Rupert Charles Barneby was a British-born self-taught botanist whose primary specialty was the Fabaceae

Fabaceae

The Fabaceae or Leguminosae, commonly known as the legume, pea, or bean family, is a large and economically important family of flowering plants. The group is the third largest land plant family, behind only the Orchidaceae and Asteraceae, with 730 genera and over 19,400 species...

 (Leguminosae), the pea family, but he also worked on Menispermaceae

Menispermaceae

Menispermaceae, the botanical name for a family of flowering plants, has been universally recognized by taxonomists. Tubocurare, a neuromuscular blocker and active ingredient in curare, is derived from plants of this family....

 and numerous other groups. He was employed by the New York Botanical Garden

New York Botanical Garden

- See also :* Education in New York City* List of botanical gardens in the United States* List of museums and cultural institutions in New York City- External links :* official website** blog*...

 from the 1950s until shortly before his death.

Barneby published prolifically and named and described over 1,100 new species. In addition, he had 25 species named after him as well as four genera: Barnebya

Barnebya

Barnebya is a genus in the Malpighiaceae, a family of about 75 genera of flowering plants in the order Malpighiales. Barnebya comprises 2 species of trees and woody vines native to eastern Brazil...

, Barnebyella, Barnebydendron, and Rupertia

Rupertia

Rupertia is a small genus of flowering plants in the legume family, Fabaceae. It belongs to the sub family Faboideae. There are three species native to western North America, especially California. Two of the species are quite rare.Three species:...

. He received numerous prestigious botanical awards, including The New York Botanical Garden

New York Botanical Garden

- See also :* Education in New York City* List of botanical gardens in the United States* List of museums and cultural institutions in New York City- External links :* official website** blog*...

's Henry Allan Gleason Award (1980), the American Society of Plant Taxonomists

American Society of Plant Taxonomists

The American Society of Plant Taxonomists is a botanical organization formed in 1935 to "foster, encourage, and promote education and research in the field of plant taxonomy, to include those areas and fields of study that contribute to and bear upon taxonomy and herbaria", according to its bylaws...

' Asa Gray Award (1989), the International Association for Plant Taxonomy

International Association for Plant Taxonomy

The International Association for Plant Taxonomy promotes an understanding of plant biodiversity, facilitates international communication of research between botanists, and oversees matters of uniformity and stability in plant names . The IAPT was founded on July 18, 1950 at the Seventh...

's Engler

Adolf Engler

Heinrich Gustav Adolf Engler was a German botanist. He is notable for his work on plant taxonomy and phytogeography, like Die Natürlichen Pflanzenfamilien , edited with Karl A. E...

 Silver Medal (1992), and the International Botanical Congress

International Botanical Congress

International Botanical Congress is a large-scale meeting of botanists in all scientific fields, from all over the world. Authorized by the International Association of Botanical and Mycological Societies , congresses are held every six years with the venue circulating around the world. The XVIII...

's Millennium Botany Award (1999).

His lifelong partner was Harry Dwight Dillon Ripley (1908-1973).