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 (plural "herbaria") 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 ABHCH - Laboratory of Natural Resource Valorisation, SNV Faculty, Setif 1 University (Setif, Algeria), AL - Université d'Alger (Alger, Algeria), BNRH - National Herbarium of Rwanda (Kigali, Rwanda), BOL - Bolus Herbarium, University of Cape Town (Cape Town, South Africa), CHUG - Garyounis University (Benghazi, Libya), EA - East African Herbarium (Nairobi, Kenya), ECWP - Emirates Centre for Wildlife Propagation (Missour, Morocco), ENSA - Ecole Nationale Supérieure d'Agronomie (Alger, Algérie) FHI - Forestry Research Institute of Nigeria Herbarium (Ibadan, Nigeria), FHO - University of Ghana Herbarium (Legon, Ghana), GDB - Gérard de Bélair private herbarium (Annaba / Alger, Algérie), IAV - Institut Agronomique et Vétérinaire Hassan II (Rabat, Morocco), INAT - Institut National d'Agronomie de Tunisie (Tunis, Tunisia), IRABS - Arid Regions Institute (Medenide, Tunisia), K - National Herbarium of Malawi (Blantyre, Malawi), KHAM - Hamid Khamar Herbarium (Rabat, Morocco), MARK - Cadi Ayyad University (Marrakech, Morocco), MO - National Herbarium of Tanzania (Arusha, Tanzania), PRE - University of Pretoria Herbarium (Pretoria, South Africa), RAB - Institut Scientifique (Rabat, Morocco), RAU - Laboratoire de Biologie Végétale (Rabat, Morocco), TUN - Université de Tunis (Tunis, Tunisia), ULT - Al-Faateh University (Tripoli, Libya).
Egypt: CAIM - Agricultural Research Center (Cairo, Egypt), CAIA - Ain Shams University (Cairo, Egypt), CAI - Cairo University (Cairo, Egypt), CAIH - Desert Research Center, Mataria (Cairo, Egypt), DAM - Damietta University (New Damietta, Egypt), CAIRC - National Research Centre (Cairo, Egypt), TANE - Tanta University (Tanta, Egypt), SHG - Sohag University (Dohag, Egypt), ASTU - Assiut University (Assiut, Egypt), ALEX - Alexandria University Herbarium (Alexandria, Egypt), SCUI - Suez Canal University (Ismalia, Egypt), SUH - Sohag University (Sohag, Egypt), MAZHAR - Mazhar Botanic Garden (Giza Governorate, Egypt), BRPP - Botanica Royal Park of Palm Hills (Cairo, Egypt), HEU - Faculty of science Helwan university (Cairo, Egypt), NVU - Faculty of Science New Valley University (El- Kharga, Egypt), KFSUH - Faculty of Science, Kafr Elsheikh University (Kafr El-Sheikh, Egypt), ASUE - Faculty of Science, Ain Shams University (Cairo, Egypt), MANS - Faculty of Pharmacy, Mansoura University (Mansoura city, Egypt), AUCH - The American University in Cairo (Cairo, Egypt), ASW - Aswan University (Aswan, Egypt), QNA - Qena University (Qena, Egypt), SUMCC - Sohag University (Sohag, Egypt), MANSH - Mansoura University (Mansoura, Egypt).
Asia Name No. Specimens Code Location Link Chinese National Herbarium, (Chinese Academy of Sciences) 2,470,000 PE China; Xiangshan, Beijing Central National Herbarium, (Botanical Survey of India) 2,000,000 CAL India; Kolkata, West Bengal Herbarium Bogoriense (Indonesian Institute of Sciences) 2,000,000 BO Indonesia; Bogor, West Java University of Tokyo 1,700,000 TI Japan; Tokyo National Museum of Nature and Science 1,500,000 TNS Japan; Tsukuba, Ibaraki Prefecture Kyoto University 1,200,000 KYO Japan; Kyoto, Kyoto Prefecture Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences 1,110,000 KUN China; Kunming, Yunnan Georgian Academy of Sciences 1,000,000 TBI Georgia; Tbilisi National Academy of Science, Uzbekistan 1,000,000 TASH Uzbekistan; Tashkent South China Botanical Garden 1,000,000 IBSC China; Guangzhou, Guangdong Hebrew University 700,000 HUJ Israel; Jerusalem Institute of Botany, Jiangsu Province and Chinese Academy of Sciences 700,000 NAS China; Nanjing, Jiangsu National Center for Natural Sciences and Technology 700,000 HN Vietnam; Hanoi Institute of Tropical Biology 150,000 VNM Vietnam; Ho Chi Minh City North West Agriculture and Forestry University 550,000 WUK China; Yangling, Shaanxi Institute of Applied Ecology, Academia Sinica 520,000 IFP China; Shenyang, Liaoning Institute of Biology and Soil Science, Far Eastern Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences 500,000 VLA Russia; Vladivostok Institute of Botany of the National Academy of Sciences of Armenia 500,000 ERE Armenia; Yerevan Tomsk State University, P. N. Krylov Herbarium 500,000 TK Russia; Tomsk Tohoku University 485,000 TUS Japan; Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture Sichuan University 450,000 SZ China; Chengdu, Sichuan Tokyo Metropolitan University 450,000 MAK Japan; Tokyo Academy of Sciences of Azerbaijan 400,000 BAK Azerbaijan; Baku Guangxi Institute of Botany 400,000 IBK China; Guilin, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region Hattori Botanical Laboratory 400,000 NICH Japan; Nichinan, Miyazaki Prefecture Hiroshima University 400,000 HIRO Japan; Hiroshima, Hiroshima Prefecture National Academy of Science, Kyrgyzstan 400,000 FRU Kyrgyzstan; Bishkek Dehradun Herbarium, Forest Research Institute (India) 340,000 DD India; Dehra Dun, Uttar Pradesh M. Utemisov Western Kazakhstanian State University 340,000 PPIU Kazakhstan; Uralsk Altai State University, South-Siberian Botanical Garden 300,000 ALTB Russia; Barnaul Central Siberian Botanical Garden 300,000 NS, NSK Russia; Novosibirsk Ministry of Science, Academy of Sciences 300,000 AA Kazakhstan; Alma-Ata Natural History Museum and Institute 300,000 CBM Japan; Chiba, Chiba Prefecture Osaka Museum of Natural History 300,000 OSA Japan; Osaka, Osaka Prefecture Seoul National University 300,000 SNU South Korea; Seoul Wuhan University 300,000 WH China; Wuhan, Hubei Chongqing Municipal Academy of Chinese Materia Medica 296,000 SM China; Chongqing, Sichuan Taiwan Forestry Research Institute 270,000 TAIF Taiwan; Taipei Botanical Survey of India, Eastern Regional Centre 260,000 ASSAM India; Shillong, Meghalaya Botanical Survey of India, Southern Regional Centre 260,000 MH India; Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu Kanazawa University 250,000 KANA Japan; Kanazawa, Ishikawa Prefecture National Taiwan University, Herbarium 250,000 TAI Taiwan; Taipei National Botanical Research Institute, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, India 250,000 LWG India; Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh Northwest Plateau Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences 220,000 HNWP China; Xining, Qinghai Plant Pests and Diseases Research Institute 210,000 IRAN Iran; Tehran Ankara University 200,000 ANK Turkey; Ankara Botanical Institute of the Tajikistan Academy of Sciences 200,000 TAD Tajikistan; Dushanbe Chengdu Institute of Biology 200,000 CDBI China; Chengdu, Sichuan Guizhou Academy of Sciences 200,000 HGAS China; Guiyang, Guizhou Hokkaido University 200,000 SAP Japan; Sapporo, Hokkaido Prefecture Kochi Prefectural Makino Botanical Garden 200,000 MBK Japan; Kochi, Kōchi Prefecture Blatter Herbarium 200,000 BLAT India; Mumbai, Maharashtra Shinshu University 200,000 SHIN Japan; Matsumoto, Nagano Prefecture Southwest Forestry College 200,000 SWFC China; Kunming, Yunnan Wuhan Institute of Botany 200,000 HIB China; Wuhan, Hubei Zhongshan (Sun Yatsen) University 200,000 SYS China; Guangzhou, Guangdong National Herbarium and Plant laboratories 200,000 KATH Nepal National Herbarium of Sri Lanka160,000LKASri Lanka; Peradeniya, Kandy Nanjing University 150,000 N China; Nanjing, Jiangsu Blatter Herbarium 150,000 BLAT India; Maharashtra, Goa National Herbarium of Iran, Research Institute of Forests and Rangelands 140,000 TARI Iran, Tehran Irkutsk State University 130,000 IRKU Russia; Irkutsk Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden 125,000 HITBC China; Xishuangbanna Botanical Survey of India, Northern Regional Centre 110,000 BSD India; Dehradun, Uttarakhand National Herbarium, Islamabad 100,000 NHI Pakistan; Islamabad Mongolian Academy of Sciences 100,000 UBA Mongolia; Ulaanbaatar Forest Research, development and innovation agency 85,000 BPPI Indonesia; Bogor, West Java Central Herbarium of Tehran University 75,000 TUH Iran; Tehran Botanical Survey of India, Central Regional Centre 65,000 BSA India; Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh Botanical Survey of India, Andaman & Nicobar Regional Centre 65,000 PBL India; Port Blair, South Andaman Islands Andalas University 65,000 UA Indonesia; Padang, West Sumatra Botanical Survey of India, Sikkim Himalaya Regional Centre 60,000 BSHC India; Gangtok, Sikkim Calicut University Herbarium 60,000 CALI India; Calicut, Kerala Bogor Botanical Garden 50,000 KBR Indonesia; Bogor, West Java Hong Kong Herbarium46,100HKHong Kong Agharkar Research Institute 28,000 AHMA India; Pune, Maharashtra Institute of Forest Genetics and Tree Breeding 26,000 FRC India; Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu Botanical Survey of India, Arid Zone Regional Centre 25,000 BSJO India; Jodhpur, Rajastan Jeju National University 24,000 JNUB South Korea; Jeju French Institute of Pondicherry 22,000 HIFP India; Pondicherry, Puducherry Botanical Survey of India, Industrial Section of Indian Museum 22,000 BSIS India; Kolkota, West Bengal Centre of Ecological Sciences (Indian Institute of Science) 16,000 JCB India; Bengaluru, Karnataka Botanical Survey of India, Arunachal Pradesh Regional Centre 15,000 ARUN India; Itanagar, Arunachal PradeshTropical Botanic Garden and Research Institute15,000TBGTIndia; Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, North Bengal University Herbarium12,000NBUIndia; Siliguri, West BengalKerala Forest Research Institute12,000KFRIIndia; Trissur, Kerala Botanical Survey of India, Deccan Regional Centre 11,000 BSID India; Hyderabad, TelanganaSree Narayana College Herbarium8,500SNCHIndia; Kollam, KeralaHerbarium Malangensis6,901MALGIndonesia; East Java, Malang Botanical Survey of India, High Altitude Western Himalayan Regional Centre 5000 BSS India; Solan, Himachal Pradesh
Australasia and Oceania