Kirstenbosch scientists, such as Winsome Barker,
Graham Duncan, and John Manning, have published many scientific papers, books, and monographs on South African flora, including the
Kirstenbosch Gardening Series. The gardens have also published a series of
monographs, known sequentially as
Memoirs of the Botanical Survey of South Africa,
Annals of the Kirstenbosch Botanic Gardens, and
Strelitzia.
Compton Herbarium The Compton Herbarium, which conducts research activities including identifying and describing new species, is located at the Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden.
Purpose The herbarium is mainly geared toward studying the plant species of the winter rainfall region. Roughly 250,000 dried specimens are preserved here. Local and foreign botanists research
proteas,
heaths,
amaryllis, and
orchids. Conservationists, foresters, entomologists, and manufacturers of pesticides and fertilizers also participate in research here. A large library with relevant books is available for researchers.
History The Compton Herbarium was founded after the
Bolus Herbarium moved from Kirstenbosch to the campus of the University of Cape Town. Prof.
Robert Harold Compton, the second director of Kirstenbosch, kept a small herbarium in his office since 1937. In 1940, this was moved to where the Bolus Herbarium had once stood. Later, the
Iziko South African Museum Herbarium and the
Stellenbosch Government Herbarium were transferred here, as well. Since 1996, the collections have been based in a new, modern research complex.
South African Museum Herbarium This collection contains many valuable plants from all over the world; the oldest herbarium in the country, it is also one of the oldest in the Southern Hemisphere. In 1825, Danish botanist
Christian Friedrich Ecklon brought 325 species to the museum. Dr.
Karl Wilhelm Ludwig Pappe came into possession of the collection in 1855, and was appointed the first colonial botanist in the Cape in 1858. Pappe also built his own private herbarium and bought that of
Karl Ludwig Philipp Zeyher. After Pappe's death, the
Cape Colony government purchased the Pappe and Zeyher collections. Since 1956, the three herbaria have been housed at Kirstenbosch with the Compton Herbarium, but they remain a separate union. Only in 1988 did they become the property of the SANBI.
Stellenbosch Government Herbarium This herbarium was established by Dr.
Augusta Vera Duthie in 1902. In 1960, it was donated to the state by the
Stellenbosch University, and since then has been known under this name. In 1996, it was moved to Kirstenbosch and incorporated into the Compton Herbarium. == Chelsea Flower Show ==