List of herbaria


This is a list of active herbaria, organized first by continent where the herbarium is located, then within each continent by size of the collection. The list is based on the Index Herbariorum, a global directory of herbaria and their associated staff.

Background

A herbarium is a collection of preserved plant specimens. These specimens may be whole plants or plant parts: these will usually be in a dried form, mounted on a sheet, but depending upon the material may also be kept in alcohol or other preservative. The same term is often used in mycology to describe an equivalent collection of preserved fungi and in phycology to describe a collection of algae. To preserve their form and color, plants collected in the field are spread flat on sheets of newsprint and dried, usually in a plant press, between blotters or absorbent paper. The specimens, which are then mounted on sheets of stiff white paper, are labeled with all essential data, such as collector, date and place found, description of the plant, elevation, and special habitat conditions. The sheet is then placed in a protective case. As a precaution against insect damage, the pressed plant is frozen or poisoned and the case disinfected. Most herbaria use a standard system of organizing their specimens into herbarium cases. Specimen sheets are stacked in groups by the species to which they belong and placed into a large lightweight folder that is labelled on the bottom edge. Groups of species folders are then placed together into larger, heavier folders by genus. The genus folders are then sorted by taxonomic family according to the standard system selected for use by the herbarium and placed into pigeonholes in herbarium cabinets.
Herbaria are essential for the study of plant taxonomy, the study of geographic distributions, and the stabilizing of nomenclature. Herbaria also preserve an historical record of change in vegetation over time. In some cases, plants become extinct in one area, or may become extinct altogether. In such cases, specimens preserved in an herbarium can represent the only record of the plant's original distribution. Environmental scientists make use of such data to track changes in climate and human impact.

Africa

FHI - Forestry Research Institute of Nigeria Herbarium,
BNRH - National Herbarium of Rwanda,
BR - University of Cape Town Herbarium,
EA - East African Herbarium,
FHO - University of Ghana Herbarium,
K - National Herbarium of Malawi,
MO - National Herbarium of Tanzania,
PRE - University of Pretoria Herbarium

Europe

NameNo. SpecimensCodeLocationLink
Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle9,500,000P, PCFrance; Paris
Komarov Botanical Institute 7,160,000LERussia; St. Petersburg
Kew Herbarium7,000,000KUnited Kingdom; Kew, England
Conservatoire et Jardin botaniques de la Ville de Genève6,000,000GSwitzerland; Geneva
Naturalis Biodiversity Center 5,700,000AMD, L, U, WAGNetherlands; Leiden
British Museum of Natural History5,200,000BMUnited Kingdom; London, England
Naturhistorisches Museum Wien5,000,000WAustria; Vienna
Swedish Museum of Natural History 4,400,000SSweden; Stockholm
Meise Botanic Garden4,000,000BRBelgium, Meise
Université Montpellier4,000,000MPUFrance; Montpellier
Université Claude Bernard4,000,000LYFrance; Lyon
Herbarium Haussknecht Friedrich Schiller University Jena3,500,000JEGermany, Jena
Joint Herbarium of the University of Zurich and the ETH Zurich3,500,000Z+ZTSwitzerland, Zurich
Botanischer Garten und Botanisches Museum Berlin-Dahlem,
Zentraleinrichtung der Freien Universität Berlin		3,000,000BGermany, Berlin
Finnish Museum of Natural History 3,000,000HFinland, Helsinki
Botanische Staatssammlung München3,200,000MGermany, Munich
University of Copenhagen2,510,000CDenmark, Copenhagen
Hungarian Natural History Museum - Department of Botany2,000,000BPBudapest, Hungary
Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh2,000,000EUnited Kingdom; Edinburgh, Scotland
Herbarium Hamburgense1,800,000HBGGermany, Hamburg
Senckenberg Research Institute, Frankfurt1,200,000FRGermany, Frankfurt
Moscow State University 1,011,253MWRussia; Moscow,
University of Cambridge1,000,000CGEUnited Kingdom; Cambridge, England
University of Manchester1,000,000MANCHUnited Kingdom; Manchester, England
Fielding-Druce Herbarium, University of Oxford1,000,000OXFUnited Kingdom; Oxford, England
Real Jardín Botánico850,000MASpain; Madrid
Universität Göttingen800,000GOETGermany; Göttingen
Władysław Szafer Institute of Botany, Polish Academy of Sciences800,000IB PANPoland; Kraków
University of Coimbra800,000COIPortugal; Coimbra
Institut Botànic de Barcelona700,000BCSpain; Barcelona
Muséum d'Histoire Naturelle de Grenoble700,000GRMFrance; Grenoble
Saint Petersburg University 700,000LECBRussia; Saint Petersburg
National Botanic Gardens, Ireland600,000DBNIreland; Dublin
Main Botanical Garden, Russia 570,000MHARussia; Moscow
550,000CLFFrance; Clermont-Ferrand
National Museum Wales550,000NMWUnited Kingdom; Cardiff, Wales
N. I. Vavilov Institute of Plant Industry 524,000WIRRussia; Saint Petersburg
General Herbarium of the Balkan Peninsula, Natural History Museum of Serbia490,000BEOSerbia; Belgrade
Muséum d'Histoire Naturelle d'Aix-en-Provence420,000AIXFrance; Aix-en-Provence
Muséum d'Histoire Naturelle400,000AUTFrance; Autun
Muséum Requien400,000AVFrance; Avignon
Université de Liège400,000LGBelgium; Liège-
University of Reading400,000RNGUK; Reading, England
CABI Bioscience UK Centre385,000IMIUnited Kingdom; Surrey, England
Jardin Botanique de la Ville de Bordeaux350,000BORDFrance; Bordeaux
Herbarium Horti Botanici Pisani350,000PIItaly; Pisa
World Museum Liverpool350,000LIVUnited Kingdom; Liverpool, England
South Federal University 328,000RV, RWBGRussia; Rostov-on-Don
Arboretum Gaston Allard300,000ANGFrance; Angers
Jevremovac Botanic Garden300,000BEOUSerbia; Belgrade
Daubeny Herbarium, University of Oxford300,000FHOUnited Kingdom; Oxford, England
Institut de Botanique300,000STRFrance; Strasbourg
Instituto de Investigação Científica Tropical300,000LISCPortugal; Lisbon
Université Paul Sabatier300,000TLFrance; Toulouse
Universitat de Barcelona300,000BCNSpain; Barcelona
Universitat de Sevilla300,000SEVSpain; Seville
Budakeszi Herbarium - International Dendrological Foundation250,000BKHungary; Budakeszi
Université Libre de Bruxelles215,000BRLUBelgium; Brussels
Agricultural University - Plovdiv 150,000SOABulgaria; Plovdiv
Royal Horticultural Society 140,000WSYUnited Kingdom; Wisley, England

North America

Includes herbaria in Central America and the West Indies.
NameNo. SpecimensCodeLocationLink
New York Botanical Garden7,800,000NYUnited States; The Bronx, New York City, New York
Missouri Botanical Garden6,600,000MOUnited States; St. Louis, Missouri
Harvard University Herbaria5,005,000A, AMES, ECON, FH, GH, NEBCUnited States; Cambridge, Massachusetts
United States National Herbarium, Smithsonian Institution5,000,000USUnited States; Washington, D.C.
Field Museum2,700,000FUnited States; Chicago, Illinois
University and Jepson Herbaria, University of California, Berkeley2,200,000UC/JEPSUnited States; Berkeley, California
California Academy of Sciences Herbarium2,300,000CAS/DSUnited States; San Francisco, California
University of Michigan Herbarium1,750,000MICHUnited States; Ann Arbor, Michigan
Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University1,430,000PHUnited States; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Vascular Plant Herbarium1,335,000DAO, DAOMCanada; Ottawa, Ontario
Wisconsin State Herbarium, University of Wisconsin–Madison1,200,750WISUnited States; Madison, Wisconsin
Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México1,120,000MEXUMexico; Mexico City
Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden1,100,000RSA/POMUnited States; Claremont, California
University of Texas at Austin1,006,000TEXUnited States; Austin, Texas
Botanical [Research Institute of Texas]1,001,000BRIT-SMU-VDBUnited States; Fort Worth, Texas
Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Mexico950,000ENCBMexico; Mexico City
L.H. Bailey Hortorium Herbarium, Cornell University860,000BHUnited States; Ithaca, New York
Royal Ontario Museum860,000TRT, TRTCCanada; Toronto, Ontario
Herbier Marie-Victorin, Université de Montréal850,000MTCanada; Montreal, Quebec
National Herbarium of Canada, Canadian Museum of Nature838,000CAN, CANMCanada; Ottawa, Ontario
Rocky Mountain Herbarium, University of Wyoming806,800RMUnited States; Laramie, Wyoming
United States National Arboretum Herbarium800,000NAUnited States; Washington, D.C.
Herbier Louis-Marie, Université Laval770,000ULFCanada; Quebec City, Quebec
University of North Carolina Herbarium665,000NCUUnited States; Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Stanley L. Welsh Herbarium, Brigham Young University661,100BRYUnited States; Provo, Utah
University of Washington Herbarium650,000WTUUnited States; Seattle, Washington
University of Tennessee Herbarium, University of Tennessee, Knoxville650,000TENNUnited States; Knoxville, Tennessee
University of British Columbia Herbarium560,000UBCCanada; Vancouver, British Columbia
The Ohio State University Herbarium500,000OSUnited States; Columbus, Ohio
University of Florida Herbarium, Florida Museum of Natural History470,000FLASUnited States; Gainesville, Florida
Instituto de Ecología y Sistemática Herbarium400,000HACCuba; Havana
Marion Ownbey Herbarium, Washington State University380,000WSUnited States; Pullman, Washington
Yale University Herbarium, Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History365,000YUUnited States; New Haven, Connecticut
University of Alberta Herbarium320,000ALTACanada; Edmonton, Alberta
Pringle Herbarium, University of Vermont310,400VTUnited States; Burlington, Vermont
Instituto de Ecología, A.C. Herbarium310,000XALMexico; Xalapa, Veracruz
UC Davis Center for Plant Diversity Herbarium300,000DAV; DAVH; AHUCUnited States; Davis, California
University of Georgia Herbarium278,000GA; GAMUnited States; Athens, Georgia
University of Alaska Museum of the North Herbarium, University of Alaska, Fairbanks270,000ALAUnited States; Fairbanks, Alaska
Milwaukee Public Museum Herbarium250,000MILUnited States; Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Paul C. Standley Herbarium, Escuela Agrícola Panamericana240,000EAPHonduras; Tegucigalpa
University of South Florida Herbarium235,000USFUnited States; Florida
Robert K. Godfrey Herbarium, Florida State University220,000FSUUnited States; Tallahassee, Florida
Herbario Nacional de Costa Rica, Museo Nacional de Costa Rica215,000CRCosta Rica; San José
E.C. Smith Herbarium, Acadia University200,000ACADCanada; Wolfville, Nova Scotia
Intermountain Herbarium, Utah State University260,000UTCUtah; Logan, Utah
Robert W. Freckmann Herbarium, University of Wisconsin–Stevens Point200,000UWSPStevens Point
Stillinger Herbarium, University of Idaho200,000IDMoscow

South America

NameNo. SpecimensCodeLocationLink
Jardim Botânico do Rio de Janeiro837,000RBBrazil; Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro
Fundación Miguel Lillo700,000LILArgentina; Tucumán
Universidad de Buenos Aires700,000BAA, BAFArgentina; Buenos Aires
Instituto de Botánica Darwinion650,000SIArgentina; Buenos Aires
Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro520,000RBrazil; Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro
Museo de La Plata500,000LPArgentina; Buenos Aires
Herbario Nacional Colombiano,
Universidad Nacional de Colombia		500,000COLColombia; Bogotá;
Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos500,000USMPeru; Lima
Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria480,000BABArgentina; Buenos Aires
Museu Botânico Municipal450,000MBMBrazil; Curitiba, Paraná
Fundación Instituto Botánico de Venezuela400,000VENVenezuela; Caracas
Instituto de Botánica del Nordeste400,000CTESArgentina; Corrientes
400,000SPBrazil; São Paulo, São Paulo
Universidad Nacional de Córdoba320,000CORDArgentina; Córdoba
Universidade de Brasília230,000UBBrazil; Brasília, Distrito Federal
Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia205,000INPABrazil; Manaus, Amazonas
Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador200,000QCAEcuador; Quito
Universidad de Concepción170,000CONCChile; Concepción
Embrapa Amazônia Oriental165,000IANBrazil; Belém, Pará
Museu Paraense Emílio Goeldi161,000MGBrazil; Belém, Pará
Herbier de Guyane, Institut de recherche pour le développement 160,000CAYFrench Guiana; Cayenne
Universidad de Antioquia160,000HUAColombia; Medellín, Antioquia
Museo Nacional de Historia Natural145,000SGOChile; Santiago
Universidade Estadual de Campinas143,000UECBrazil; Campinas, São Paulo
Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul140,000ICNBrazil; Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul
Museo Ecuatoriano de Ciencias Naturales130,000QCNEEcuador; Quito
Universidade de São Paulo126,000SPFBrazil; São Paulo, São Paulo
Instituto Anchietano de Pesquisas/UNISINOS120,000PACABrazil; São Leopoldo, Rio Grande do Sul
Fundação Zoobotânica do Rio Grande do Sul108,000HASBrazil; Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul
Universidade Estadual de Feira de Santana108,000HUEFSBrazil; Feira de Santana, Bahia
Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais107,000BHCBBrazil; Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais
Herbario del Oriente Boliviano,
Museo de Historia Natural Noel Kempff Mercado - Universidad Autónoma Gabriel René Moreno		100,000USZBolivia; Santa Cruz de la Sierra
Herbario Nacional de Bolivia100,000LPBBolivia; La Paz
Museo Nacional de Historia Natural,
Universidad de la República		90,000MVM, MVFAUruguay; Montevideo
Departamento de Botânica, Federal University of Paraná80,000UPCBBrazil, Paraná, Curitiba
Departamento de Botánica, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Nacional de Asunción80,000FCQParaguay; San Lorenzo
Universidad Nacional de la Amazonía Peruana50,000AMAZPeru; Iquitos
Departamento de Botánica, Museo Nacional de Historia Natural del Paraguay23,000PYParaguay; San Lorenzo
Pontifical Catholic University of Paraná32,000HUCPBrazil, Paraná, Curitiba
Herbario Universidad de Caldas,
Universidad de Caldas		22,000COLColombia; Manizales