Arnaldo Rozeira


Arnaldo Deodato da Fonseca Rozeira, also known as Arnaldo Rozeira or Arnaldo Roseira, was a botanist, Dean of the Faculty of Sciences of the University of Porto between April 1972 and April 1974, and director of the Botanical Garden of Porto between 1960 and 1974 and again between January and April 1982.

Biography

He completed his Doctorate in 1944 with the thesis "Flora of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro". He was named professor at the University of Porto's Faculty of Sciences in 1949. In 1957, he presented a lecture entitled "Botanical Studies of the Islands of São Tomé and Príncipe. Fundamental Problems" and was later appointed full professor. During his academic career, he made several botanical campaigns in São Tomé and Portugal. He was Director of the Museum of Anthropology in 1958-1959 and Director of the Botanical Institute "Gonçalo Sampaio" between 1967 and 1970. He was the Dean of the Faculty of Sciences of the University of Porto between April 1972 and April 1974, and director of the Botanical Garden of Porto between 1960 and 1974 and again between January and April 1982.
He married Maria Irene de Mariz Teixeira and had 10 children, Arnaldo Eduardo, Maria Irene, António José, Maria do Céu, Augusto Duarte, Nuno Manuel, João Luís, Armando Jorge, Maria da Graça and Paulo Maria de Mariz Rozeira. He was grandson of Francisco Lopes Roseira, founder of Lamego College in 1859, and a parent of Maria de Belém Roseira, currently a Portuguese politician and candidate to the 2016 presidential elections.
He is the author of books on flora in the regions of São Tomé and Príncipe, Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro in Portugal. His work on the scientific classification of plants and algae is considered a reference. He discovered new species such as Lasiodiscus rozeirae.