J. Bot. Res. Inst. Texas (formerly Sida, Contributions to Botany ("SCB")) has been a source of current research in classical and modern systematic botany for readers throughout the world for 41 years. The journal publishes primary research papers in fields such as anatomy, biogeography, chemotaxonomy, ecology, evolution, floristics, genetics, paleobotany, palynology, and phylogenetic systematics. Coverage is global: it is not restricted to any geographical area, and papers have been contributed from around the world. J. Bot. Res. Inst. Texas is published twice a year, usually with 250-350 pages per issue. J. Bot. Res. Inst. Texas currently has 900+ subscriptions on a worldwide basis; approximately 60% are foreign (ca. 90 countries) and 40% are domestic (USA).
Each issue contains articles on various groups of plants, such as palms, ferns, lilies, irises, legumes, primroses, morning-glories, bromeliads, four-o'clocks, daisies, buttercups, roses, agaves, mustards, cacti, orchids, mints, wildflowers, and herbs. Papers appear in English or Spanish, with abstracts in both languages. All papers are peer reviewed and are frequently illustrated with maps and line drawings, frequently with full color. Each issue also includes short communications on floristic discoveries, book reviews, and notices of new publications. Recent papers have included:
An indication of the importance and relevance of J. Bot. Res. Inst. Texas is that it is indexed and abstracted in print and/or electronic form by the following: AGRICOLA Database (National Agricultural Library); Applied Botany Abstracts; Biosciences Information Service of Biological Abstracts (BIOSIS); Current Awareness in Biological Sciences (CABS); Excerpta Botanica; Index to American Botanical Literature; The Kew Record of Taxonomic Literature; Natural Products Alert (NAPRALERT); and Referativnyi Zhurnal (Abstracts Journal of the Institute of Scientific Information of the Republic of Russia).
The journal is named for Sida, a genus in the cotton family (Malvaceae). The name was chosen by Lloyd H. Shinners because it belongs to a plant group that is found around the world. The word sida may come from sid-, one of the Latin words for star.
Dr. Shinners began privately publishing Sida, Contributions to Botany in 1962. William F. Mahler, Director Emeritus of BRIT, inherited this journal in 1971 and continued publication through volume 15(2), 1992. Published by BRIT since 1993, the journal continues the twice-yearly, multiple topic format.
