A herbarium (hûr-bâr’ē-əm; from Latin herbārius, one skilled in herbs; plural = herbaria) is a collection of whole and partial plant samples, preserved and labelled that documents the historical and contemporary diversity of a regions flora and are retained by scientific institutes (museums, universities, and botanical gardens).
What Is a Herbarium Specimen?
A herbarium specimen is a permanent sample of a plant, alga or fungus labelled with collection data.
It can be:
- A pressed and dried plant or algae sample mounted on a sheet of special paper.
- Plant or lichen and fungal material stored in paper packets, plastic bags, boxes, and alcohol or other preservatives.
The figure below is a glimpse into the special cabinet in which type specimens are stored….Type specimens are the reference specimens to which a species name has been assigned. It may be the original specimen for which the species name was originally assigned (holotype) or a duplicate of the holotype (isotype). There are a number of other categories of type specimens. The pictures below show the many ways specimens are stored.
Fireproof herbarium cabinet with Type specimens
The UBC Herbarium Collection is a documentation of over a century of biodiversity and research from around the world.
Why Do We Collect Plant Specimens?
- To provide a historic occurrence record for research and conservation
- To use as a source of information on plant identification, morphology, phenology, and genetics
- To document changes in biodiversity
- To record of collectors and early settlers
- Because it is a fun (and educational) hobby!
We can use herbarium specimens in countless research, for teaching, training, education, outreach, history and art.
Here are 100 Uses for a Herbarium (well at least 72)!
Examples of Herbarium specimens: