Botanist from Cape Town. Gwendolin Joyce, who became a recognised authority on the Iridaceae, first came to Kirstenbosch on a Solly Scholarship in 1932 as a recent graduate from Cape Town University, where she later earned a PhD. She worked as an assistant in the Bolus Herbarium for two years before being appointed as botanist in charge of the South African Museum Herbarium. After 18 years as curator, she and the herbarium were transferred in November 1956 to Kirstenbosh, where she was made a Research Officer with the National Botanical Gardens. She was also a Fellow of the Royal Society of South Africa. Her revision of Gladiolus, which was near completion at the time of her death, was published posthumously in 1972. Her total collection exceeds 8000 specimens from Cape Province, especially from the Transkei and Namaqualand. Geissorrhiza lewisiae Forester, Muraltia lewisiae Levyns, Psilocaulon lewisiae Lbol and Thamnochortus lewisiae Pillans have been named after her.

Sources:
W.F. Barker, 1967, Taxon, 16(4): 351
H.B. Rycroft, 1968, Journal of the Botanical Society of South Africa, 54: 15.