Office
Biology Building 151
Mariëtte Jackson obtained her B.Sc (Genetics, Zoology and Human physiology) (2001), B.Sc Hons. (2003), M.Sc (2005) and Ph.D. (Genetics) (2008) from the University of the Free State. She started her career as a post doctoral fellow at the University of Pretoria working on a multi aspect project which involved the molecular cloning of rose cultivars. She was appointed as lecturer at the University of the Free State in 2010 in the field of plant molecular systematics. Since then she has been establishing this field of study in the Department Plant Sciences by teaching second, third year and honours level courses. She is currently focusing on the systematics of different groups and genera within the Asteraceae and the Scrophulariaceae.
INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCES: ORAL PRESENTATIONS
Jackson, M. and Joubert, L. 2014. The Systematics of Garuleum (Asteraceae). Paper delivered at the Association for the Taxonomic Study of the Flora of Tropical Africa (AETFAT). University of Stellenbosch, South Africa. 13-17 Jan 2014.
Jackson, M., Grobler, H., Sedimo, G., Bester, S.P. & Joubert, L. 2025. The systematics of Nemesia Vent. (Scrophulariaceae): The current status and new insights. Paper presented at the 1st International Online Conference on Taxonomy, Online. 3-4 December 2025.
NATIONAL CONFERENCES: ORAL & POSTER PRESENTATIONS
Jackson, M. and Joubert, L. 2015. The phylogenetics and taxonomy of Curio (Asteraceae). Paper delivered at the annual conference of the South African Association of Botanists (SAAB). Tshepise, Venda. 12-15 Jan 2015.
De Gouveia, N.A.M., Joubert, L. and Jackson, M. 2015. Sprawling Curios: Three species or one? Paper delivered at the annual conference of the South African Association of Botanists (SAAB). Tshepise, Venda. 12-15 Januariy 2015.
De Gouveia, N.A.M., Jackson, M. and Joubert, L. 2016. Leaf micromorphology and cystoliths of southern Africa Crabbea (Acanthaceae). Paper delivered at the annual conference of the South African Association of Botanists (SAAB), Bloemfontein, Free State. 10-13 January 2016.
Keet, J.H., Jackson, M., Cindi, D., Du Preez, P.J. and Visser, B. 2016. Identification of naturalized and cultivated Berberis species in South Africa. Paper delivered at the annual conference of the South African Association of Botanists (SAAB), Bloemfontein, Free State. 10-13 January 2016.
De Gouveia, N.A.M., Jackson, M. and Joubert, L. 2017. Systematics of Crabbea (Acanthaceae). Paper delivered at the annual conference of the South African Association of Botanists (SAAB). Lagoon Beach hotel, Cape Town. 9-12 Jan 2017.
Sadler, R., Verboom, G.A., Manning, J., Parker, T., Jackson, M., van Zyl, J., Bergh, N.G. and Ellis, A.G. 2022. Phylogeny of the southern African marigolds: the daisy tribe Calenduleae. Paper delivered at the 47th Annual conference of the South African Association of Botanists (SAAB) (virtual). 17-20 January.
Sedimo, G., Jackson, M., Bester, S.P. and Joubert, L. 2022. Taxonomic revision and molecular phylogenetic analysis of Nemesia species in the Free State. Paper delivered at the 47th Annual conference of the South African Association of Botanists (SAAB) (virtual). 17-20 January.
Grobler, H., Jackson, M. and Joubert, L. 2022. Nectar spur development in Nemesia Vent. (Scrophulariaceae). Paper presented at the 47th Annual Conference of the South African Association of Botanists (SAAB). Hosted online by North West University, South Africa.
Grobler, H., Jackson, M. and Joubert, L. 2022. Nectar spur development in Nemesia (Scrophulariaceae). Paper presented at the Annual Conference of the Microscopy Society of South Africa (MSSA). Johannesburg, South Africa.
Sedimo, G., Bester, S.P., Jackson, M. & Joubert, L. 2023. Morphometric analysis in Nemesia (Scrophulariaceae). Paper delivered at the South African Association of Botanists (SAAB) Postgraduate Symposium (online). 28 September 2023.
Sedimo, G., Joubert, L., Jackson, M. & Bester, S.P. 2023. Systematics and morphometrics in Nemesia (Scrophulariaceae). Paper delivered at the 48th South African Association of Botanists (SAAB) Annual Conference, Polokwane, South Africa. 17-20 January 2023.
Masisi, T.V., Sabela, K.S., Rose, L., Jackson, M., Matebesi, S., Pelser, A., and Rothmann, L.A. 2024. A first look at farmer perceptions of sorghum production, disease constraints and future outlooks. Paper delivered at the 53rd Congress of the Southern African Society of Plant Pathology, Clarens, South Africa, 21 - 24 January. https://osf.io/vge92/
Masisi T.V, Jackson M, Rose L.J, Sabela K.S and Rothmann L.A. 2024. National grain sorghum disease surveillance: Detecting fungi threatening production and livelihoods. Paper delivered at the 53rd Congress of the Southern African Society of Plant Pathology, Clarens, South Africa, 21 - 24 January. https://osf.io/68wyv/
Grobler, H., Jackson, M. & Joubert, L. 2024. Pollinator rewards in Nemesia (Scrophulariaceae). Paper delivered at the 58th Microscopy Society of South Africa (MSSA) Conference, Bloemfontein, South Africa. 2-5 December.
Jackson, M., Grobler, H., Sedimo, G., Bester, S.P. & Joubert, L. 2025. The Systematics of Nemesia (Scrophulariaceae). Paper delivered at the 50th South African Association of Botanists (SAAB) Conference, Wits Rural Campus (Hoedspruit), South Africa, 1-3 July.
Joubert, L. Sedimo G., Jackson, M. & Bester, S.P. 2025. New additions to the Nemesia lineage from the Succulent Karoo. Paper delivered at the 50th South African Association of Botanists (SAAB) Conference, Wits Rural Campus (Hoedspruit), South Africa, 1-3 July.
PEER-REVIEWED SOUTH AFRICAN JOURNAL CONTRIBUTIONS
Sadler, R., Parker, T. Verboom, GA, Ellis, A.G., Jackson, M., van Zyl. J., Manning, J. & Bergh, N.G. 2022. A molecular phylogeny of Calenduleae (Asteraceae) supports the transfer of Dimorphotheca polyptera DC. To Osteospermum L. South African Journal of Botany, 151: 234-245.
De Gouveia, N.A.M., Jackson, M. & Joubert, L. 2023. A taxonomic revision of Crabbea Harv. (Acanthaceae: Barlerieae) in South Africa. South African Journal of Botany 156: 115–130.
Jackson, M., Van Zyl, J., Frylinck, M. & Joubert, L. 2024. A molecular phylogeny of Garuleum (Calenduleae, Asteraceae) in southern Africa. Phytotaxa 644 (3): 220–228.
Publications (Short List)
Plant molecular systematics with a focus on the genera of the family Asteraceae. Molecular data are used to construct the evolutionary history of a plant group and combined with the taxonomy and geographic distribution of these plants; this can help to understand how plant lineages formed which contribute to the conservation of species in a changing environment. Phylogenetic analysis of genera currently under investigation are: Curio (Asteraceae). Other plant genera / families in which molecular phylogenetic work are being conducted are Nemesia and Hemimeris (Scrophulariaceae).
Plant Molecular Systematics
Phylogenetics analysis
For the following undergraduate modules, all module content, lectures and practicals were developed and presented from 2015 – present.
BLGY1643 (One practical) - Interdependence of plants and life on Earth
BLGY2615 (25%) - Fundamentals in biological sciences
BTNY2616 (33%) - Plant adaptations: Molecular biology, morphology and ecology of survival
BTNY3714 (50%) - Diversity and systematics of higher plants
BTND6804 (100%) - Plant molecular systematics