Education
Louisa Bolus attended school in Portuguese Elizabeth (South Africa) and completed her Bachelor degree in Cape Town in 1902.
Louisa Bolus attended school in Portuguese Elizabeth (South Africa) and completed her Bachelor degree in Cape Town in 1902.
Her first book, "Elementary Lessons in Systematic Botany", was published in 1919. This was followed by two volumes of books on South African Flowers. Louisa contributed to a number of botanical journals throughout her life, namely "Annals of the Bolus Herbarium", "South African Museum Annual", "Kew Bulletin", "Journal of South African Gardening", "Country Life" and "Journal of South African Botany".
Louisa spent much of her life doing in-depth research on Mesembryanthema.
"Notes on Mesembryanthemum and Allied Genera" was published in 1927. This was followed by the publication of three books, covering the detailed Latin descriptions of approximately 1500 plants.
In 1936 Louisa was awarded an honorary Doctorate of Science degree from the University of Stellenbosch. A plant belonging to the large Mesembreyanthemum family, genus Kensita was established to honour Doctor Bolus"s work on the subject.
Louisa made contributions to "Flowering Plants of South Africa", edited by East. P. Phillips in 1943, and in 1951 she was a guarantor for the publication of "Wild Flowers of the Cape of Good Hope" by Elsie Garrett Rice and R. H. Compton.
In 1971 a book titled "The Genera of Mesembryanthemacae" by Hans Herre was published. The book was dedicated to Louisa Bolus. Louisa Bolus died at her home in Claremont, Cape Town in 1970 at the age of 93, being recognized as one of South Africa"s leading botanists, with no formal scientific training.
