Elsa Matilde Zardini (1949–2020) was an Argentinian-Paraguayan botanist, teacher, curator, and explorer.

In 1973 Zardini earned a master's degree in Science, and in 1974 a PhD, both at the National University of La Plata in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

[1] Zardini was one of the disciples of the Argentinian botanist Ángel Lulio Cabrera[2] among them: Genoveva Dawson,[3] Otto Solbrig,[4] Jorge Morello,[5] Humberto A. Fabris (1924–1976), Delia Abbiatti,[6] Noemí Correa,[7] Delia Añón Suárez,[8] Cristina Orsi,[9] Amelia Torres, Aída Pontiroli, Jorge Crisci, Roberto Kiesling and Fernando Zuloaga.

Koeltz[14][15] American Cucurbitaceae useful to man: Whitaker, Thomas of the United States Department of Agriculture, Zardini, E.M. La Plata, October 7 to 14, 1980.

Province of Buenos Aires Commission of Investigations Scientists, The standard author abbreviation Zardini is used to indicate this person as the author when citing a botanical name.