What We Do
We strive to answer questions about our unique biodiversity
Sponsor research and education
Promote scientific communication, collaboration, and public awareness
Provide advocacy and leadership
There is still so much to discover about Australasian botanical diversity. Our research aims to answer fundamental questions such as: How are these organisms related? When did they evolve? Do they represent new, undescribed species? This leads to a cascade of further questions such as: Where do they grow? How common are they? How do they reproduce? Are they toxic? and on and on.
We use various methods and tools to collect data from samples of the organisms, including light and stereo microscopy to view and measure morphology, scanning electron microscopy to image pollen and spores, glasshouses to perform experiments, and techniques to extract and sequence DNA. We use specialised computer programs and software to analyse the data, and then write up and interpret the results in scientific journals, books and floras. We contribute the data and images of specimens to online databases so that they are publicly accessible to other scientists, students and citizen scientists alike. We also write blogs, are active on social media and give public talks as forms of outreach to the general public about botany and our research.
Visit our grants page to find out more about the fascinating research our members undertake with financial support from our society.
Our diverse workplaces
We work and study in laboratories, herbaria, botanic gardens, universities, and other organisations in both government and industry, alongside passionate citizen scientists and volunteers. We undertake field work throughout Australasia and other parts of the world exploring high mountains, deep oceans, dense forests, and arid deserts to collect plants, algae, and fungi that are critical for our research. We collect voucher specimens that are preserved and added to huge collections stored in herbaria, where they are databased and made available for scientific study. We also spend much of our time in the lab and the office, collecting, collating and analysing data, then interpreting and communicating results in scientific publications and reports.