Verborgene Schätze: Herbarbuch
Hidden treasures: herbarium book

Phanerogams I + II

Collection Phanerogams

The Herbarium Senckenbergianum

The Herbarium Senckenbergianum in Frankfurt/M. (FR) comprises about 1.5 million collections in total and ranks among the largest herbaria in Germany.

The phanerogams amount to ca. 3/4 of this number. On average we receive an annual accession of some 10.000 specimens from exchange, donations, and own collections. Loans are generally made only to research institutions acknowledged in the Index Herbariorum.

Founded in 1817 with the Senckenberg Natural History Society, it harbours a number of important historic collections, e.g. J. R. & J. G. A. Forster, J. B. G. W. Fresenius, G. Gärtner, W. P. E. S. Rüppell. Most of Eduard Rüppell’s types from NE Africa are extant, detailled information here (in German).
Incorporated herbarium: DANV (1 Jan 2018).

A list of collectors, our “Index Collectorum Herbarii Senckenbergianii”, was published in Courier Forschungsinstitut Senckenberg vol. 217 (Conert 1999). An updated version is available here (in German).

Our type herbarium presently includes about 4.000 specimens and is estimated to be more than 6.000.

Geographically, the collection is focussed on Hesse and Central Europe. There are however particular regions for which the collection is rich. These include Ethiopia, Mexico, Cuba, Nicaragua, Japan, Europe, the Mediterranean, the Mid-Atlantic Islands and the West African Savanna regions (esp. Burkina Faso, Bénin, Nigeria). The West African herbarium is presently being expanded and was digitized as part of the BIOTA W11 Project.

Searches are possible through the Senckenberg collection management system SeSam and its successor, the new database system AQUiLA. Further collections are constantly added.

Systematically, the collection is especially rich in Poaceae.

This collection is part of the Herbarium Senckenbergianum.

Recent Developments

 

Research Visits

We welcome research visits to the Herbarium Senckenbergianum Frankfurt/M. (FR). Please note that they are granted by appointment only.

Please contact us: the acting director of the Herbarium (Christian Printzen), the responsible curator (cryptogams: Christian Printzen / phanerogams: Stefan Dressler †) and technical assistant (cryptogams: Viola Ziller / phanerogams: Luisa Otto) well in advance (preferably one week) and indicate

  • your name and institutional affiliation
  • your research interest / project
  • relevant taxa to be studied
  • suggested date / time frame
  • special equipment needed

We will try to accommodate your wishes and make everything possible to render your visit successful.