In 1793, the first herbarium specimens were collected and recorded in East Africa. Since then, more than 2,700 people have collected specimens in Uganda, Kenya, and Tanzania, many of them as part of the groundbreaking work Flora of Tropical East Africa. While Flora focuses on the plants themselves, the companion volume East African Plant Collectors shines a spotlight on this diverse group of collectors who have worked to record the species of this botanically important region. Profiles include information about the collectors’ careers and interests, their publications, and the areas where their plants were located. The profiles are accompanied by an overarching timeline and historical synopsis, which shows how the profession has changed through the eras.

Diana Polhill was an assistant editor of the Flora of Tropical East Africa, and she compiled the companion volume Flora of Tropical East Africa: Index of Collecting Localities. Roger Polhill was editor of the Flora of Tropical East Africa.