Eduardo Estrella Aguirre

Eduardo Estrella Aguirre (1941 in Tabacundo, Ecuador – 1996 in Quito) was an Ecuadorian doctor and researcher who published Flora Huayaquilensis: The Botanical Expedition of Juan Tafalla 1799-1808.

[3][4] One of the first expeditions to South America by a Spaniard to document plants was done by Juan Tafalla whose works were lost for 200 years.

[5] Dr. Estrella was in the Archives of the Royal Botanic Gardens in Madrid Spain in 1985 where he found the documentary of the "Division IV" corresponding to the expedition of Ruiz and Pavon in Peru and Chile, Dr. Estrella found a considerable amount of descriptions of plants whose origin corresponded to places belonging to the Royal Audience of Quito.

The work in the Royal Botanic Gardens archive was a daunting task and took almost three years to complete.

The evidence mounted and was such that it was impossible to deny that at least for a few years botanist Juan Tafalla and his companions had traveled through Ecuador.