Faridoon Rustomjee Bharucha completed his DSc (1933) from the University of Montpellier, France. His areas of specialization were plant anatomy, plant sociology and ecology. He was a Professor of Astronomy, Institute of Science, Mumbai (1935-57); Professor, Universities of Syria; Baghdad (1959-61), Guest Lecturer, University of Poona (1961-69), Honorary Professor, Institute of Science (Mumbai), Maharishi Dayanand College (Mumbai) and Wadia College (Pune).

Academic and Research Achievements: Bharucha carried out extensive work in plant sociology, a science of vegetation with practical applications, laying stress on the environmental aspects, especially edaphic determinism. His wide-ranging research spanned to ecophysiology of the mangroves growing on saline substrata, calcicolous communities of walls, nitrophily involving plants growing on nitrogen-enriched soils, hygrophilous habitats, weeds of paddy fields, vegetation of rocks, coastal sands, islets and ruderals. Assessed the nutritive value of fodders and emphasized the role of trace elements in soils and made notable contribution on the crassulacean metabolism. Bharucha also carried out research in plant geography and bio-climatology.

Other Contributions: He served as member of four editorial boards, including those of Imperial (now Indian) Council of Agricultural Research and the Bombay University Journal.

Awards and Honours: FR Bharucha won a Diploma and Gold Medal (Brazilian Academy of Sciences and Humanities). He was a Fellow, Indian Academy of Sciences, Bangalore, Member, International Botanical Congress, British Ecological Society, Empire Forestry Association (London), Indian Botanical Society, Bombay Natural History Society, Bombay Geographical Society, Uttar Pradesh Academy of Sciences and Society of Biological Chemists (India).