Welcome alumni and friends!
To the new William & Mary Herbarium
Herbarium Director:
Dr. Martha A. Case
Associate Professor of Biology
Herbarium Curator:
Beth Chambers
Herbarium associates:
Dr. Donna M. E. Ware, Director/Curator Emeritus
Dr. Stewart Ware, Professor Emeritus
Staff of the VA Natural Heritage Program (DCR)
The Virginia Native Plant Society
Over 20 collectors & contributors
Major funding:
The College of William & Mary
The National Science Foundation
This 5 minute slide show will introduce you to
herbaria and their function….
Then exit left to see our facility and an exhibit
featuring…..
Virginia plants & student research
Clematis addisonii
Amsonia
tabernaemontana
Asclepias tuberosa
Herbaria are repositories of dried and
pressed plant specimens, archivally
maintained in a “library of plants”
There are 3,382 herbaria worldwide,
representing over 300 million specimens
contained in herbaria
Herbarium specimens
document where and
when a plant grew
This allows us to understand the ecology
and geographic ranges of species
• For example, the counties in VA where
Campanulastrum americanum has been
found
Herbarium specimens also provide
biological material for scientists to study
such as:
• External form and
structure
Herbarium specimens also provide
biological material for scientists to study
such as:
• Microscopic features like pollen
Herbarium specimens also provide
biological material for scientists to study
such as:
• Variation within a particular kind of plant
Herbarium specimens also provide
biological material for scientists to study
such as:
• Even DNA itself!
Herbaria are a vital resource for many
kinds of research questions
• Have populations of
American ginseng
declined in the last 150
years?
Herbaria are a vital resource for many
kinds of research questions
• Are exotic and destructive
species spreading?
Herbaria are a vital resource for many
kinds of research questions
• What species are found in the
College Woods or other areas?
Herbaria are a vital resource for many
kinds of research questions:
• Are these three goldenrods distinct species?
Herbaria are a vital resource for many
kinds of research questions:
• Yes!
Solidago altissima
Solidago canadensis
Solidago juncea
Herbaria are a vital resource for many
kinds of research questions
• How do you identify species?
• Which one is poison ivy?
Herbaria are a vital resource for many
kinds of research questions
• This one, because of its →
alternate leaves and 3 leaflets
box elder
Virginia creeper
Over a hundred research students and
herbarium associates have contributed
over 30,000 specimens to the herbarium
Dr. Gretchen North
“Flora of E. Middlesex Co.”
1983
Dr. Doug Soltis
“Flora of the Davis Pond”
1974
Dr. Amanda Ingram
“Flora of Greensprings”
1998
Christopher Johnstone
“Flora of Totuskey Creek”
2008
These specimens document species
occurrences and provide material for other
research projects
Such as the Flora of Virginia Project
“The Flora of Virginia, with publication targeted for
2012, will describe more than 3,500 plant species in
200 families and feature 1,400 captioned, scaled, and
botanically accurate illustrations”
Your visit to the herbarium will show you
more about:
• Specimen collecting & processing
Your visit to the herbarium will show you
more about:
• Student
research projects
Cypripedium kentuckiense
Your visit to the herbarium will show you
more about:
• Plant identification
Your visit to the herbarium will show you
more about:
• And plants that can be
found in our College
Woods!
Funding Acknowledgements
• The College of William & Mary
• National Science Foundation
• Virginia Native Plant Society
• Anonymous donors
Image credits:
• Botanical Society of America
• Illinois Natural History Survey (ILLS)
• Michael Clayton, Wisconsin State Herbarium (WIS)
• Robert Bebb Herbarium (OKL)
• University of Victoria herbarium (UVIC)
• VA Department of Conservation & Recreation
• Gary Flemming
• Hal Horwitz
Phlox nivalis
• Keir Morse
• Phillip Merritt
• Troy Weldy
Please exit left into the herbarium
This five minute slide
presentation will repeat in
1 minute.