Collections

The Duke herbarium is comprised of five specimen collections:

Each specimen collection is associated with a library resource. As of the end of 2009, the herbarium boasts 840,812 accessioned specimens, of which almost half are in the vascular plant collection.

chart showing 840812 holdings as of 2009

The herbarium is actively growing due to the efforts of Duke scientists and courtesy of gifts from other institutions. For example, from 2005 to 2009 the herbarium added 33,941 new specimens to its collections. This ongoing influx of specimen data helps ensure the continued relevance of the collection for a wide spectrum of research needs with hundreds of publications citing DUKE specimen data!

chart showing 33941 specimens added 2009