Collections Database

Each of our backend databases assigns a unique and persistent integer ID to each specimen record. A GUID (globally unique identifier) can be formed from this by combining it with the herbarium and collection acronyms (example: WTU-VP-12733).

Every herbarium is referred to by a unique acronym. Ours is WTU, which stands for Washington Territorial University. Our database also includes some specimens housed at NOCA (North Cascades National Park Herbarium) and MORA (Mount Rainier National Park Herbarium). For a complete listing of herbarium acronyms, see Index Herbariorum.

WTU's specimens are physically housed in separate collections according to taxonomic groups: Vascular Plants, Bryophytes, Algae, Lichens, and Fungi.

Some specimens are grouped into "Datasets," representing such things as incorporated herbaria or major collecting projects.

Each of WTU's Vascular Plant specimens is assigned an accession number. Our other collections lack accession numbers (see Barcode instead). Ideally, each specimen would have a unique accession number, but this fails in practice. Some accession numbers include "JWT" after the number; these indicate specimens originating from the herbarium of J. William Thompson that were integrated into WTU's collections but not re-accessioned with WTU numbers. Accession numbers followed by an "A", "B", or other single letter represent sheets with multiple collections mounted on them, all using the same accession number.

Our Bryophyte, Algae, Lichen, Fungi, and some Vascular Plant specimens are assigned pre-printed barcode stickers. These follow the format "WTU-C-######", where C represents a code for the collection (one of: V, B, A, L, F) and ###### represents a zero-padded, six-digit number.