In my lab we employ a multidisciplinary approach to solving taxonomic problems and discovering evolutionary linkages between selected plant species in the Apocynaceae, Asteraceae, Acanthaceae and Scrophulariaceae families. Taxonomic circumscription and floral anatomy are combined with experimental techniques in molecular systematics, pollination biology and floral evolutionary development in a number of collaborative projects with scientists from around the world to discover the relationship between plant adaptations for pollination and the diversity of flowering plants on earth. 

Publication in peer-reviewed journals:

1. Jackson, M., Van Zyl, J., Frylinck, M. and Joubert, L. 2024. A molecular phylogeny of Garuleum (Calenduleae, Asteraceae) in southern Africa. Phytotaxa 644(3): 220–228. (Impact factor: 1.1)


2. De Gouveia, N.A.M., Jackson, M. and Joubert, L. 2023. A taxonomic revision of Crabbea Harv. (Acanthaceae: Barlerieae) in South Africa. South African Journal of Botany 156: 115–130. (Impact factor: 3.11)


3. Boshoff, W.H.P., Wood, A.R., Visser, B., Bender, C.M., Joubert, L., Richter, J., Aime, M.C. & Pretorius, Z.A. 2022. The life cycle of Puccinia digitariae on Digitaria eriantha and Solanum species in South Africa. Mycologia. 114(2): 319-336. doi: 10.1080/00275514.2022.2031493. (Impact factor: 2.958)


4. Ruiz-Hernández, V., Joubert, L., Rodríguez-Gómez, A., Artuso, S., Pattrick, J.G., Gómez, P.A., Eckerstorfer, S., Brandauer, S.S., Trcka-Rojas, C.G.I., Martínez-Reina, L., Booth, J., Lau-Zhu, A., Weiss, J., Bielza, P., Glover, B.J., Junker, R.R., Egea-Cortines, M. 2021. Humans share more preferences for floral phenotypes with pollinators than with pests. Frontiers in Plant Science 12, https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2021.647347 (Impact factor: 5.753)


5. Jeff Ollerton, Sigrid Liede-Schumann, Mary E Endress, Ulrich Meve, André Rodrigo Rech, Adam Shuttleworth, Héctor A Keller, Mark Fishbein, Leonardo O Alvarado-Cárdenas, Felipe W Amorim, Peter Bernhardt, Ferhat Celep, Yolanda Chirango, Fidel Chiriboga-Arroyo, Laure Civeyrel, Andrea Cocucci, Louise Cranmer, Inara Carolina da Silva-Batista, Linde de Jager, Mariana Scaramussa Deprá, Arthur Domingos-Melo, Courtney Dvorsky, Kayna Agostini, Leandro Freitas, Maria Cristina Gaglianone, Leo Galetto, Mike Gilbert, Ixchel González-Ramírez, Pablo Gorostiague, David Goyder, Leandro Hachuy-Filho, Annemarie Heiduk, Aaron Howard, Gretchen Ionta, Sofia C Islas-Hernández, Steven D Johnson, Lize Joubert, Christopher N Kaiser-Bunbury, Susan Kephart, Aroonrat Kidyoo, Suzanne Koptur, Cristiana Koschnitzke, Ellen Lamborn, Tatyana Livshultz, Isabel Cristina Machado, Salvador Marino, Lumi Mema, Ko Mochizuki, Leonor Patrícia Cerdeira Morellato, Chediel K Mrisha, Evalyne W Muiruri, Naoyuki Nakahama, Viviany Teixeira Nascimento, Clive Nuttman, Paulo Eugenio Oliveira, Craig I Peter, Sachin Punekar, Nicole Rafferty, Alessandro Rapini, Zong-Xin Ren, Claudia I Rodríguez-Flores, Liliana Rosero, Shoko Sakai, Marlies Sazima, Sandy-Lynn Steenhuisen, Ching-Wen Tan, Carolina Torres, Kristian Trøjelsgaard, Atushi Ushimaru, Milene Faria Vieira, Ana Pía Wiemer, Tadashi Yamashiro, Tarcila Nadia, Joel Queiroz, Zelma Quirino, 2019. The diversity and evolution of pollination systems in large plant clades: Apocynaceae as a case study, Annals of Botany, 123(2): 311–325, https://doi.org/10.1093/aob/mcy127 (Impact factor: 3.646)


6. Joubert, L., Klak, C., Venter, A.M., Venter, H.J.T. and Bruyns, P.V. 2016. A widespread radiation in the Periplocoideae (Apocynaceae): The case of Cryptolepis. Taxon 65: 487–501. (Impact factor: 2.447)


7. Manning, J.C., Goldblatt, P. and Joubert, L. 2013. A taxonomic revision of the small Cape genus Steirodiscus (Asteraceae – Senecioneae). Bothalia 43(1): 109–119. (Impact factor: 0.19)


8. Bester, S.P. and Joubert, L. 2011. Distribution of Cryptolepis delagoensis (Periplocoideae–Cryptolepideae), a subcontinental southern African endemic and selection of a neotype. Bothalia 41(1): 199–201. (Impact factor: 0.24)


9. Joubert, L. and Venter, H.J.T. 2009. The nameCryptolepis bifidaL.Joubert & Venter, a later homonym ofC. bifida(Blume) P.I.Forst., corrected. Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, 160, 355. (Impact factor: 1.00)


10. Joubert, L., Venter, H.J.T. and Verhoeven, R.L.2008. Cryptolepis bifida (Apocynaceae: Periplocoideae), a new species from Kenya and Tanzania, Africa. Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, 157, 343 –346. (Impact factor: 1.40)

Local conference proceedings

Posters:

1. Joubert, L., Sedimo, G., Jackson, M. & Bester, S.P. 2025. New additions to the Nemesia lineage from the Succulent Karoo. Poster delivered at the 50th South African Association of Botanists (SAAB) Annual Conference, WITS Rural Facility, South Africa. 1-3 July 2025.

2. Frylinck, M., Jackson, M. & Joubert, L. 2025. Systematics of the indigenous Hibiscus L. (Malvaceae) in South Africa. Poster delivered at the 50th South African Association of Botanists (SAAB) Annual Conference, WITS Rural Facility, South Africa. 1-3 July 2025.


3. Sedimo, G., Joubert, L., Jackson, M., Bester, S.P. 2023. Systematics and morphometrics in Nemesia (Scrophulariaceae). Poster presented at the 48th Annual Conference of the South African Association of Botanists (SAAB), University of Limpopo, South Africa.


4. De Gouveia, N.A.M., Jackson, M. and Joubert, L. 2016. Leaf micromorphology and cystoliths of Southern African Crabbea (Acanthaceae). Joint 42nd Annual conference of the South African Association of Botanists (SAAB) and the 12th Bi-annual conference of the Southern African Society for Systematic Biology (SASSB), University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa. 10 - 13 January 2016. [Abstract peer reviewed and published in the South African Journal of Botany 103:313]


5. De Gouveia, N.A.M., Joubert, L. and Jackson, M. 2015. Sprawling Curio (Asteraceae):Three Species or One? Poster presented at the  41st Annual conference of the South African Association of Botanists (SAAB), University of Venda, South Africa.


6. De Jager, J.C.L., Joubert, L., Venter, H.J.T. and Venter, A.M. 2015. The evolutionary pressure of glacial aridification and the use of pollen-ovule ratio as a predictive proxy of pollen transfer efficiency (PTE) in Periplocoideae (Apocynaceae). AFQUA, Cape Town, South Africa


7. Joubert, L. and Verhoeven, R.L. 2009. Leaf micromorphology and anatomy of Cryptolepis (Apocynaceae, Periplocoideae) in southern Africa.    Conference of the South African Association of Botanists, Stellenbosch, South Africa.*Merit award for best poster in plant systematics presented at the conference.

Papers:

1. Joubert, L., Grobler, H., Jackson, M. and Bester, S.P. 2025. Nemesia floral structure and pollinator rewards: what we know so far. Paper delivered at the 50th South African Association of Botanists (SAAB) Annual Conference. WITS Rural Facility, South Africa. 1-3 July 2025.


2. Jackson, M., Grobler, H., Sedimo, G., Bester, S.P. & Joubert, L. The systematics of Nemesia (Scrophulariaceae). Paper delivered at the 50th South African Association of Botanists (SAAB) Annual Conference. WITS Rural Facility, South Africa. 1-3 July 2025.


3. Grobler, H., Jackson, M. and Joubert, L. 2022. Nectar spur development in Nemesia (Scrophulariaceae). Microscopy Society of Southern Africa Proceedings, Volume 49, 17 ISSN 0250-0418 : ISBN 978-0-6398435-0-6


4. Bester, S.P. and Joubert, L. 2022. In search of the true identity of Nemesia ligulata. Paper presented at the 47th Annual Conference of the South African Association of Botanists (SAAB). Hosted online by North West University, South Africa.


5. Cobbold, J.M., Rothmann, L.A.and Joubert, L. 2022. To bee or not to bee – floral rewards and pollination efficiency in South African Macadamia. Paper presented at the 47th Annual Conference of the South African Association of Botanists (SAAB). Hosted online by North West University, South Africa.


6. Ferreira, E.L., Van Aardt, A.C. and Joubert, L. 2022. Possible effect of community composition on pollination rewards in three Nemesia species from Namaqualand. Paper presented at the 47th Annual Conference of the South African Association of Botanists (SAAB). Hosted online by North West University, South Africa.


7. 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.


8. 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 presented at the 47th Annual Conference of the South African Association of Botanists (SAAB). Hosted online by Northwest University, South Africa.


9. De Gouveia, N.A.M., Jackson, M. and Joubert, L. 2017. Systematics of Crabbea Harv. (Acanthaceae) in southern Africa. Paper presente dat the 43rd Annual Conference of the South African Association of Botanists (SAAB). University of the Western Cape, South Africa.


10. De Jager, J.C.L., Johnson, S.D. and Joubert, L. 2016. Pollination and breeding system of Tacazzea apiculata (Periplocoideae: Apocynaceae). Joint 42nd Annual conference of the South African Association of Botanists (SAAB) and the 12th Bi-annual conference of the Southern African Society for Systematic Biology (SASSB), University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa. 10 - 13 January 2016. [Abstract peer reviewed and published in the South African Journal of Botany 103:313]


11. De Jager, J.C.L., Joubert, L., Venter, H.J.T. and Venter, A.M. 2015.Variation in pollen-ovule ratio of southern African Periplocoideae (Apocynaceae): evolutionary implications. 41st Conference of the South African Association of Botanists (SAAB), University of Venda, South Africa.


12. Jackson, M. and Joubert, L. 2015. A phylogenetic and taxonomic analysis of Curio P.V.Heath (Asteraceae). 41st Conference of the South African Association of Botanists (SAAB), University of Venda, South Africa.


13. Joubert, L. and Venter, A.M. 2008. Taxonomic value of floral morphology in the genus Cryptolepis (Apocynaceae, Periplocoideae) in southern Africa. Joint Conference of the South African Association of Botanists (SAAB) and Southern African Society for Systematic Biology (SASSB), University of KwaZulu Natal, South Africa.

International conference proceedings


Posters:

1. Joubert, L., De Jager, J.C.L. and Glover, B.J.2017. Diversity, development and ecological importance of the corolline corona in Apocynaceae. Poster presented at the XIX International Botanical Congress, Shenzhen, China, 23–29 July 2017.


2. Ruiz-Hernández, V., Joubert, L., Rodríguez-Gómez, A., Weiss, J., Mühlemann, J.K., Hermans, B., Dudareva, N., Bielza, P., Glover, B.J. and Egea-Cortines, M. 2017. The effect of modified scent profiles on pest and pollinator choices. Poster presented at the New Phytologist Next Generation Scientists, John Innes Centre, Norwich, UK, 24–26 July 2017.


3. Joubert, L., De Jager, J.C.L., Johnson, S.D. and Livshultz, T. 2016. Late-acting self-incompatibility in two species of Periplocoideae (Apocynaceae). Second UK Plant Evolution Meeting, 15-16 September 2016, Cambridge, UK.


4. De Jager, L., Joubert, L. and Livshultz, T. 2014. Pollen-ovule ratio as a measure of pollen transfer efficiency (PTE) in three species of Periplocoideae (Apocynaceae). XXth Congress of AETFAT, University of Stellenbosch, South Africa.

Papers:

1. 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.


2. Joubert, L., Venter, A.M., Venter, H.J.T., Bruyns, P.V., Klack, C. 2014. African centers of Cryptolepis species diversity: the result of refugia or species radiation? XXth Congress of AETFAT, University of Stellenbosch, South Africa.


3. Jackson, M. and Joubert, L. 2014. The systematics of Garuleum. XXth Congress of AETFAT, University of Stellenbosch, South Africa.


4. Joubert, L.; Klak, C.; Venter, A.M. and Bruyns, P.V. 2011. Biogeography and Phylogenetic Relationships in Cryptolepis R.Br. (Periplocoideae, Apocynaceae). International Botanical Congress, Melbourne, Australia.

• Principal investigator: Systematics of the Periplocoideae – including the taxonomy, morphology, micro morphology, anatomy, molecular phylogenetics and biogeography of Cryptolepis.

             Collaborators: Prof. H.J.T. Venter, Dr. A.M. Venter, Prof. P.V. Bruyns, Dr. C. Klak

• Principal investigator: Systematics of two South African endemic genera: Steirodiscus and Garuleum (Asteraceae) - including the taxonomy, morphology, micro morphology, anatomy, molecular phylogenetics and biogeography of the two endemic genera.

Collaborators: Dr. J. Manning, Dr. M. Jackson, Dr. G. Goodman-Cronn

• Collaborator: Systematics of Curio (Asteraceae) – including molecular phylogenetics, biogeography, leaf and pollen micromorphology of this group of succulents.

Principal investigator: Dr. M. Jackson (UFS)

Collaborators: Dr. M. Cawood (UFS), Dr. M. Koekemoer (PRE)

• Collaborator: Linked evolution of climate niche and floral function in Apocynaceae

Principal investigators: Dr. T. Livshultz (Drexel University) , Dr. S. Coptur, Dr. A. Liston, Dr. S. Straub

• Collaborator: Systematics of Nemesia (Scrophulariaceae)

Principal investigators: Mr. Pieter Bester (SANBI)

My main research interest lies with the taxonomy, biogeography and pollination biology of the Milkweeds (Apocynaceae) and  Snapdragons (Scrophulariaceae).

Plant systematics

Morphology

Anatomy

Pollination biology  

Herbarium curation and data management.

BLGY1643 – The interdependence of plants and life on earth – Theme 1

BLGY2615 - Fundamentals in biological sciences - Learning Unit 3

BTNY2616 – Plant adaptations: molecular biology, morphology and ecology of survival

BTNY3712 – Third year botany excursion

BTNY3714 – Evolution and taxonomy of higher plants  

BTNB6804 – Honous module in advanced plant taxonomy

BTNY6798 – Botany Honours research project

BTNY6796 – Botany Honours literature studies