Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland

Last updated
Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland
PredecessorBotanical Society of London
Formation1836
Type Registered Charity
Location
Area served
UK
Members
2,774 (2017)
Revenue
£1,410,384 (2018)
Volunteers
350+
Website https://bsbi.org

The Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland (BSBI) is a scientific society for the study of flora, plant distribution and taxonomy relating to Great Britain, Ireland, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man. The society was founded as the Botanical Society of London in 1836, and became the Botanical Society of the British Isles, eventually changing to its current name in 2013. It includes both professional and amateur members and is the largest organisation devoted to botany in the British Isles. Its history is recounted in David Allen's book The Botanists. [1]

Contents

The society publishes handbooks and journals, conducts national surveys and training events, and hosts conferences. It also awards grants and bursaries, sets professional standards (with Field Identification Skills Certificates (FISCs)), and works in an advisory capacity for governments and NGOs. [2]

The society is managed by a council of elected members, and is a Registered Charity in England & Wales (212560) and Scotland (SC038675).

BSBI VC51 surveying Minera Mountain BSBI VC51 surveying Minera Mountain.jpg
BSBI VC51 surveying Minera Mountain

Publications

The BSBI has produced three atlases covering the distribution of vascular plants in British Isles. [3] [4] The third atlas, Atlas 2020, was published in March 2023. [5]

It publishes a newsletter, BSBI News (ISSN 0309-930X), that is distributed to members three times a year and is available online. [6]

The BSBI published a scientific periodical, New Journal of Botany (formerly Watsonia), that was discontinued in 2017. The journal had a north-western European scope covering vascular plants, their taxonomy, biosystematics, ecology, distribution and conservation, as well as topics of a more general or historical nature". [7] This has been replaced by an online journal, British and Irish Botany.

The society produced the Atlas of the British Flora in 2002, the Vice-county Census Catalogue of the Vascular Plants of Great Britain in 2003, and publishes the BSBI Handbooks series.

Handbook series

The following Handbooks have been produced, with more promised for the future. [7]

  1. Sedges. (3rd edition) 2007. A.C. Jermy, D.A. Simpson, M.J.Y. Foley & M.S. Porter
  2. Umbellifers. 1980. T.G. Tutin
  3. Docks and Knotweeds. 1981. J.E. Lousley & D.H. Kent
  4. Willows and Poplars. 1984. R.D. Meikle
  5. Charophytes. 1986. J.A. Moore
  6. Crucifers. 1991. T.C.G. Rich
  7. Roses. 1993. G.G. Graham & A.L. Primavesi
  8. Pondweeds. 1995. C.D. Preston
  9. Dandelions. 1997. A.A. Dudman & A.J. Richards
  10. Sea Beans & Nickar Nuts. 2000. E.C. Nelson
  11. Water-starworts of Europe. 2008. R.V. Lansdown
  12. Fumitories. 2009. R.J. Murphy
  13. Grasses. 2009. T. Cope & A. Gray
  14. Whitebeams, Rowans and Service Trees. 2010. T.C.G. Rich, L. Houston, A. Robertson & M.C.F. Proctor.
  15. British Northern Hawkweeds. 2011. T.C.G. Rich & W. Scott.
  16. Evening-primroses. 2016. R.J. Murphy.
  17. Violas. 2017. M. Porter & M. Foley.
  18. Eyebrights. 2018. C. Metherell & F. Rumsey.
  19. Gentians of Britain and Ireland. 2019. Tim Rich & Andy McVeigh.
  20. Hawkweeds of South-East England. 2020. Mike Shaw.
  21. Monograph of British and Irish Hieracium section Foliosa and section Prenanthoidea. 2021. Tim Rich and David McCosh.
  22. Broomrapes of Britain and Ireland. 2021. Chris Thorogood & Fred Rumsey.
  23. Field Handbook to British and Irish Dandelions. 2021. A.J. Richards.
  24. Alchemilla: Lady's Mantles of Britain and Ireland. 2022. Mark Lynes.

Publications dealing with rare plants

The BSBI's attitudes to publication of details of locations of rare plants have changed over time. In 1991, publicly criticised the author John Fisher, for writing "A Colour Guide to Rare Wild Flowers", a book which gave details of the locations of a selection of rare plants, stating that it was not in the interests of conservation. [8] Following this criticism, Fisher resigned his membership of the BSBI. Fourteen years later, David Pearman, the Society's General Secretary, contrasted the way in which Fisher was, as Pearman termed it, "hounded out", with the more open attitudes that had then taken hold. [9] In more recent times, the BSBI has produced or supported the production of a number of County Rare Plant Registers, books which list all known locations for all rare plants in their county of coverage.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Clive A. Stace</span> British botanist and botanical author

Clive Anthony Stace is a British botanist and botanical author. He studied at King's College London, graduated from University of London in 1959 and then studied at the Natural History Museum, London. He was awarded a PhD in 1963. His academic career was based at the University of Leicester, where he held the post of Professor of Plant taxonomy. He is a past president of the Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland from 1987 to 1989.

<i>Potamogeton praelongus</i> Species of flowering plant

Potamogeton praelongus, commonly known as whitestem pondweed in North America and long-stalked pondweed in Britain, is a large, perennial aquatic plant in the family Potamogetonaceae. It is widely distributed in lakes and rivers in the northern hemisphere, but is sensitive to poor water quality.

<i>Equisetum variegatum</i> Species of vascular plant in the horsetail family Equisetaceae

Equisetum variegatum, commonly known as variegated horsetail or variegated scouring rush, is a species of vascular plant in the horsetail family Equisetaceae. It is native to the Northern Hemisphere where it has a circumpolar distribution.

<i>Potamogeton coloratus</i> Species of aquatic plant

Potamogeton coloratus, the fen pondweed, is an aquatic plant in the genus Potamogeton. It is found in shallow peaty calcareous lakes, ponds and ditches, commonly associated with lowland fens.

<i>Potamogeton alpinus</i> Species of flowering plant

Potamogeton alpinus is a species of perennial aquatic plant known by the common names alpine pondweed and red pondweed. It is widespread in the northern hemisphere in both rivers and lakes with good water quality.

<i>Potamogeton epihydrus</i> Species of aquatic plant

Potamogeton epihydrus is a perennial aquatic plant known by the common names ribbonleaf pondweed and Nuttall's pondweed, and American pondweed in the United Kingdom. It is native to much of North America, where it grows in water bodies such as ponds, lakes, ditches, and slow-moving streams.

<i>Potamogeton gramineus</i> Species of aquatic plant

Potamogeton gramineus is a species of aquatic plant known by the common name various-leaved pondweed, variableleaf pondweed, grass-leaved pondweed or grassy pondweed, native to the northern hemisphere where it grows in shallow, clean water.

<i>Potamogeton pusillus</i> Species of aquatic plant

Potamogeton pusillus is a species of aquatic plant known by the common names small pondweed, lesser pondweed or least pondweed. It occurs in standing and slow-flowing freshwater habitats throughout the Northern Hemisphere.

<i>Potamogeton compressus</i> Species of aquatic plant

Potamogeton compressus is a species of aquatic plant known by the common names grass-wrack pondweed, flatstem pondweed and eel-grass pondweed.

<i>Cryptogramma crispa</i> Species of fern

Cryptogramma crispa, the parsley fern, is an Arctic–alpine species of fern. It produces separate sterile and fertile fronds, up to 30 cm (12 in) tall, and is a pioneer species on acidic screes.

<i>Potamogeton obtusifolius</i> Species of aquatic plant

Potamogeton obtusifolius, known as blunt-leaved pondweed, is an aquatic plant in the genus Potamogeton. It grows mainly in mesotrophic to eutrophic lakes, ponds and ditches, rarely in brackish water. It occurs primarily in Central Europe, the British Isles, Fennoscandia and eastern North America.

<i>Anagallis tenella</i> Species of flowering plant

Anagallis tenella, known in Britain as the bog pimpernel, is a low growing perennial plant found in a variety of damp habitats from calcareous dune slacks to boggy and peaty heaths in Eurasia. In the United Kingdom it is mostly restricted to the western half of the country, although it was more common in the east before land drainage and intensification of farming in that area.

<i>Potamogeton berchtoldii</i> Species of plant

Potamogeton berchtoldii, common name small pondweed is an aquatic plant.

<i>Potamogeton acutifolius</i> Species of plant

Potamogeton acutifolius is a European species of aquatic plant in the family Potamogetonaceae, known by the common name sharp-leaved pondweed. It is threatened and declining in at least part of its range.

<i>Potamogeton trichoides</i> Species of aquatic plant

Potamogeton trichoides is a species of aquatic plant known by the common name hairlike pondweed, native to Europe and western Asia where it grows in calcareous, usually nutrient-rich standing or slow-flowing water.

<i>Potamogeton friesii</i> Species of aquatic plant

Potamogeton friesii, known as flat-stalked pondweed, or Fries' pondweed, is an aquatic plant in the genus Potamogeton. It grows mainly in mesotrophic to eutrophic rivers, lakes, ponds and ditches, rarely in brackish water. It occurs in North America, Europe, western Asia and a few scattered locations elsewhere in Asia.

Franklyn Hugh Perring PhD, OBE was a British naturalist, regarded as "one of the most influential botanists and nature conservationists of the 20th century".

<i>Hieracium naviense</i> Species of flowering plant

Hieracium naviense is a very rare species of hawkweed which has been given the common name of Derby hawkweed.

<i>Viola lactea</i> Species of flowering plants in the family Violaceae

Viola lactea, also known by its common name pale dog violet, is a species of flowering planet of the family Violaceae.

References

  1. Allen, D.E. (1986). The Botanists. Winchester: St Paul's Biographies. ISBN   9780906795361.
  2. "BSBI". BSBI. Retrieved 2014-01-29.
  3. Perring & Walters 1962.
  4. Preston, C.D., Pearman, D.A. & Dines, T. 2002. Atlas of the British & Irish Flora. Oxford University Press, Oxford.
  5. P.A. Stroh; T. A. Humphrey; R.J. Burkmar; O.L. Pescott; D.B. Roy; K.J. Walker, eds. (2023). BSBI Online Plant Atlas 2020. Princeton Press. ISBN   9780691247595.
  6. "BSBI News 1". Watsonia.org.uk. Retrieved 2014-01-29.
  7. 1 2 "BlogSpot - New Journal of Botany: Final issue now out!". Bsbi.org. 2017. Retrieved 2019-11-20.
  8. Perring, Franklyn H. (1991) "Conservation News: A Colour Guide to Rare Wild Flowers" BSBI News No. 58 page 43
  9. Pearman, David A. (2005) "Book Notes" BSBI News No. 98 pages 54-55

Bibliography