Bothalia (journal)

Bothalia (journal)
Title	Bothalia
Discipline	Botany
Language	English
Abbreviation	Bothalia
Publisher	South African National Biodiversity Institute
Country	South Africa
History	1921–present
Frequency	Irregular / annual volumes
Issn	0006-8241

Contents

Bothalia (journal) Bothalia is a peer-reviewed scientific journal publishing botanical research with emphasis on southern African flora. It serves as a repository for taxonomic treatments, floristic surveys, conservation assessments and botanical checklists connected to institutions across South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe and the wider Southern Africa region. The journal interfaces with national collections, herbarium initiatives and biodiversity policy bodies such as the South African National Biodiversity Institute, National Herbarium, Pretoria, Compton Herbarium, Bolus Herbarium and international bodies including the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Missouri Botanical Garden and the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

History

Bothalia originated in the early 20th century within a network of South African botanical institutions including the South African Museum, the National Botanical Institute (South Africa), and the University of Cape Town botanists active after the Union of South Africa period. Early volumes reflected collaborations among figures associated with the Bolus Herbarium, Compton Herbarium and collectors linked to expeditions such as those led by Francis Guthrie successors and collectors participating in exchanges with the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and the Herbarium Berolinense. Over decades, editorial stewardship involved scientists affiliated with the University of Pretoria, Stellenbosch University, University of Cape Town and the University of the Witwatersrand. Institutional transitions mirrored national reorganizations including creation of the National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (South Africa) and establishment of the South African National Biodiversity Institute.

The journal publishes original research on taxonomy, systematics, floristics, phytogeography, and conservation relevant to southern African vascular plants, bryophytes and lichens. Contributions commonly cite herbarium specimens from collections such as the PRE Herbarium, BOL Herbarium, NBG Herbarium and the Kew Herbarium. Authors have included researchers from the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Missouri Botanical Garden, Smithsonian Institution, Botanical Research Institute of Texas, Jardin des Plantes (Paris), Naturalis Biodiversity Center and African universities like the University of KwaZulu-Natal and Rhodes University. Bothalia has published monographic revisions, new species descriptions, keys used by field botanists, checklists linked to protected areas such as the Kruger National Park, Table Mountain National Park and the iSimangaliso Wetland Park, and policy-relevant assessments associated with the Convention on Biological Diversity and the Bonn Challenge.

Published by the South African National Biodiversity Institute and associated with national herbaria, the journal operates under an editorial board drawing members from institutions including the Compton Herbarium, Bolus Herbarium, PRE Herbarium, Missouri Botanical Garden, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and universities such as the University of Cape Town, University of Pretoria and University of the Witwatersrand. Editorial policies have adapted to modern standards promoted by organisations like the Committee on Publication Ethics and the International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants, with peer review processes involving specialists at institutions including the University of Oxford, University of Cambridge, Harvard University Herbaria and the National Museum of Natural History (France). Production and distribution evolved alongside libraries and repositories such as the Biodiversity Heritage Library and national library systems including the National Library of South Africa.

Bothalia is indexed in botanical and biodiversity databases and aggregators used by researchers at the Global Biodiversity Information Facility, JSTOR, Scopus, Web of Science, Biodiversity Heritage Library and regional repositories maintained by the South African National Biodiversity Institute. Metadata from Bothalia contributes to aggregated initiatives such as the Catalogue of Life, International Plant Names Index and the Plant List projects, supporting taxonomic backbones used by initiatives like the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation and the Map of Life.

Bothalia has been cited in floristic syntheses, conservation red list assessments and regional monographs produced by researchers from the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Missouri Botanical Garden, IUCN SSC, Conservation International, SANBI and academic groups at the University of Cape Town and Stellenbosch University. Its taxonomic treatments feed into policy instruments such as national red lists maintained by SANBI and international checklists compiled by the World Flora Online partnership. Reviews in botanical circles reference Bothalia alongside established journals like the Kew Bulletin, Taxon, Systematic Botany and South African Journal of Botany.

Noteworthy contributions have included new species descriptions and revisions by botanists affiliated with the Compton Herbarium, Bolus Herbarium, PRE Herbarium and collaborators from the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and Missouri Botanical Garden. The journal has published significant floristic inventories for regions such as the Cape Floristic Region, Succulent Karoo, Namaqualand, Drakensberg and Pafuri area, and taxonomic syntheses influencing works like the Flora of Southern Africa and entries in the World Checklist of Selected Plant Families.

Back issues and selected articles are available through institutional holdings at the South African National Biodiversity Institute, university libraries at the University of Cape Town, University of Pretoria and Stellenbosch University, and digital aggregators such as the Biodiversity Heritage Library and JSTOR. Specimen citations in articles link to herbarium records accessible via the Global Biodiversity Information Facility and national repositories managed by institutions including SANBI and the National Herbarium, Pretoria.

Category:Botany journals Category:Academic journals established in 1921