Integrated Herbaria & Major Collections
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The Herbarium of the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh has a rich history. Originally founded from the Herbarium of the University of Edinburgh and the Botanical Society of Scotland, there then followed the incorporation of many large, historically important herbaria and major collections, thus forming what is now an internationally renowned collection.
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Complete Herbaria
This herbarium was incorporated with that of the University of Edinburgh from 1839-40. The foreign collections were moved to the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh in 1863 and the British collections followed shortly after.
The herbarium of the University of Edinburgh, after the inclusion of the Botanical Society of Scotland herbarium, was formally transferred to the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh in 1872. On the 14th November 1872, Professor John Hutton Balfour announced to the Society that work had started on the construction of a library building adjoining the Herbarium of the Royal Botanic Garden, and both the library and herbarium were transferred to the Government.
It is not yet clear when this Herbarium was transferred to RBGE.
The Plinian Society was founded in 1823 and disbanded in 1841. It is not yet clear when the Herbarium was transferred to RBGE.
In 1965 the foreign collections (excluding cryptogams) of the University of Glasgow Herbarium were transferred to RBGE on permanent loan. The cryptogam collections were later also transferred in 2005. The University of Glasgow Herbarium also included the herbaria of Trinity College (GLG) and Clydebank High School (GOW).
It is not yet clear when this Herbarium was transferred to RBGE.
Major Collections
Parts of Herbaria or large private collections which may have multiple collectors within them.
In 1838 it was reported by the Society that the University Herbarium comprised about 50,000 specimens “but from this number a very large deduction must be made of species, chiefly in the collections of the late Professors Hope and Rutherford which, having neither dates nor stations assigned to them, cannot be rendered available for the Society’s purposes,- many of them being also cultivated specimens or otherwise defective”.
The East Indian Herbarium of the Countess of Dalhousie, was received by the Botanical Society of Edinburgh by 1837.
Acquired in 1919 by George Forrest and incorporated into the Herbarium at RBGE. Catalogued by Lauener in Notes and includes collections of E. Bodinier, J. Cavalerie, J. Esquirol, U. Faurie, E. E. Maire, E. J. Taquet.
In 1966, 5,000 specimens collected from New Caledonia were received from the University of Hull.
The arctic element of the LANC collection was transferred to RBGE in 2014 with the exception of Greenland material which is now in Tullie House Museum (CLE).
Formerly at Stromness (STS) and now on permanent loan to RBGE, c. 5,000 specimens mainly from Orkney (VC 111, and some from Fetlar (VC 112). A most methodical collection with plants such as willows being collected in mature catkin and leaf stages from the same tree, with a clear explanation, fully documented and examined by specialists.
Acquired in 1845. Cryptogams. Also included Cleghorn specimens.