Robert Hibbs Peebles

Robert Hibbs Peebles (1900 to 1956) was an American botanist and agronomist who worked for the United States Department of Agriculture. He is known for his contributions to the flora of the American Southwest and for his work on breeding cotton. His 1951 book Arizona Flora, co-authored with Thomas H. Kearney and republished after his death in 1960, is recognized as the most comprehensive study of Arizona plants of its time, and Peebles named and described over 180 species or varieties of plants, often in collaboration with Kearney. The two men also worked together on cotton breeding, and their contributions to the science of cotton growing have been recognized as among the most outstanding of all time. In 1955 the University of Arizona awarded him an honorary Doctorate of Science for his contributions to Arizona agriculture. He died at the age of 55 in March 1956, was awarded the Superior Service award and medal of the USDA after his death, and the cactus Pediocactus peeblesianus is named in his honor.