United States National Herbarium

United States National Herbarium. The United States National Herbarium is a botany research institution and herbarium located in Washington, D.C., and is part of the Smithsonian Institution. It was established in 1867 and is one of the oldest and largest herbaria in the United States, with significant collaborations with institutions such as the New York Botanical Garden, Harvard University, and the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. The herbarium has worked closely with renowned botanists like Asa Gray, George Engelmann, and John Torrey.

● History

The United States National Herbarium has a rich history dating back to 1867, when it was founded as part of the United States Department of Agriculture. The herbarium's early collections were largely based on the work of botanists such as John Bartram, André Michaux, and Frederick Pursh, who had collected plant specimens from across North America. Over the years, the herbarium has undergone significant expansions, including the addition of collections from the United States Exploring Expedition and the Wilkes Expedition, led by Charles Wilkes. The herbarium has also been influenced by the work of notable botanists like Luther Burbank, David Douglas, and George Bentham, who have contributed to the understanding of plant diversity in regions like California, Oregon, and Australia.

● Collections

The United States National Herbarium houses over 5 million plant specimens, making it one of the largest and most comprehensive herbaria in the world. The collections include specimens from Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, and South America, with a particular focus on the flora of the United States, Mexico, and Central America. The herbarium's collections have been built through collaborations with institutions like the Missouri Botanical Garden, Chicago Botanic Garden, and the Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University, as well as through the work of botanists like Joseph Dalton Hooker, William Jackson Hooker, and George Don. The herbarium also has significant collections of plant specimens from regions like Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and the US Virgin Islands, which have been studied by botanists like Harold St. John and Albert Spear Hitchcock.

● Organization

The United States National Herbarium is part of the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of Natural History, and is organized into several departments, including the Department of Botany and the Department of Horticulture. The herbarium is also affiliated with the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center and the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, and has partnerships with institutions like the National Science Foundation, the National Geographic Society, and the World Wildlife Fund. The herbarium's staff includes renowned botanists like Warren Wagner, David Frodin, and John Beaman, who have worked on projects like the Flora of North America and the Flora of China.

● Research and Conservation

The United States National Herbarium is involved in a wide range of research and conservation activities, including the study of plant systematics, ecology, and evolution. The herbarium's researchers have worked on projects like the Tree of Life initiative, the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation, and the International Plant Names Index, in collaboration with institutions like the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, the New York Botanical Garden, and the Missouri Botanical Garden. The herbarium has also been involved in conservation efforts, such as the protection of endangered species like the California condor and the Hawaiian silversword, and has worked with organizations like the US Fish and Wildlife Service, the National Park Service, and the Nature Conservancy.

● Facilities and Operations

The United States National Herbarium is located in the National Museum of Natural History building in Washington, D.C., and has state-of-the-art facilities for the storage and study of plant specimens. The herbarium's collections are housed in a climate-controlled environment, and are accessible to researchers and visitors through the herbarium's online database and physical collections. The herbarium also has a range of equipment and facilities for plant microscopy, molecular biology, and computational biology, and has collaborated with institutions like the National Institutes of Health, the US Department of Agriculture, and the National Science Foundation on projects like the Human Genome Project and the Plant Genome Initiative. The herbarium's operations are supported by a range of funding sources, including the Smithsonian Institution, the National Science Foundation, and the US Department of Agriculture. Category:Botany