The collections and legacy of João de Loureiro (1717–1791), the first collector in East Africa and the author of Flora Cochinchinensis, and his collections from Africa

Figueiredo, E. & G.F. Smith (2025). The collections and legacy of João de Loureiro (1717–1791), the first collector in East Africa and the author of Flora Cochinchinensis, and his collections from Africa. Candollea 81: 123–139. In English, English abstract. João de Loureiro (1717–1791) is best known for his magnum opus Flora Cochinchinensis (Vietnam). Even though the history of his collections was treated by Elmer Drew Merrill (1876–1956) in 1935, doubts remained regarding the existence of the Loureiro Herbarium and additional, associated materials that could be construed as original, especially for typification purposes of the names that Loureiro published. Loureiro's work and legacy is also linked to ethical, political, and legal issues that remain particularly pertinent to reconsider. These issues are addressed and discussed against a historical background. Even though the focus of his work was the flora of Vietnam, Loureiro was also the first collector in East Africa and recorded 50 taxa in that region. These are reviewed and catalogued, with reference to the specimens that have been located. Submitted on December 2, 2024 – Accepted on August 13, 2025 – First published online on September 24, 2025