Centre for Plant Biodiversity Research
Australian National Herbarium (CANB)
Organisation
The Australian National Herbarium (CANB) is part of the Centre for Plant Biodiversity Research (CPBR), a joint facility combining elements of the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) Division of Plant Industry and the Australian National Botanic Gardens (ANBG), with some additional input from other areas of Environment Australia, Biodiversity Group.
Location
The Herbarium is located at three sites. The flowering plants collection is held at the herbarium in the grounds of CSIRO adjacent to the Botanic Gardens on Black Mountain. The cryptogam (including ferns) and gymnosperm collections are held in the herbarium adjacent to the Visitor Information Centre within the Australian National Botanic Gardens. A third collection concentrating on rainforest species is held at the Atherton Herbarium Annexe in north Queensland.
The Collections of the Australian National Herbarium
- CANB combines the collections of the ANBG (c. 250 000
specimens) and the CSIRO (c. 500 000) specimens in a single
collection of c. 750 000 specimens of flowering and non-flowering
plants.
- The combined collections have a good representation from all
states and territories of Australia and good collections from Papua
New Guinea and surrounding regions.
- Particular groups of plants are well represented in the
collection: Eucalyptus and other Myrtaceae, Orchids, mosses,
liverworts and lichens, rainforest species and rare and
endangered taxa.
Network and Databases
- The ANBG database and network server is maintained at the Gardens
and a high speed fibre-optic cable has been installed to link the two Canberra
sites; computing staff of the ANBG and CSIRO are maintaining
this link which will be to the mutual benefit of both
organizations.
- A major task for the CPBR is the integration of the
previously independent specimen databases of both institutions.
- The CPBR publishes some of its database and other information
on the internet and aims to make more of this information available
in the future.
Public Liaison
- The Public Reference Herbarium remains and is serviced by
herbarium staff at the ANBG site. Herbarium staff will continue to
develop this collection.
- The existing identification and botanical information services previously
provided by ANBG Botany Section staff will continue to be
provided by the equivalent staff and sections of the Centre for Plant Biodiversity Research. CANB will continue to house the
voucher specimens for the living collections and the integrated
collections data base will continue to link the herbarium
voucher with the corresponding living material.
Placed here Thursday, 14-Aug-97 14:07:14 EST by Andrew Lyne
