DEPARTMENT OF PLANT BIOLOGY – UNIVERSITY OF TURIN
HERBARIUM REGULATIONS
The Herbarium conserves, manages and increases collections of exsiccata of phanerogams,
cryptogams and fungi representative of regional, Italian and world flora. Special collections include
those of fruits, seeds, woods, pollen and spores as well as the mycological collection.
The Herbarium’s activities are mainly linked to research and teaching by researchers who may be
members or non-members of the Department. The activities deal with plant systematics contributing
to the study of the variability of organisms and to phytogeography with regard to the analysis of the
geographic distribution of taxa, with special reference to rare or endangered species. Thus the
Herbarium is center for the research on species, flora and conservation and is involved in the
management of Parks and Nature Reserves and Sites of Community Importance (SIC) as well as in
drawing up cartographic documentation. The scientific and historic importance of the Turin
collections is borne out both by the Italian and international requests for consulting samples, and by
the numerous “type” (nomenclatural and taxonomic) specimens found in the collections and that so
far have been only partly identified.
The Herbarium staff is responsible for the functioning of the facility and requests or clarifications
from external and internal scholars should be addressed to them. The Scientific Committee, elected
by the Department Council, has the task of examining on an individual basis the various requests to
use the Herbarium. External experts may also be members of the Committee. At present the
Committee is made up of Rosanna Caramiello (rosanna.caramiello@unito.it), Consolata Siniscalco
(consolata.siniscalco@unito.it), Rosanna Piervittori (rosanna.piervittori@unito.it) and, as an
external consultant, Giuliana Forneris.
1. SERVICES OFFERED
The Herbarium is open for consultation by researchers and by the public Monday-Friday with the
following hours: 8.30-12, 13-16. The opening times may vary in particular cases.
Access for consultation is by appointment: please contact Laura Guglielmone or Luigi Pellegrino
(telephone: 011/6705981 or e-mail laura.guglielmone@unito.it; luigi.pellegrino@unito.it).
Applicants will have to provide personal data, those of the organisation they belong to, the reasons
for the visit and agree upon the time of the visit.
Upon arrival at the Herbarium visitors should sign the visitors’ register for every day of
consultation. During the first visit to the Herbarium the user should read the Regulations and sign
them for acceptance of the terms.
The materials will be made available by internal staff, who will guide users in their consultation.
Undergraduates, PhD students and contract researchers are under the supervision of teaching staff
and the Herbarium staff and will be invited to hand in materials they have studied.
Samples consulted must be handed back to staff members who will make sure that they are reinserted correctly into the collections.
Bibliographic inquiries of a systematics or phytogeographic nature will be provided in collaboration
with the Department Library.
The digitalisation of images of specimens may be made only by staff, following an advance request.
In special cases permission will be granted to photograph the labels attached to the samples,
following a motivated request.
Staff may identify specimens applying the tariff for the service approved by the Department
Council on 19 decembre 2007.
Services
Identification of plant samples
°
Declaration of identification
Specimen preparation of preidentified samples
Non macro digitalised pictures
of specimens
(beyond 50
specimens)
Macrophotographs of samples
Public bodies
30*
Privates
50
-7
10
10
2
3
7
10
fees are in Euros.
°The level of identification will depend on the quality of the samples provided. Certified
identification may be made only for public bodies.
2. REMOVAL OF PORTIONS OF SAMPLE
It is forbidden to remove fragments, seeds, spores or other parts from the samples, without the
authorisation of the Scientific Committee: applications for removing material for specific molecular
and/or morphological analyses must be made using the appropriate form. The removal must be
made by Herbarium staff who will decide the appropriateness of the operation.
3. ACQUISITION OF MATERIAL
The Herbarium encourages collaboration with researchers from outside the Department and the
donation of new material. In particular samples from new sampling stations, first floristic reports or
subjects of specific studies may be deposited as documentation at the facility which will guarantee
their conservation.
The Herbarium will be pleased to receive, also as a legacy, collections made by individuals
prepared using scientific criteria (samples complete with collection data). The Herbarium is
designated by the Italian National Register for the conservation of confiscated materials in
accordance with CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species) regulations.
4. EXCHANGE OF MATERIALS
The exchange of duplicates of materials between Institutions is envisaged: the modalities are
defined on the basis of time-by-time agreements made in advance by the Heads of the Institutions.
5. REVISION OF MATERIALS
It is not permitted to write any comments on the consulted samples themselves. Any systematic
and/or nomenclature notes, which should indicate the date of the intervention made and the (legible)
signature, will be reported on special labels supplied by the Herbarium or, in special cases, on the
reviser’s labels having obtained permission from the staff.
The Herbarium encourages revision by specialists.
6. CONSULTATION OF TYPES
Samples considered to be typus must be handled with the maximum care.
Observations and revisions must be compiled on separate sheets and pinned to the samples, dated
and signed. The designation of a typus must always be communicated, in the shortest time possible,
to the Herbarium staff.
For the publication of the results of analyses see paragraph (8) below.
7. LOAN OF MATERIALS
The Herbarium encourages the in loco consultation of the material; however loans may be granted
and applications for such should be sent to the Scientific Committee by mail, fax or email.
Loans are granted to researchers who are members of recognised Institutions but not to private
individuals.
The application should contain the name of the researcher and the purpose of the study for which
the material is requested.
Shipping costs will be agreed on a time-by-time basis.
Types are not available on loan.
The material on loan may be kept for a maximum period of six months.
The Herbarium can accept, on loan from other institutions, material requested by private
individuals, who will be able to consult it only on Herbarium premises, in that the latter is the
guarantor for its conservation.
Usually the Herbarium does not grant the loan in one lot of all material related to a taxon.
The material must be returned in the initial state of conservation and if possible using the original
packaging.
8. INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY AND PUBLICATIONS
The exsiccata and the data reported on the samples are to be considered original unpublished
material and consequently the publication of data deriving from the consultation of the samples
must be accompanied by acknowledgement of the origin. (Herbarium acronym: TO-HP, TO-HG,
TO-Cryptogamia) and of the collector and/or the identifier. It is necessary to send to the attention of
the Scientific Committee any publication, in electronic or paper form, that derives from the study of
consulted samples or samples received on loan.
In the case of studies in which it is envisaged that there will be a long or continuous consultation
period or collaboration with Department staff it is necessary that the researcher informs the
Scientific Committee so that it can examine the appropriateness, setting out the aims of the
research, its duration and any co-workers. The Scientific Committee may ask for the inclusion of
data of the samples consulted in the specially created databank.
Current or unpublished computerised or paper records are not available for users.
9. USE OF THE FACILiTY’S MATERIALS FOR COMMERCIAL
PURPOSES
Any commercial use of the material or facilities belonging to the Herbarium must be requested to
the Scientific Committee and authorised.
November 2007