Australian National Herbarium (Program HC)

Australian National Herbarium (CANB & CNS)

Program Leader: Brendan Lepschi

The combined Australian National Herbarium (ANH) collection (Canberra and Cairns) comprises approximately 1.25 million specimens, including 8,500 type specimens. Particularly comprehensive collections are held of Australasian bryophytes and lichens, Myrtaceae (especially Eucalyptus and Melaleuca-Callistemon), Orchidaceae, Sapindaceae, Lauraceae, Portulacaceae and some sections of Poaceae, Rutaceae, Proteaceae and Fabaceae. A strong representation of New Guinean material derives from past CSIRO research collection trips and a comprehensive specialist collection of tropical Australian rain forest species is held at Cairns (c. 160,000 collections).

The ANH also houses voucher material for the ANBG Living Collections and the Australian Plant Image Index. The existence of properly vouchered herbarium specimens is critical to maintain the scientific integrity of living plants at the ANBG and their use in research (e.g. for the extraction of DNA).

Field work to collect additional specimens is ongoing. Research-targeted and more general collections are made, together expanding the ANH's representation of the Australian flora.

See also:
   Specimens in Collection
   Cryptogam Collections
   Australian Tropical Herbarium, Cairns
   Cultivar Collections

2011 Report

Curation of vascular and non-vascular collections:

Full curation of Australian material of Apocynaceae, Asclepiadaceae, Asparagales (20 of 24 families), Atherospermataceae, Bromeliaceae, Cactaceae, Dioscoreales (6 families), Gentianaceae, Haemodoraceae, Iridaceae, Lauraceae, Leeaceae, Phylidraceae, Platanaceae, Polemoniaceae, Pontederiaceae, Salicaceae, Sparganiaceae, Trimeniaceae, Violaceae, Zingerberales (4 families), various genera in hornworts, fungi, lichens and mosses and Type collection (vascular only).

Mobilisation and use of herbarium specimen data:

Significant progress in databasing vascular collections, with over 70% of the collection now databased. Good progress is also being made on Pteridophytes as well as other cryptogams, especially lichens. Data validation also continues with one staff member checking identification of all specimens prior to databasing, and another to validating geographical data. A major undertaking in mid-late 2007 was the organisation, part-preparation, editing and delivery of 158 weed profiles to the Department of Environment & Water Resources, in collaboration with CHAH and all Australian state and territory herbaria.

Statistics June 2012:

CANB = Australian National Herbarium in Canberra

* Lucas Collection is on long term loan at NSW and is being databased by NSW, all specimens at CANB databased

Collection management Jul 2011 - Jun 2012