Type specimens on the Web

The table below summarizes parts of the collection that have been digitised and which can be queried through this site. Clicking on the categories provides some additional information.

collection category	NHN-branch	no. of collections	images
Type specimens	L,U,WAG	49.978	Phanerogams
Annonaceae	L,U,WAG	37.488	Types only
Euphorbiaceae	L	72.867	Types only
Orchidaceae	L (p.p.)	21.741	Types only
Wood	U	34.750	Microsc. slides
Herbarium de Gorter	L	1.330	none
Herbarium Meerburg	L	3.012	none
Herbarium Persoon	L	8.374	none
Herbarium Schomburgk	herbaria worldwide	8.450	none
Herbarium Von Siebold	L (p.p.)	2.477	all
Cameroon	WAG	22.512	Types only

Type specimens

Between August 1996 and august 1998 a computerized catalogue of the type specimens present in the Amsterdam (AMD), Leiden (L), Utrecht (U) and Wageningen (WAG) herbaria has been prepared. Since 1999, the latter three herbaria form the decentral Nationaal Herbarium Nederland (NHN). The estimated number of type specimens kept in the NHN is 50,000, most of which are kept in Leiden. Besides data entry, the project also included digital images of the type specimens of Phanerogams. Digitisation was carried out by project staff within a project funded by N.W.O., the Dutch Science foundation which is gratefully acknowledged. During the two year period, all type specimens, clearly marked as such, were extracted from the collection, their data entered and a digital image taken. After 1998 data entry and making digital images continued as part of a day to day routine being carried out by the collection management staff. New type specimens include types being linked to new taxa but also old type material which had not been marked as such and therefore were overlooked.

The Annonaceae are currently under investigation at all three branches of the NHN. The Annonaceae or Soursop family is a large pantropical family consisting of about 120 genera with ca. 2,500 species of trees, shrubs and lianas. It is studied by an international multidisciplinary team, co-ordinated by the Utrecht branch of the NHN, that regularly publishes the Annonaceae Newsletter and organises bi- to triannual workshops. Within the NHN researach centers on monographic and phylogenetic research of selected genera, a phylogenetic analysis of the family using morphological and molecular data, the compilation and updating of bibliographical and nomenclatural data, and dissemination of floristic and biogeographical information through CD-ROMs (in co-operation with ETI-Amsterdam) and Internet.

Euphorbiaceae

The Euphorbiaceae (spurges) is one of the largest and most common global plant families (326 genera, 7750 species) with herbs in the more temperate regions and shrubs, lianas and trees in the tropical regions. The plants often appear unattractive but show a wealth of beauty in the usually unisexual flowers. The Leiden branch coordinates the revision of the spurges for the Flora Malesiana and Flora of Thailand projects (via the webpages, www.nationaalherbarium.nl/euphorbs, www.nationaalherbarium.nl/thaieuph, and the Malesian Euphorbiaceae Newsletter). Presently, the research concentrates on the (molecular) phylogeny and revision of tribe Acalypheae, which comprises the ornamental genus Acalypha, the economically important Ricinus, and the ecological indicators Macaranga and Mallotus.

The Orchid family is probably the largest pantropical family consisting of about 850 genera with c. 30,000 species. The Orchidaceae are currently under investigation at the Leiden branch of the NHN, with focus on the orchids of Southeast Asia. These comprise about 270 genera with ca. 8,000 species, about two thirds of which are herbaceous epiphytes, the remainder terestrials. The family is studied in co-operation with the Hortus Botanicus Leiden which houses an large live collection, as well as with international colleagues and institutes. Within the NHN researach focuses on monographic and phylogenetic research of selected genera, a phylogenetic analysis of parts of the family using morphological and molecular data for which a DNA bank is maintained, the compilation and updating of bibliographical and nomenclatural data, and dissemination of floristic and biogeographical information through CD-ROMs (in co-operation with ETI-Amsterdam).

The wood collection of the Utrecht branch comprises about 35,000 samples, predominantly from Central- and South-America. Over the years data pertaining to these samples have been kept in a cardbox system. For a considerable number of wood samples covering most of the Phanerogam families, microscopic slides have been made. The present site allows access to the data pertaining to all the wood samples as well as showing digital images of about 6,000 microscopic slides pertaining to over 3,000 different species.

Herbarium Persoon

Christiaan Hendrik Persoon was born in South Africa in 1761. When he was 12 years old he went to Germany, from 1800 untill his death in 1836 he lived in Paris. He is generally regarded as the "Father of Systematic Mycology". His reputation rests mainly on the following works: Observationes Mycologicae (1795—1799); Tentamen dispositionis methodicae fungorum in classes, ordines, generae et familias (1797); Synopsis methodicae fungorum (1801), and the unfinished Mycologia Europaea (1822—1828). These formed the framework on which Fries and later systematists based their classifications

Persoon offered his herbarium to the Netherlands against an annuity. In the same year the King of the Netherlands decided to grant Persoon an annuity of 800 florins. He was obliged to make an inventory of his collections and was allowed to keep it the next two years, to exchange the duplicates in his herbarium against missing species in order to improve and augment the collection. In 1830 Persoon’s herbarium was taken to Brussels. In the course of 1830 the herbarium was taken from Brussels to Leiden following the Belgian uprising of that year. In 1834 Persoon proposed to donate his library and his newly acquired collections to the King of the Netherlands. This offer was accepted and when Persoon died at Paris in 1836, his library, manuscripts and dried plants were added to his collections already present in Leiden.

Herbarium Meerburg

Nicolaas Meerburg (1734—1814) was Hortulanus at the Leiden Hortus (curator of the botanic garden). He worked with three different directors of the Hortus, viz. Adriaan and David van Royen as well as Sebald Justinus Brugmans. In 1775 he published his Afbeeldingen van zeldzame gewassen with plants growing in the Leiden Hortus. In 1789 Plantae rariores vivus coloribus depictae was published, a Latin edition of the 1775 publication and augmented with another five plates. In 1798 followed by Plantarum selectarum icones pictae, a sequence of 28 plates. When F. Ehrhard (1742—1795) visited the Hortus in 1782 he was impressed by Meerburg’s knowledge of the native flora. Meerburg worked in the Hortus till his death in 1814.

After his death his son offered his father’s herbarium for sale in 1816. According to the advertisement it existed of more than 1.000 folders, each containing the species belonging to one genus. In total more than 5.000 specimens must have been present.

Meerburg had assembled his herbarium during a period of 50 year. In the same advertisement it was noted that Meerburg had collected most of these plants himself, probably in the Hortus, but that also specimens from Dillenius, Haller, Gesner, Gronovius, and Van Royen were included. Although not mentioned also specimens from Albinus, König, Spielman and Jacquin have also been found.

Herbarium De Gorter

David de Gorter (1717—1783). Writer of the first Dutch flora in which the binomial nomenclature was used, the Flora Belgica(1767). Professor of Botany and Medicine, personal physician of Elisabeth of Russia, the daughter of Peter the Great. When Linnaeus came to Harderwijk to obtain his Ph.D., a friendship sprang up between David de Gorter and Linnaeus. Together they collected plants in the surroundings of Harderwijk.

According to his own wish, his widow donated his herbarium, containing 2,000 specimens, to the Academy in Harderwijk in 1788. This herbarium was acquired by the Vereeniging tot Beoefening van Overijsselsch Regt en Geschiedenis (Society for the practice of justice and history of the province of Overijssel) when it fused with Vereeniging voor Provinciale Welvaart (Society for provincial prosperity) in the early 20^th century. In 1922 it was given on loan to the Rijksherbarium (now National Herbarium of the Netherlands). In 1941 this loan was turned into a gift.

This herbarium consist mainly of plants collected by De Gorter in Dutch gardens. Furthermore a small number of indigenous plants are present as well as some plants he collected in Russia during his stay there. In this herbarium specimens from Burman, Demidoff, Deutz, Falk, Gerber, Guettard, Haller, Kleinhoff, Lerche, Meerburg, Pallas, Rainville and Valckenburg were found.

Herbarium Von Siebold

Philipp Franz Balthasar von Siebold (1796—1866) was active as station doctor on the Dutch trading post Decima between 1823 and 1829. At that time the Dutch were the only Europeans that were allowed trade with the Japanese. When in Japan Von Siebold already planned the publication of a work on the Japanese flora. The first part of this Flora Japonica appeared in 1835 and was finished 35 years later by Miquel in 1870.

During the period 1823—1828 Von Siebold sent herbarium specimens to Leiden, but it is not known how many. The major part of his collection, collected in 1829, he took with him when he returned to the Netherlands in 1830. The Von Siebold collection consists of specimens collected by himself, his Japanese collaborators, e.g. Ito Keiske, Mizutani Sugerok, Ohkochi Zonshin, and his assistant and later successor Bürger. This collection is one of the earliest collections of this extent from Japan, and an important source for newly described Japanese species. In total Von Siebold collected c. 2.200—2.300 species in c. 12.000 specimens. At present only part of these collections have been databased. A CD-ROM of selected specimens can be ordered from the publishing office of the NHN

Herbarium Schomburgk

Richard [Moritz] Schomburgk (1811—1891) and his elder bother Robert [Hermann] Schomburgk (1804—1865). Both brothers were members of the joint British/Prussian expedition to British Guyana (1840—1844).

The main set of Guyana plants of Richard Schomburgk were kept in the Berlin herbarium and are mainly destroyed during WW II.

Content of the database

Type specimens

Annonaceae

Euphorbiaceae

Orchidaceae

Wood

Herbarium Persoon

Herbarium Meerburg

Herbarium De Gorter

Herbarium Von Siebold

Herbarium Schomburgk