Fanie Venter

Research

I am interested in the biodiversity and ecology of plants, biogeography, ethnobotany, horticultural potential of species, adaptation of plants towards survival and plant systematics.

My research focuses on the systematics of selected genera in the Asparagaceae, Ericaceae and Rubiaceae, plant functional traits and vegetation ecology of New Guinea and its off-shore islands.

Current projects

• Ericaceae for the eFlora of Australia - Completing species profiles, Lucid interactive identification key and other key formats for the Ericaceae of Australia.
• Revision of the genus Dracophyllum - Producing a monograph for the genus.
• Flora of Papua New Guinea - Describing 154 new species of flowering plants for mainland Papua New Guinea and its off-shore islands.
• Geophytes - Studies in the morphology of geophytes especially the woody geophytes.
• Stomata - Studies in stomatal patterns and pattern changes along an aridity gradient.

Selected publications

Venter, S. (1985). Nervilia purpurata (Reichb. f.) Schltr. Plate 1909. Flowering Plants of  Africa.

Venter, S. (1988). A new species of Brachystelma (Asclepiadaceae) from the Transvaal, Republic of South Africa. Excelsa 13: 106-108.

Venter, S., Edwards, T. & Moller, A. (1991). Application of the scanning Electron Microscope in taxonomical studies of Ledebouria (Hyacinthaceae). Electron  Microscopy Society of South Africa 21: 167–168.

Edwards, T.J. & Venter, S. (1992). Notes on the genus Streptocarpus (Gesneriaceae).Bothalia 22(2): 192–194.

Venter, S. (1996). The genus Dracaena L. in South Africa, a revision. Aloe.33 (2 & 3): 62– 66.

Venter, S. & Edwards, T.J. (1998). A revision of Ledebouria (Hyacinthaceae) in South Africa. 1. Two new species. Bothalia. 28 (1): 15–17.

Jordaan, J.J., Swart, J.S. & Venter, S. (1998). A preliminary study of the root distribution of Commiphora pyracanthoides Engl. (Burseraceae) in the Sweet Bushveld of the Northern Province, South Africa. African Journal of Range and Forage  Science. 15 (1 -2): 61–63.

Venter, S. & Edwards, T.J. (1999). A revision of Ledebouria (Hyacinthaceae) in South Africa. 2. Two new species, L. crispa and L. parvifolia, and L. macowanii re-instated. Bothalia. 28 (2): 179–182.

Venter, S. (1999). Notes on the identification of the genus Mystacidium Engl. (Orchidaceae) in South Africa. Australian Orchid Review 64 (5): 22–27.

Venter, S. (2002). Dracophyllum marmoricola and Dracophyllum ophioliticum (Ericaceae), two new species from northwest Nelson, New Zealand. New Zealand Journal of Botany 40 (1): 39–47.

Venter, S. & Edwards, T.J. (2003). A revision of Ledebouria (Hyacinthaceae) in South Africa. 3. The reinstatement of L. ensifolia, L. galpinii and L. sandersonii Bothalia. 33 (1): 49–51.

Venter, S. (2004). Dracophyllum elegantissimum (Ericaceae), a new species from north-west Nelson. New Zealand Journal of Botany 42(1): 37–43.

Venter, S. (2004). Dracophyllum mackeeanum (Ericaceae), a new species from New Caledonia. New Zealand Journal of Botany 42(2): 747–751.

Venter, S., Van Jaarsveld, E.J. & Van Wyk, A.E. (2006). Ledebouria cremnophila (Hyacinthaceae), a new cliff-dwelling succulent bulbous species from the Barberton region, South Africa. Aloe 43(4): 78–79.

Venter, S. & Munzinger, J. (2007). Paphia paniensis (Ericaceae), a new species from New Caledonia critically compared with P. neocaledonica. New Zealand Journal of Botany 45(3): 503–508.

Venter, S. (2008). A synopsis of the genus Ledebouria Roth. (Hyacinthaceae) in South Africa. Herbertia 62: 85–155.

Wagstaff, S.J., Dawson, M.I., Venter, S., Munzinger, J., Crayn, D.M., Steane, D.A., and Lemson, K.L. (2010). Origin, diversification, and classification of the Australasian genus Dracophyllum (Richeeae, Ericaceae). Annals of the Missouri Botanical Gardens 97: 235-258.

Venter, S. & Arihafa, A. (2014). Vegetation Survey of the Hindenburg Wall area, Western Province, Papua New Guinea. In: A rapid biodiversity assessment of the Hindenburg Wall region, Western Province, Papua New Guinea, edited by S.J. Richards, and N. Whitmore: 14-43.

Venter, S. (2014) Baiyer revisited: Chapter 1 in (S. Richards, ed.): A rapid Biodiversity     Assessment of the Baiyer River Region, Western Highlands province, Papua  New Guinea: 20-37.

Wilson, G.W, Rentz, D. & Venter, S. (2014). First record of Hippotion rosetta (Swinhoe, 1892) (Sphingidae) larvae feeding on the foliage of Nepenthes (Nepenthaceae) in Cape York. The Australian Entomologist 41(4): 203-204.

Venter, S. & Arihafa, A. (2015). Plants of Mussau Island. In: Whitmore N. (editor) 2015. A rapid biodiversity survey of Papua New Guinea’s Manus and Mussau Islands. Wildlife Conservation Society Papua New Guinea Program. Goroka. PNG: 4-20.

Wilson, G.W.& Venter, S. (2016). Nepenthes parvula (Nepenthaceae), a new species from the Wet Tropics, Queensland, Australia. Phytotaxa 277 (2): 199-204.

Venter, S. (2018) Plants. (Richards, S.J. Ed.) Identification Guide to Flora and Fauna of;Hides Ridge and the Agogo Range (Moro), Papua New Guinea.: 3-48.

Van Jaarsveld, E.J. & Venter, S. (2018) Ledebouria loedolffiae, a new cliff-dwelling semi-succulent bulb species from the Eastern Cape. Avonia 35(3): 134-139.

Van Jaarsveld, E.J. & Venter, S. (2019) Ledebouria weberi (Asparagaceae,      Massoniinae), a new species from the Western Cape, South Africa. Phytotaxa 408(4): 284-289.

Venter, S. (2019) Psychotria corrugata (Rubiaceae, Psychotrieae), a New Species       from the Hindenburg Wall, Western Province, Papua New Guinea. Australian Systematic Botany 32; 134-138.

Baker, W.J. & Venter, S. (2019) Calamus nudus - An Exceptional New Rattan from New  Guinea. PALMS 63(4): 189-196.

Venter, S. (2020) Die Wiederentdeckung von Bulbophyllum scaphosepalum Schltr. (Section Codonosiphon) Orchidaceae/The Rediscovery of Bulbophyllum scaphosepalum Schltr. (Section Codonosiphon) Orchidaceae. Avonia 38(2): 2-11.

Venter, S. (2021) A taxonomic revision of the Australasian genera Dracophyllum and  Richea (Richeeae: Styphelioideae: Ericaceae). Australian Systematic Botany 34(2): 1-205.

Van Jaarsveld, E.J. & Venter, S. (2021) Adenia repanda (Passifloraceae). Flowering Plants of Africa 67: 130-139.

Van Jaarsveld, E.J. & Venter, S. (2021) Psychotria suber (Rubiaceae). Flowering Plants of Africa 67: 140-148.