Botanical Research

What we do

The Botanical Research Sub-directorate, within the Research & Scientific Services Directorate of SANBI, is responsible for plant taxonomic research in South Africa.

Plant taxonomists study the diversity of plants by investigating, classifying, naming and documenting the flora of South Africa and neighbouring countries. Through their work, they describe new species, revise plant groups and clarify relationships between plants. This research contributes to a deeper understanding of plant diversity and supports the appreciation, sustainable use and conservation of our botanical heritage.

SANBI’s Botanical Research Sub-directorate also plays a national coordinating role for plant taxonomy in South Africa.

  1. Taxonomic research

Plant taxonomic research at SANBI is conducted through detailed morphological, molecular and anatomical studies. Taxonomic research at SANBI follows the Research Plan for Plant Taxonomy in South Africa (2020–2030) available at the following link:

This plan provides strategic guidance on where research efforts should be focused in order to maximise the value of taxonomic research to society. It also clarifies SANBI’s national coordinating role in plant taxonomy.

The strategy identifies priority plant groups that require taxonomic attention. These include both genera and individual species that are poorly understood, insufficiently studied or of particular scientific or conservation importance. These can be found by clicking the following links:

SANBI taxonomists address these priorities using a range of complementary research approaches. At the core of plant classification is the study of morphology—the physical structures of plants. This often involves detailed microscopic work using digital microscopes and scanning electron microscopy.

Additional information can come from other specialised fields, such as:

  • Molecular techniques analysing plant DNA have become a powerful tool for understanding evolutionary relationships between plants and refining their classification.
  • Plant chemistry, which examines chemical compounds produced by plants
  • Palynology, the study of pollen structure
  • Cytology, the study of chromosomes and cell structures
  1. South African National Plant Checklist

The South African National Plant Checklist forms the taxonomic backbone for botanical knowledge in the country. It provides a comprehensive and continually updated record of the plant diversity of southern Africa.

The Checklist includes:

  • accepted scientific names
  • synonyms and historical names
  • references to scientific literature
  • information on the status of plant names
  • common names where available

Taxonomists at SANBI are responsible for publishing, updating and maintaining the names included in the Checklist, and for ensuring that this information is publicly accessible. The Checklist is widely used by researchers, conservation authorities, policymakers and the public, and it is shared with global biodiversity platforms such as GBIF.

To ensure accuracy and consistency, the Checklist is managed according to a formal Checklist Policy, and an expert committee of SANBI and external taxonomists oversees decisions where the latest scientific publications require interpretation.

An updated version of the Checklist is released annually, together with reports documenting changes and updates to the national plant classification system, and disseminated on the SANBI Biodiversity Advisor website.

  1. e-Flora of South Africa

The National Plant Checklist provides the foundation for the e-Flora of South Africa, an online resource that offers quick and reliable access to published descriptions of the country’s plant species on the Biodiversity Advisor website.

The e-Flora brings together botanical information in a single digital platform, allowing researchers, conservationists, students and the public to explore South Africa’s remarkable plant diversity. The project also contributes to the World Flora Online, where descriptions for nearly all South African plant species are available globally.

  1. Plant specimen collections

Much of this work takes place in SANBI’s three national herbaria:

These herbaria house extensive collections of preserved plant specimens from across southern Africa. Taxonomists are responsible for maintaining and expanding these collections, which represent an invaluable scientific record of the region’s plant diversity.

By studying these specimens, researchers generate knowledge about the identity, distribution and characteristics of plants. This information forms the scientific foundation for biodiversity research, conservation planning and environmental decision-making, and supports a wide range of users—from scientists and policymakers to conservation practitioners and the broader public.

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