Herbarium of the Field Museum

Herbarium of the Field Museum
Name	Herbarium of the Field Museum
Established	1893
Location	Chicago, Illinois, United States
Type	Botanical collection, research herbarium

Herbarium of the Field Museum is the botanical research collection housed within the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago. Founded in the late 19th century, the herbarium supports taxonomy, systematics, biogeography, conservation, and education through preserved plant specimens, type collections, and associated data. It functions as a hub linking field expeditions, museum research, university collaborators, and international biodiversity initiatives.

History

The herbarium traces origins to expeditions and acquisitions associated with the World's Columbian Exposition and early collections assembled by curators affiliated with the Field Museum of Natural History. Early directors and collectors included figures tied to institutions such as the University of Chicago, New York Botanical Garden, Smithsonian Institution, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Missouri Botanical Garden, and Harvard University Herbaria. Notable expeditions that contributed specimens were organized alongside naturalists linked to the American Museum of Natural History, British Museum (Natural History), National Museum of Natural History (France), Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, and the Carnegie Institution for Science. Through the 20th century, the herbarium accumulated exchanges with collectors associated with the Conservation International, World Wildlife Fund, United Nations Environment Programme, International Union for Conservation of Nature, and regional centers such as the Instituto de Biología (UNAM), Instituto Nacional de Biodiversidad (INBio), and Australian National Herbarium. Directors and curators engaged in networks with scholars from Columbia University, Yale University, Princeton University, Cornell University, University of California, Berkeley, Stanford University, Duke University, and University of Michigan.

Collections and Specimens

The herbarium houses millions of vascular plant specimens, bryophytes, lichens, and type material amassed through fieldwork, exchanges, and legacy collections from contributors connected to Alexander von Humboldt-inspired expeditions, collectors working with the Smithsonian Institution and New York Botanical Garden, and regional floristic projects supported by the National Science Foundation. Taxonomic strengths reflect historical emphasis on Neotropical, North American, African, and Asian floras, with collections linked to collectors associated with Benjamin Franklin Bush, Henry Hurd Rusby, John Donnell Smith, Franz Buchenau, Eduard Fenzl, and contemporary botanists collaborating with the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh and Missouri Botanical Garden. The herbarium curates holotypes, isotypes, syntypes, and paratypes described in monographs and revisions published in journals such as Taxon, American Journal of Botany, Systematic Botany, Phytotaxa, and Kew Bulletin. Major regional collections include specimens from expeditions associated with the Panama Canal Zone, Amazon Basin, Congo Basin, Madagascar, Borneo, and Himalayas, coordinated with institutions like the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, and National Herbarium of the Netherlands.

Research and Scientific Contributions

Curators and researchers at the herbarium have authored taxonomic revisions, floras, and monographs referencing work published in venues such as Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Science, Nature, New Phytologist, and Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden. Contributions include species descriptions, phylogenetic studies using molecular markers in collaboration with laboratories at California Academy of Sciences, Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research, Smithsonian Institution, The New York Botanical Garden, and the Natural History Museum, London. Projects have informed conservation assessments for listings by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and supported policy work tied to the Convention on Biological Diversity, CITES, and the Nagoya Protocol. The herbarium's staff have participated in multi-institution initiatives with Botanic Gardens Conservation International, Global Biodiversity Information Facility, Biodiversity Heritage Library, Encyclopedia of Life, iDigBio, and the Consortium of European Taxonomic Facilities.

Digitization and Data Access

Digitization efforts align with programs from the National Science Foundation, Smithsonian Digitization Program Office, Global Biodiversity Information Facility, and iDigBio, producing specimen images, metadata, and georeferenced records accessible through portals hosted by entities such as the Field Museum of Natural History, GBIF, Biodiversity Information Serving Our Nation (BISON), and the Biodiversity Heritage Library. The herbarium participates in collaborative data standards development with groups like the Darwin Core Task Group, TDWG, Integrated Digitized Biocollections, and partners at the Atlas of Living Australia. Data-sharing agreements have been negotiated with national herbaria including the National Herbarium of the Netherlands, Chinese Academy of Sciences Herbarium, National Herbarium of New South Wales, and Herbario Nacional de Mexico.

Exhibitions and Public Outreach

While primarily research-focused, the herbarium contributes specimens and expertise to exhibitions curated by the Field Museum alongside displays highlighting work related to the T. rex (Sue), Evolving Planet, Darwin-themed outreach, and temporary exhibits on topics such as global change, pollination, and ethnobotany. Outreach programs engage audiences via collaborations with the Chicago Botanic Garden, Shedd Aquarium, Lincoln Park Zoo, Museum of Science and Industry (Chicago), and educational programs at institutions like University of Illinois Chicago and DePaul University. Public lectures and citizen-science projects link to platforms such as iNaturalist, Zooniverse, and partnerships with the Chicago Park District and community groups.

Facilities and Curation Practices

Specimens are maintained in climate-controlled herbarium cabinets following standards promulgated by organizations including the International Council for Museums and the American Alliance of Museums. Preservation techniques incorporate integrated pest management protocols advised by specialists from the Smithsonian Institution and conservation practices informed by the National Park Service and the Library of Congress conservation units. Curatorial workflows use databases and collection-management systems developed with contributions from Specify Software Project, Arctos Database, and informatics teams at the Field Museum of Natural History and partner universities.

Collaborations and Partnerships

The herbarium's collaborative network spans regional and global partners such as the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Missouri Botanical Garden, New York Botanical Garden, Smithsonian Institution, Botanic Gardens Conservation International, Global Biodiversity Information Facility, Biodiversity Heritage Library, iDigBio, National Science Foundation, National Geographic Society, Conservation International, World Wildlife Fund, United Nations Environment Programme, and universities including University of Chicago, Harvard University, Yale University, Columbia University, Stanford University, and University of California, Berkeley. Fieldwork collaborations extend to national biodiversity institutes like the Instituto Nacional de Biodiversidad (INBio), Instituto de Biología (UNAM), National Herbarium of Venezuela, National Herbarium of Egypt, and the South African National Biodiversity Institute.

Category:Herbaria