Betsy Rivers Jackes

Betsy Rivers Jackes
Born	Betsy Rivers Paterson (1935-03-19) 19 March 1935 (age 90) [1] Bingara, New South Wales, Australia
Alma mater	University of New England (Australia)
Spouse	E. M. Jackes (1935–2016)
Scientific career
Fields	Botany
Institutions	JCU, UNE, UQ
Author abbrev. (botany)	Jackes

Betsy Rivers Jackes AM (born 1935) is an Australian botanist, researcher, taxonomist and author. ^{[2] [3]} Her research interests are the plants in the families Myrsinaceae and Vitaceae. ^[4]

Education

Jackes completed her BSc in 1957, followed by her MSc in 1959, at the University of New England (UNE) in Armidale, New South Wales. ^{[5] [6]} She won a Fulbright Scholarship to study in the United States and took up a position as a research scholar at the University of Chicago (UC), where she earned her PhD in 1961. ^[7]

Career

Jackes initially began work as a tutor in botany at UNE in 1957, before taking on the same role at the University of Queensland (UQ) in 1963. ^[5] From 1973 through to 2018 she was a lecturer at James Cook University (JCU) in Townsville, Queensland, where she headed the Tropical Plant Sciences Department, and was deputy head of the School of Tropical Biology. ^{[1] [5]} She is the author (or co-author) of many papers, articles, and environmental consultancy reports, ^[1] and has published a number of books.

On Thursday, 24 March 2021, Jackes was presented one of the highest JCU awards, a Doctor of Science honoris causa, the sixth awardee for that degree at the university. ^{[8] [9]} This was for her sustained contributions to discovering and cataloguing tropical flora in northern Queensland, continued work with plant systematics and the ecology of the tropical flora.

Jackes was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia in the 2023 Australia Day Honours. ^[10]

The standard author abbreviation Jackes is used to indicate this person as the author when citing a botanical name. ^[11] Prior to her marriage, the author abbreviation B.R.Paterson was used. ^[12]

Legacy

As of 31 August 2021 ^[update] , the International Plant Names Index (IPNI) list 43 species of plants that were authored by her. ^[13] The following is a list of those with articles on this wiki:

• Clematicissus opaca
• Backhousia tetraptera
• Dendrocnide cordifolia
• Myrsine howittiana
• Myrsine richmondensis

Plants named in honour of Jackes include:

• Betsy's wattle ( Acacia jackesiana (Pedley)), a north Queensland floral native with a limited range west and north of Townsville; ^{[14] [15]} and

• the fossilised Cissocarpus jackesiae (Rozefelds) ^[16] (also listed as Cissocarpus jackesii), a species of grape in the family Vitaceae native to Australia. The genus Cissocarpus was formed with the grouping of seeds from the Oligocene silcretes. ^[17]

Selected publications

Research papers

For a more comprehensive list, see "Publications by: Betsy R. Jackes". James Cook University.

• Jackes, Betsy R. (2020). "Transfer of three species of Cayratia Juss., to Causonis Raf. (Vitaceae)". Telopea . 23: 69–71. doi: 10.7751/telopea14296 . S2CID   225780199.
• Jackes, Betsy R. (2019). "Hibbertia Andrews (Dilleniaceae, Guinea Flowers) in North Queensland, Townsville area to the tip of Cape York Peninsula" (PDF). North Queensland Naturalist. 49: 84–99.
• Jackes, Betsy R.; Rossetto, Maurizio (2006). "A new combination in Clematicissus Planch. (Vitaceae)". Telopea . 11 (3): 390–391. doi: 10.7751/telopea20065735 .
• Jackes, Betsy R. (2018). "Hibbertia ferox Jackes (Dilleniaceae), a new species from the White Mountains area of north Queensland" (PDF). Austrobaileya . 10 (2): 282–285.
• Jackes, B.R.; Hurley, M. (1997). "A new combination in Dendrocnide (Urticaceae) in north Queensland" . Austrobaileya . 5 (1): 121–123. JSTOR   41729927.

Books

For a more comprehensive list, see "Results for author:'Jackes, Betsy R. (Betsy Rivers), 1935–'". National Library of Australia .

• Jackes, Betsy R. (1996). A guide to the plants of the Burra Range. Townsville, Qld: Dept of Botany, James Cook University of North Queensland. ISBN   0864435843.
• Jackes, Betsy R. (1990). Plants of the tropical rainforest. Townsville, Qld., Australia: Botany Dept, James Cook University of North Queensland. ISBN   086443359X.
• Jackes, Betsy R. (2001). Plants of the tropics : rainforest to heath ; an identification guide. Townsville, Qld: James Cook University, School of Tropical Biology. ISBN   0864436858.
• Jackes, Betsy R. (1992). Poisonous plants in Northern Australian gardens including plants with irritant properties. Townsville, Qld: Botany Dept, James Cook University of North Queensland. ISBN   0864433875.

Articles

• Betsy Jackes (15 March 2019). "Guinea flowers are fierce and golden". The Conversation . The Conversation Media Group Ltd. Retrieved 2 September 2021.

See also

• Biography portal

• Women in science
• Women in STEM fields

References

1. "Jackes, Betsy Rivers (1935 – )". Australian Women's Register . University of Melbourne and the National Foundation for Australian Women (NFAW). Retrieved 31 August 2021.
2. "Prof Betsy Jackes ~ Adjunct Professor". James Cook University . Retrieved 31 August 2021.
3. "Index of Botanists". Harvard University Herbaria & Libraries. Harvard University . Retrieved 31 August 2021.
4. "Betsy Rivers Jackes". Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF). Retrieved 1 September 2021.
5. "Betsy Jackes". ORCiD. Retrieved 31 August 2021.
6. "Jackes, Betsy Rivers, (Associate Professor) (1935–)". Trove. National Library of Australia . Retrieved 31 August 2021.
7. "Fulbright Scholars". University of New England. Retrieved 31 August 2021.
8. Live Stream of the 24 March – 3.00PM 2022 Graduation ceremony. Townsville, Queensland: James Cook University. 24 March 2022. Event occurs at 1:43:35. Retrieved 16 April 2022. Chancellor, James Cook University wishes to recognise Professor Betsy Jackes for her exceptional and enduring contributions to scholarship, community engagement, culture, achievements and sustained contributions at service to the university. Professor Betsy Jackes is an internationally-renowned botanist, researcher, taxonomist and author, who has devoted her professional life to discovering and cataloguing tropical flora in northern Queensland. For more than 50 years, Professor Jackes has been a passionate academic member of JCU, inspiring the next generation of botanists by sharing her extensive knowledge.
9. "Honorary Degree and Fellowship Holders". James Cook University. 2021. Retrieved 16 April 2022.
10. "Australia Day 2023 Honours: Full list". The Sydney Morning Herald. 25 January 2023. Retrieved 25 January 2023.
11. "Jackes, Betsy Rivers (1935-)". International Plant Names Index (IPNI). Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. 2025. Retrieved 21 November 2025.
12. "Paterson, Betsy Rivers (1935-)". International Plant Names Index (IPNI). Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. 2025. Retrieved 21 November 2025.
13. "Jackes, Betsy Rivers". International Plant Names Index (IPNI). Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew . Retrieved 31 August 2021.
14. "Acacia jackesiana Pedley". Atlas of Living Australia. Retrieved 16 April 2022.
15. "Species profile—Acacia jackesiana". Department of Environment and Science. The State of Queensland (Department of Environment and Science). 8 March 2022. Retrieved 16 April 2022.
16. ROZEFIELDS, Andrew C.; PACE, Marcelo R. (July 2018). "The first record of fossil Vitaceae wood from the Southern Hemisphere, a new combination for Vitaceoxylon ramunculiformis, and reappraisal of the fossil record of the grape family (Vitaceae) from the Cenozoic of Australia". Journal of Systematics and Evolution. 56 (4): 283–296. doi: 10.1111/jse.12300 . S2CID   196634173.
17. CARPENTER, Raymond J; HILL, Robert S; GREENWOOD, David R; PARTRIDGE, Alan D; BANKS, Meredith A (2004). "No snow in the mountains: Early Eocene plant fossils from Hotham Heights, Victoria, Australia". Australian Journal of Botany. 52 (6): 685–718. doi:10.1071/BT04032.