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Erica massonii
Erica massonii
Photo by Ted Oliver		Dr E.G.H. Oliver
Dept of Botany & Zoology
University of Stellenbosch
Private Bag X1
Matieland, 7602
South Africa

See Ted's photos

Ted Oliver

Ted Oliver
Ted in Klein Swartberg with Erica kirstenii

Author of several botanical books
Ted Oliver is the recognized world authority on the subfamily Ericoideae
Research fellow at the Department of Botany & Zoology of Stellenbosch University

Edward 'Ted' George Hudson Oliver was born on 14 October 1938 in Rondebosch.
He was educated at Bishops (1947-57) and at the University of Cape Town (MSc, PhD)
He was Curator of the Government Herbarium in Stellenbosch (1964-66, 1984-96),
South African Liaison Botanist at Royal Botanic Gardens in Kew, London (1967-69),
Research taxonomist in Stellenbosch (1970-75, 1982-3) and
Curator at the National Herbarium in Pretoria (1976-81).
Research taxonomist at the Compton Herbarium, National Botanical Institute, Kirstenbosch, until 2006

Main research is on the genus Erica (heaths, heathers, heide) which is the largest plant genus on the African continent and possibly the most concentrated genus in the world's flora, but also other aspects of the remarkable Cape Flora. He has published some 110 papers.
Ted was married to Inge M. Oliver (née Nitzsche), who died on 7 July 2003. They had a son, Thomas, and two daughters, Tessa and Nicola.

Hobbies: plants (gardening), hiking, classical music, English church music
Favourite quote: 'Ex Africa semper aliquid novi' (Pliny) - Out of Africa always something new!!

Awards:
Erica oliveriErica oliveri
Photo by Dolf Schumann (click to enlarge
This erica was first collected by Ted Oliver in 1961.
Honorary Life Membership of the Botanical Society of South Africa
Honorary Membership of the British Heather Society
Molteno Gold Medal 2009 from the Cape Tercentenary Foundation for his lifelong research on the plant family Ericaceae

Books:

H.A.Baker & E.G.H.Oliver
Ericas in Southern Africa
Purnell & Sons, Cape Town,1967
110 colour paintings of 174 species

Dolf Schumann, Gerhard Kirsten & E.G.H.Oliver (consultant)
Ericas of South Africa
Fernwood Press, Newlands,1992
272 pp, numerous colour photos covering the 468 species included

Systematics of Ericeae (Ericaceae: Ericoideae),
species with indehiscent and partially dehiscent fruits.
Contributions from Bolus Herbarium 19: 1-483, 2000
Reduction of 23 African and European genera to synonymy under Erica;
b&w line drawings of the 85 species

Inge & Ted Oliver
Field guide to the Ericas of the Cape Peninsula
Protea Atlas Project, National Botanical Institute, Kirstenbosch, 2000
143 pp with b&w line drawings of the 104 species

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