Yo Takenaka (竹中 要 Takenaka Yō, 1903–1966) was a Japanese plant geneticist and a Professor of Department of Cell Genetics, National Institute of Genetics. He is notable for researching the phylogenetic classification of cherry blossom. He discovered that Prunus × yedoensis is a crossbreed of two wild species of Japanese cherry; Prunus spachiana forma ascendens (Edo higan) and Prunus speciosa (Oshima zakura) by crossing experiments. He was also known as a researcher on Japanese morning glory and Nicotiana.[1][2][3][4]
Yo Takenaka | |
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Born | 7 November 1903 |
Died | 18 March 1966 |
Scientific career | |
Fields | Plant genetics |
He was born in Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan in 1903. He graduated from the Department of Botany, Faculty of Science, Tokyo Imperial University in 1927. He was a Professor of Keijō Imperial University from 1929 to 1945. After the end of war, he became a Professor of National Institute of Genetics in 1949. He died on 18 March 1966 at the age of 62.[2]