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Originally a taxonomic library, the Bolus Herbarium Library has been nurtured and developed. Today, in addition to its magnificent collection of early botanical works, it houses a comprehensive collection of modern literature relating to systematic and evolutionary botany, plant ecology, ecophysiology and conservation ecology (much of it in a South African context), as well as numerous international journals focusing on these specific topics.
When entering the library, the Reference Collection books are shelved inside glass door shelves in the lower level reading room. Oversized reference books are shelved inside the last glass door shelve with atlases.
The books in the Bolus Herbarium Library are arranged numerically.
Lower Level Shelf label: K 000 – K 585.999
Upper Level Shelf label: K 586 – K 999.999
| Shelf number | Subject area |
| K 551.4 | Geomorphology |
| K 561 | Paleobotany |
| K 570 | Life sciences |
| K 574 | Biology - general |
| K 576 | Organic evolution and genetics |
| K 577 | General nature of life |
| K 579 | Collection and preservation |
| K 580 | Botanical sciences |
| K 581 | Botany |
| K 582 | Spermatophyta (Seed-bearing plants) |
| K 582.13 | Herbaceous flowering plants |
| K 582.14 | Herbaceous shrubs and vines |
| K 582.16 | Trees |
| K 583 | Dicotyledones |
| K 584 | Monocotyledones |
| K 585 | Gymnospermae |
| K 586 | Cryptogamia (Seedless plants) |
| K 587 | Pteridophyta (Vascular cryptograms) |
| K 588 | Bryophyta |
| K 589 | Thallophyta |
| K 741.6 | Botanical illustration |
Reserve or short loan items are kept on wooden shelf next to loans desk. They are open to users to read in the library as long as the library is open. Items on the top three shelves can be borrowed for overnight weekdays and for weekend on Fridays. Fourth shelf items are private books owned by lecturers and the Biological Science department.
In the early 1900s, two artists, Mary Page and Beatrice Carter, were employed by the Bolus Herbarium to illustrate a hugely diverse family of succulent plants, which are almost endemic to Southern Africa. These are illustrations of species of the plant family Aizoaceae (Vygies). Their delicate, precise and vividly coloured botanical drawings are now freely accessible online.
Explore the Collection Plant Datasets
A historical and repeat photography archive of southern African landscapes by the Plant Conservation Unit, Biological Sciences.
The Bolus Herbarium Library owes its existence to Harry Bolus, a businessman, amateur botanist, and botanical artist, who, on his death in 1911, bequeathed his herbarium, his botanical library, and a large part of his fortune to the South African College, now the University of Cape Town. Learn more
