Collections

The collections have high historical and scientific value, and is used as a base for the research at the department, but also by scientists all over the world.

Restricted access to the botanical collections

The botanical collections at the Swedish Museum of Natural History (S) are currently unavailable for loans and visits. During the time of the extensive renovations of the botany building, the botanical collections are stored ex-situ.

During the renovation period, we still take care of loan returns, and gratefully accept gifts and exchange material. Please feel free to contact us at herbarium@nrm.se for further information or if you have any questions.

Scientific collections and loan policy

Phanerogamic collections

The collections have their origin in the curiosity cabinets of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences from 1739, but have grown over the years by collecting, and by acquisition of scientifically important collections. Today the collections comprise some 3 million specimens, which are divided into three herbaria:

The Nordic herbarium keep material from the Nordic countries, but such material can also be found in elsewhere. A page with shortcuts to nordic material can be used to facilitate the search.

The Regnellian herbarium keep material from South- and Central America.

The General herbarium  house the plant material from all other parts of the world.

Type collections the type specimens in our type collections are from South and Central America, Africa, Asia, North America, Australia and Oceania, and Europe.

The Scanning project the department is undertaking a digitisation project focusing on our type herbarium collections.

Historical herbaria

The Linnean herbarium  (S-LINN) with about 4000 specimens from the herbarium of the famous swedish naturalist Carolus Linnaeus.

The Swartz herbariet comprising specimens of phanerogams and ferns, mainly from the West Indies.

Celsius' Flora Uplandica
Antonius Münchenberg's Herbarium vivum.

Cryptogamic collections

The cryptogamic collections of the Swedish Museum of Natural History consist of more than 1.5 million specimens including many type specimens.

Part of the collections are registered in searchable databases.

Loan service and requests

The collections are used in the ongoing research at the department, and a large number of scientists visit the herbaria each year. The department has also a considerable exchange and loan service with other institutions all over the world.

Please consider this guide when returning material to avoid hassle with the Swedish custom services.

Databases

Parts of the collections have been computerized and are today available through searchable databases. The work is still in progress, and new data and images are added from time to time.

Herbarium Catalogue
Algae
Bacteria
Lichens
Bryophytes
Pteridophytes
Fungi

Our databases are also searchable throught the national herbarium database Virtuella Herbariet, where also the herbaria in Gothenburg, Lund, Oskarshamn, Umeå and Uppsala participate.