The Italian botanist Odoardo Beccari was considered the greatest botanist ever to study the Malesian flora. He went on three expeditions to Malesia between 1865 and 1878, amassing about 16,000 botanical specimens, which were deposited at the Florence herbarium. He may be better known for his travel diary “Wanderings in the great forests of Borneo”, published in English in 1904, however his scientific productivity was of outstanding quality and quantity. He published extensively on palms, but he was also interested in numerous other plant families and described iconic species such as the Titan Arum as well as one species of Giant Corpse Flower that he found in Sarawak. Beccari was described as a proud, almost misanthropic spirit, often found in strong opposition with the scientific institutions in Florence and therefore he had to rely on private funding for his scientific expeditions as well as for publishing his research. This talk will trace his life in the field as well as back in Italy, his controversial relation with institutions as well as feature the highlights of his scientific production.