Tribute to Prof. Johannes van Staden: in honour of his 70th birthday, 12 October 2009

The Editorial Board of the South African Journal of Botany pays tribute to Prof. Johannes van Staden, the current Editor-in-Chief of the Journal, on the occasion of his 70th birthday. Prof. van Staden has been at the helm of the South African Journal of Botany since 2000, and his vision to raise the standard of the journal and to extend its readership has led to some exciting changes to the journal in recent years. It required serious enthusiasm and effort on his part, and has paved the way forward to position the botanical sciences in South Africa in the international arena. Considering the enormous botanical wealth that South Africa possesses, it is certainly of great benefit to South African botanists and scientists in related disciplines to have this platform on which to showcase the research in the plant sciences in southern Africa.