Herbarium

Description and Scope of the Collection

The Herbarium contains approximately 120,000 herbarium specimens of international importance, with special emphasis on British (Scottish) and SE Asia (Thai) material. A project on the flora of Bangladesh (1997-2000) funded by the Department for International Development is a major focus of current activity, leading to acquisition of much new material following a series of expeditions.

Our material from Thailand is composed of approximately 20,000 specimens. They were principally collected by Arthur Francis George Kerr while he was in the service of the Government of Siam as Medical Officer of Health from 1902-20, and in charge of the Botanical Section, Ministry of Commerce, from 1921-31. We obtained our material through Professor Craib, for whom Kerr collected while he was a Lecturer in Forest Botany at Edinburgh University. Professor Craib came to Aberdeen from Edinburgh as Regius Professor of Botany in 1920 where he remained in the Chair until his death in 1933. Dr Euphemia Barnett, who was Assistant to Professor Craib at Aberdeen, also worked on AFG Kerr's material. The genus Barnettia (Bignoniaceae) was named by Dr Santisuk in honour of Dr Barnett "whose taxonomic work enormously contributed to our knowledge of the Thai flora" [Santisuk, 1973, Kew Bulletin, 28(2);172]. The genus, of two species, is endemic to Thailand. The Herbarium was honoured to receive a visit from the Princess of Thailand in May 1995, a recognition of the international importance of our collection.

The British material of approximately 55,000 specimens has been collected by several past Professors of the University, particularly Trail (including fungi), Dickie (mainly algae), and William MacGillivray, but also amateur collectors such as McMurtrie, Lewis Gavin, and Stables. A large collection of British plants made by George Nicholson, Curator at Kew from 1886-1901, were bequeathed to Professor Trail and, together with Trail's extensive collection, these form the foundations of our British collection. George Nicholson also assisted Professor Trail in the planning of the Cruickshank Botanic Garden, adjacent to the Herbarium.

The initial collections, which form the foundations of the Herbarium, come from 1860, when Marischal and King's Colleges were united. The specimens were at that time variously located within the University premises and Professor JR Matthews who held the Regius Chair of Botany from 1934-1959 planned to bring them all together. In 1948 under the Keepership of Mrs AH Sommerville the specimens were incorporated into the British, European and Thai collections and became accessible to the public for the first time.

The collection is in good condition, located in one large room within the Cruickshank Building, and housed mainly in folders/boxes in purpose built wooden cabinets. The specimens are catalogued according to Dandy (British), Bentham and Hooker (all other material). Our oldest specimen, of Gentiana campestris, was collected in 1772 by an unknown collector and belonged to Principal Campbell's herbarium, a former Principal of Marischal College. The specimen was incorporated into one of the two books of dried plants made by Dr Knight, later a Professor of Natural Philosophy at the University.

The Herbarium continues to incorporate new specimens, especially new local records and voucher material resulting from research at Aberdeen University. During the last 10 years, we have trained overseas PhD students in taxonomy from a number of research institutes and universities in Pakistan, Iraq, Bangladesh, Saudi Arabia and Malaysia. These students have all specialised in their own floras during their studies in Aberdeen and have remained good colleagues and friends of the Herbarium.

School of Biological Sciences
University of Aberdeen, Zoology Building, Tillydrone Avenue, Aberdeen, AB24 2TZ

Tel: +44 (0)1224-272861 - Fax: +44 (0)1224-272396
Email: bioscience@abdn.ac.uk