On the 1881/1882 expedition led by Giacomo Bove to explore Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego, the Italian Decio Vinciguerra was officially both zoologist and botanist, but in fact Spegazzini handled the botanical work.

[2][3][4] In 1924 he edited the journal Revista Argentina de Botánica, but only four issues were published before his death.

He has described a great many South American plants in various groups but his work is poorly known elsewhere and few of his specimens have been seen by other botanists.

He and his son stayed with me all day long, showing me specimens, photographs and publications; giving me anything I wanted for our herbarium; taking me out to a sportsman's club for lunch; visiting the museum; and going on a short collecting trip in the woods.

We talked French, German, English, Latin and Spanish indiscriminately and recklessly, keeping up a continuous flow of conversation lest our ignorance in certain languages be discovered.