Botany And Herbarium
Botany + Herbarium Collections
The WTU Herbarium's total holdings number more than 660,000 specimens of vascular and nonvascular plants, fungi, lichens and marine algae with the oldest specimens dating to the late 1800s.
The Herbarium collections maintain a regional focus on the Pacific Northwest, covering Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Alaska, British Columbia and the Yukon Territory. Other significant collections come from California, the rest of Western North America and the Northern Pacific Rim.
Approximately 375,000 specimens from the WTU Herbarium collection are accessible through this database. For most vascular plant specimens, only label data are available. Both specimen label data and images are available for most nonvascular plant, fungal, lichen and marine algae specimens.
WTU Collections Map
You may also access a map of Washington state showing all vascular plant specimen localities in the WTU Herbarium database.
Primary support for specimen database projects has been provided by the National Science Foundation, with additional support from U.S. Bureau of Land Management, U.S. National Park Service, Washington Native Plant Society and Herbarium donors.
Collection Details
375,000 specimens
190,392 in database
1,122 type specimens
The Herbarium houses the largest collection of Pacific Northwest vascular plants in North America. Other geographic areas with strong representation include California, Nevada and the Russian Far East. Taxonomically well-represented groups include Cyperaceae (sedges), Juncaceae (rushes), and Castilleja (Indian paintbrushes).
All vascular plant types in the collection are imaged, databased and available online through support from the Andrew Mellon Foundation's Global Plants Initiative Program.
75,000 specimens
70,000 in database
350 type specimens
Macrofungi comprise the majority of the fungi collection, with particularly strong holdings in the genera Cortinarius and Inocybe. The geographic focus of the collections is the Pacific Northwest, with additional strong holdings from Arctic North America.
All fungal types in the collection are imaged, databased and available online.
32,000 specimens
31,000 in database
30 type specimens
Macrolichens from the Pacific Northwest comprise the majority of the holdings. There is also an extensive collection of pin lichens and some soil crust lichens.
All lichen types in the collection are imaged, databased and available online.
118,000 specimens
72,500 in database
57 type specimens
Mosses, hornworts and liverworts comprise the bryophyte collection, with the majority of the holdings from the Pacific Northwest. Other geographic areas represented include California, Nevada and eastern North America.
All bryophyte types in the collection are imaged, databased and available online.
23,000 specimens
14,000 in database
30 type specimens
Marine macroalgae from the Pacific Northwest comprise the core of the holdings. Other geographic areas with strong representation include California, Australia and New Zealand.
All of the algae types in the collection are imaged, databased and available online.