On the tracks of botanical collectors on copper outcrops of South-Central Africa

Numerous botanists have taken an interest in the flora of the copper-containing rocky outcrops of South Central Africa (Katanga, Zambia, Zimbabwe); some botanical collectors came by chance to these sites, while others, and among these the botanists Duvigneaud, Malaisse and Wild, have dedicated sites with copper-containing rocks a sustained interest. According to the number of collections made on these sites, some have been very well prospected, whilst others are still almost totally unknown from a botanical point of view. Moreover, the original vegetation of some sites is still intact, while mining activities in other sites have deeply influenced the vegetation, leading sometimes to total destruction and what appears to be extinction of five local endemic taxa. Maps showing the position of sites in South Central Africa are provided to demonstrate the degree of botanical exploration of the different outcrops; one set shows the total exploration, the other shows the activities of Duvigneaud, Malaisse and Wild. Based on these maps of exploration, and on maps of the degree of alteration of the sites, conclusions are drawn on the current knowledge of the sites and their flora, and on the need for future study of undercollected sites