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| Philippine National Herbarium | |
|---|---|
| Name | Philippine National Herbarium |
| Established | 1901 |
| Location | Manila, Philippines |
| Type | National herbarium |
| Collections | Vascular plants, bryophytes, fungi, lichens, seeds |
Philippine National Herbarium is the principal national repository for dried plant specimens and taxonomic knowledge in the Philippines. It serves as a reference center for botanical research, biodiversity assessment, and conservation planning across the Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao regions, supporting work by universities such as the University of the Philippines, government agencies such as the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, and international partners including the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, the Smithsonian Institution, and the Missouri Botanical Garden. The herbarium's collections underpin floristic inventories, species descriptions, and policy advice for environmental instruments such as the Convention on Biological Diversity and the Ramsar Convention.
The institution traces roots to botanical activities initiated during the American colonial period under figures like Elmer Drew Merrill and institutions such as the Bureau of Science (Philippines), with early exchange of specimens involving the New York Botanical Garden, the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, and the Field Museum of Natural History. Over decades the herbarium grew through fieldwork led by collectors associated with the University of Santo Tomas, the College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts (Philippines), and expeditions supported by the National Academy of Science and Technology (Philippines). The collection expanded through postwar recovery, collaboration with the International Union for Conservation of Nature projects, and integration with regional floristic programs linked to the Asia-Pacific Network for Global Change Research and the International Plant Names Index.
The holdings comprise tens of thousands of vascular plant specimens, bryophytes, pteridophytes, fungi, and lichen collections amassed from islands such as Palawan, Mindoro, Leyte, and Samar, with notable type specimens from researchers affiliated with the National Museum of the Philippines, the University of the Philippines Los Baños, and the Central Mindanao University. Specimens document economically important taxa tied to industries represented by the Philippine Coconut Authority and the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, as well as rare endemics recognized in checklists compiled with the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List assessments and regional monographs published by the Flora Malesiana project. Historical exchange with the Botanical Survey of India and specimen loans from the Australian National Herbarium enrich comparative studies.
Scientists and curators at the herbarium have contributed to taxonomic revisions published in journals connected to the International Association for Plant Taxonomy, collaborated on molecular phylogenetics with teams at the Smithsonian Institution and the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, and supported floristic treatments used by the Department of Agriculture (Philippines) and conservation assessments commissioned by the World Wildlife Fund. Research outputs include new species descriptions coauthored with botanists from the National University of Singapore, distribution records shared with the Global Biodiversity Information Facility, and participation in regional biodiversity syntheses with partners such as the ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity and the Japan International Cooperation Agency. The herbarium facilitated baseline data for conservation corridors proposed in plans coordinated with the Asian Development Bank and the UN Environment Programme.
Facilities include climate-controlled specimen rooms, mounting and digitization laboratories, and reference libraries maintained in collaboration with institutions like the Ateneo de Manila University and the British Council in the Philippines. Curation follows standards advocated by the International Plant Exchange Network and employs databasing compatible with platforms such as the Global Biodiversity Information Facility and the Consortium of European Taxonomic Facilities. Voucher specimen protocols align with guidelines used by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, and barcoding initiatives have been piloted with partners from the Biodiversity Institute of Ontario and the Korean National Arboretum.
The herbarium supports conservation projects targeting ecoregions identified by the World Wildlife Fund and Ramsar wetland sites mapped with the National Mapping and Resource Information Authority (NAMRIA), and collaborates on community-based programs involving local governments such as the Palawan Council for Sustainable Development and NGOs including the Haribon Foundation and the Conservation International Philippines program. Outreach includes training workshops for botanists from the University of the Philippines Mindanao, specimen exchange networks with the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew outreach initiatives, and educational exhibits developed with the National Museum of Natural History (Philippines) and the Philippine Science Centrum.
Administratively linked with national cultural and scientific bodies such as the National Museum of the Philippines and coordinated with research universities including the University of the Philippines, the herbarium participates in international consortia like the Global Plants Initiative and regional collaborations with the Herbarium Bogoriense and the Philippine Biodiversity Conservation Foundation. Governance involves scientists and representatives from agencies such as the Department of Science and Technology (Philippines) and advisory ties to scholarly societies like the Philippine Society for Youth Science and the National Research Council of the Philippines.
Category:Herbaria Category:Botany in the Philippines