Biological diversity is unevenly distributed across the globe (Nicole et al., 2012). Thanks to the development of geographic information systems (GIS), knowledge of the distribution of biodiversity has advanced in Africa and in particular in Burundi (Ndayishimiye, 2011).

However, studies are needed to better understand this distribution. Indeed, some areas remain insufficiently explored and knowledge on specific diversity remains fragmented at the scale of Africa and in particular in Burundi. However, studies have been done on some families in order to analyze their distribution patterns. These were carried out at larger spatial scales, such as Central Africa, or even across the African continent. We can cite the work of Koffi et al. (2008) on Acanthaceae, that of Ndayishimiye (2011) on the Fabaceae of Central Africa, of Droissart et al. (2012) on the Orchidaceae and finally the work of Tuo et al. (2017) on the Rubiaceae of Côte d'Ivoire. The main conclusions of this work show that studies at finer spatial scales and on several taxonomic groups are necessary to confirm the spatial agreement observed between specific diversity and the presence of endemic species, and, ultimately, to identify conservation areas.

In this perspective, we carried out a study at the scale of Burundi to study patterns of distribution of specific wealth. The general objective of our study is to highlight areas of high diversity in Burundi based on specimens preserved in the herbarium of the University of Burundi. Herbarium specimens are in fact good tools for knowing the specific diversity of a region (Figueira and Lages, 2019). The specific objectives of our study were to know the degree of exploration of the flora of Burundi and to map the areas of greatest specific diversity, to assess the contribution of harvesters to the knowledge of the flora of Burundi, to assess the comprehensiveness of the sampling effort using herbarium specimens. The results from this study will serve as a basis for orienting floristic inventories at the scale of Burundi.