Elena Paunero Ruiz facts for kids
Elena Paunero Ruiz was a Spanish botanist, someone who studies plants. She was born in Valladolid on September 21, 1906, and passed away in Madrid on March 9, 2009. Elena was especially good at studying grasses, which is a field called agrostology. She also focused on plants used in farming. For many years, she worked at the Real Jardín Botánico de Madrid (Royal Botanical Garden of Madrid).
Early Life and Education
Elena Paunero Ruiz was born in Valladolid, a city in Spain. She received her education and training in Madrid. She earned her high school diploma from the Instituto de Enseñanza Secundaria San Isidro.
In 1926, when she was 20 years old, Elena became a member of the Royal Spanish Society of Natural History. She continued her studies at The University of Madrid, where she earned her doctorate degree in 1929. Her doctorate paper was about molds that grow on crops.
Career in Botany
In 1927, Elena joined the plant description section of the Real Jardín Botánico de Madrid. As a curator, she was dedicated to studying the native grasses of Spain.
In 1948, she created a special laboratory just for studying grasses, called the agrostology laboratory. She became the head of this new lab. Elena also taught at the University of Madrid. From 1940, she taught about describing plants and plant geography. From 1941 to 1949, she also taught about how plants interact with their environment, known as plant ecology. In 1962, Elena Ruiz became the head of the Herbarium Section at the Botanical Garden. A herbarium is a collection of preserved plant specimens.
Later, a new director took over the Botanical Garden. Elena had been very close to the previous director. She felt uncomfortable with the changes being made, which led her to retire earlier than planned.
Personal Life
Elena Paunero Ruiz married Clemente Sanz Rubert. Sadly, her husband passed away in a car accident in 1940. Elena inherited his estate, which allowed her to focus fully on her important botanical research.
See also
In Spanish: Elena Paunero Ruiz para niños
