Société botanique du Centre-Ouest

The Société botanique du Centre-Ouest (SBCO) is a French learned society founded in 1888 and governed by the French law of 1901 on non-profit associations. It was created by the botanist B. Souché under the name Société botanique des Deux-Sèvres, with V. Dupain as its first president and its headquarters in Niort. Its founding members were around one hundred "enlightened amateur" botanists. The society's first publication was a short booklet issued in 1889 presenting the association (its bureau and statutes), followed by its first Bulletin in 1890. As its reputation and membership grew beyond the departmental scale, the society was renamed Société régionale de botanique in 1907, and then, in 1931, took its current name, Société botanique du Centre-Ouest. After an interruption caused by the Second World War, its activities resumed in 1946 under the presidency of L. Rallet. Around 2012, some 900 members took part in the life of the society, which is run entirely by volunteers; by early 2020 it recorded 720 members. The SBCO pursues three main objectives: contributing to the progress of botany and natural sciences (notably through field outings, sessions and mini-sessions, and publications), promoting nature protection, and establishing and maintaining links between field botanists. It works with other naturalist associations in France and abroad, produces written syntheses, and organises thematic extraordinary sessions. Historically it has promoted "the scientific study of the flora of Deux-Sèvres and the introduction of young people and laypeople to botany." The society has produced more than 120 works — bulletins, special issues, offprints of session reports and other publications — containing mainly floristic data for metropolitan France, alongside bulletins on general botany, bryology, lichenology, Apiaceae and regional floras. Some of these works are major, such as the five volumes on the Umbelliferae (Ombellifères) of France and the multi-volume monograph of the Leguminosae of France prepared under the direction of Pierre Coulot and Philippe Rabaute, accompanied by a departmental-scale mapping of French legumes using both old and recent data (from herbaria or bibliography) in a participatory-science approach with the Tela Botanica network. The final volume of the Leguminosae monograph, volume 1, was published in 2025, completing a project of more than twenty years. Like other learned societies, the SBCO has shared its knowledge through exchanges of Bulletins with numerous French and foreign naturalist associations, today totalling more than one hundred. A substantial collection (books, herbaria, iconography) has been deposited at the Conservatoire botanique national sud-atlantique, where it can be consulted. The society maintains an official website at sbco.fr, offering an events calendar, RSS feeds by category, and a downloadable list of publications with prices, weights and shipping details.

The Société botanique du Centre-Ouest (SBCO) was founded at the end of 1888 by the botanist B. Souché under the name Société botanique des Deux-Sèvres, with V. Dupain as its first president. Its headquarters was in Niort, and its founding members were one hundred "enlightened amateur" botanists. The society's very first publication was a short booklet issued in 1889 presenting the association (its bureau and statutes), followed by its first Bulletin two years later, in 1890. In 1907, as its reputation and membership grew well beyond the departmental scale, the Société botanique des Deux-Sèvres was renamed Société régionale de botanique. Twenty-four years later, in 1931, it was renamed Société botanique du Centre-Ouest, the name it still bears. After an interruption caused by the Second World War, the life of the society resumed in 1946 under the presidency of L. Rallet. Through the twentieth and twenty-first centuries the society continued to organise field outings, sessions and mini-sessions, to publish bulletins and special issues, and to build links with other naturalist associations in France and abroad. Around 2012, some 900 members contributed to the life of the society, which is entirely run by volunteers; by early 2020 it recorded 720 members. The society has produced more than 120 works — bulletins, special issues, offprints of session reports and other publications — containing mainly floristic data for metropolitan France, alongside bulletins on general botany, bryology, lichenology, Apiaceae and regional floras. Among its major projects are the five volumes on the Umbelliferae (Ombellifères) of France, edited by Jean-Pierre Reduron (2007), and the multi-volume Monographie des Leguminosae de France prepared under the direction of Pierre Coulot and Philippe Rabaute, accompanied by a departmental-scale mapping of French legumes using old and recent data (from herbaria or bibliography) in a participatory-science approach with the Tela Botanica network. The Leguminosae monograph was published out of order — volumes 3, 4 and 2 appeared in 2013, 2016 and 2020 respectively — and the final volume 1, in three parts, was published in 2025, completing a project of more than twenty years. Like other learned societies, the SBCO has shared its knowledge through exchanges of Bulletins with numerous French and foreign naturalist associations, today totalling more than one hundred. A substantial collection (books, herbaria, iconography) has been deposited at the Conservatoire botanique national sud-atlantique, where it can be consulted. The society maintains an official website at sbco.fr, offering an events calendar, RSS feeds by category, and a downloadable list of publications with prices, weights and shipping details.

• 2025

  Publication of volume 1 (in three parts) of the Monographie des Leguminosae de France, completing a project of more than twenty years.

• 2020

  Publication of volume 2 of the Monographie des Leguminosae de France; 720 members recorded early in the year.

• 2016

  Publication of volume 4 of the Monographie des Leguminosae de France.

• 2013

  Publication of volume 3 of the Monographie des Leguminosae de France.

• 2012

  About 900 members contribute to the society, run entirely by volunteers.

• 2007

  Publication of Les Ombellifères de France (5 volumes), edited by Jean-Pierre Reduron.

• 1946

  Activities resume after WWII under president L. Rallet.

• 1931

  Renamed Société botanique du Centre-Ouest.

• 1907

  Renamed Société régionale de botanique.

• 1890

  First Bulletin published.

• 1889

  First publication: a short booklet presenting the association (bureau, statutes).

• 1888

  Founded by botanist B. Souché as Société botanique des Deux-Sèvres, with V. Dupain as first president; headquarters in Niort.

A volunteer-run French learned society dedicated to the study, inventory and protection of the flora of western France, and to publishing authoritative botanical works.

• Bulletins

  Regular bulletins containing floristic data and general botany.

• Special issues

  Thematic special issues on botany, bryology, lichenology, Apiaceae, regional floras.

• Monographie des Leguminosae de France

  Multi-volume monograph by Pierre Coulot and Philippe Rabaute; volumes 3, 4, 2 published in 2013, 2016, 2020; volume 1 in 2025.

• Les Ombellifères de France

  Five-volume work edited by Jean-Pierre Reduron (2007).

1. 1Société Botanique du Centre Ouestsbco.fr
2. 2A propos des Ambroisies – Société Botanique du Centre Ouestsbco.fr
3. 3Société botanique du Centre-Ouestwikidata.org
4. 4Société botanique du Centre-Ouestfr.wikipedia.org