South America, now the independent nation of Guyana.The area was originally settled by the Dutch at the start of the 17th century as the colonies of Essequibo, Demerara, and Berbice...
between 1931 and 1936. In 1937 he was appointed to the Pasture Research Section of the Department of Agriculture in Pretoria
Pretoria
Pretoria is a city located in the northern part of Gauteng Province, South Africa. It is one of the country's three capital cities, serving as the executive and de facto national capital; the others are Cape Town, the legislative capital, and Bloemfontein, the judicial capital.Pretoria is...
. In 1941 he was awarded a D.Sc degree by the University of South Africa
University of South Africa
The University of South Africa is a distance education university, with headquarters in Pretoria, South Africa. With approximately 300 000 enrolled students, it qualifies as one of the world's mega universities.-History:...
.
In 1945 he assumed the post of Officer-in-Charge at the Prinshof Experiment Station in the Division of Botany, where he was involved with the selection, growing and testing of pasture grasses. At the same time he was in charge of the Botanical Survey of South Africa.
While stationed at Prinshof he frequently visited the Kruger National Park
Kruger National Park
Kruger National Park is one of the largest game reserves in Africa. It covers and extends from north to south and from east to west.To the west and south of the Kruger National Park are the two South African provinces of Limpopo and Mpumalanga. In the north is Zimbabwe, and to the east is...
on plant collecting trips. He saw the need for an informal botanical guide to the reserve and in 1951 produced "Trees and Shrubs of the Kruger National Park", one of the most popular items in the series Memoirs of the Botanical Survey of South Africa. With librarian Mary Gunn, he co-authored Botanical Exploration of Southern Africa in 1981, a history of the country's plant collecting, collectors and early botanical illustrations.
He succeeded Robert Allen Dyer
Robert Allen Dyer
Robert Allen Dyer was a South African botanist and taxonomist, working particularly on Amaryllidaceae and succulent plants, contributing to and editing of Bothalia and Flowering Plants of Africa and holding the office of Director of the Botanical Research Institute in Pretoria from 1944 to...
as director of the Botanical Research Institute from 1963 until his retirement in 1973, and worked in the Flora Research Section thereafter.
Codd is commemorated in numerous specific names including Brachystelma
Brachystelma
The genus Brachystelma R. Br. is represented by ca. 100-120 species The genus Brachystelma R. Br. (Apocynaceae: Asclepiadoideae - Ceropegieae) is represented by ca. 100-120 species The genus Brachystelma R. Br. (Apocynaceae: Asclepiadoideae - Ceropegieae) is represented by ca. 100-120 species...
coddii Dyer
Robert Allen Dyer
Robert Allen Dyer was a South African botanist and taxonomist, working particularly on Amaryllidaceae and succulent plants, contributing to and editing of Bothalia and Flowering Plants of Africa and holding the office of Director of the Botanical Research Institute in Pretoria from 1944 to...
, Agapanthus
Agapanthus
Agapanthus is the only genus in the subfamily Agapanthoideae of the flowering plant family Amaryllidaceae. The family is in the monocot order Asparagales....
coddii Leighton etc. His specimens number more than 10 000 (PRE, K, SRGH) and are mainly South African, with about 500 having come from Caprivi
Caprivi
-Places:* Caprivi Region, an administrative province of Namibia* Caprivi Strip, a part of Namibia* The Caprivi Conflict, a conflict between the Caprivi Liberation Army and the Namibian government* East Caprivi, a former bantustan in South West Africa...
and Barotseland
Barotseland
Barotseland is a region in the western part of Zambia, and is the homeland of the Lozi people or Barotse who were previously known as Luyi or Aluyi. Its heartland is the Barotse Floodplain on the upper Zambezi River, also known as Bulozi or Lyondo, but it includes the surrounding higher ground of...
in 1952.
Awards & honours
- 1957-58 President of Section B of SA Assoc. for the Adv. of Sc.
- 1961 President of the SA Biological Soc.
- 1977 SA Medal by SA Assoc. for the Adv. of Sc.
- 1979 SA Medal for Botany
- 1982 Senior Captain Scott Memorial Medal by the South African Biological Society.