Herbarium Procedures
Do we need more on this page?The Hortorium Herbarium regularly loans plant specimens to other herbaria and botanical museums for scientific research purposes. All loan requests should be directed to Kevin C. Nixon, Curator and emailed to herbarium@cornell.edu. Loans are granted for a period of one year. Should more time be necessary, requests for an extension should also be directed to Kevin Nixon. In addition, the Herbarium maintains an exchange program with various institutions as a means to add to its holdings. Gifts of plant specimens are also appreciated and can be directed to the Assistant Curator.
Since the merger of the Wiegand and Hortorium Herbaria in 1977, the collection has grown to ca. 860,000 specimens. Hortorium specimens are cited using the acronym BH. However, Wiegand material is still distinct, and may be cited as CU if necessary for historical reasons. Over the years, several rubber-stamped, printed, and impressed herbarium seals have been used in preparing botanical specimens for BH and for CU.
How to Use the Collection
The Hortorium Herbarium has recently been reorganized in a renovated facility. The majority of the collection is housed in new cases arranged on compactors; synoptical collections are positioned throughout the herbarium for ready access by faculty and student researchers.
Family delimitations have been modernized according to a modified APG II classification, and families have been reordered alphabetically. Material determined only to family appears at the beginning of the family. Genera, species, and infraspecific taxa are arranged alphabetically within each family. Specimens identified only to genus appear at the end of each genus. One or more miscellaneous arrays of species arranged alphabetically by specific epithet or cultivated variety may appear at the end of larger genera as well. Be sure to check the entire series if you are looking for something specific. Do not hesitate to ask a Curator to help you.
The collection has been curated with color-edged folders to indicate geographic origin, and are arranged within each genus in the order listed below:
BLUE: New York State
MANILA: Other North American material, north of Mexico
GREY: Mexico, South and Central America, including the Caribbean
YELLOW: Europe
ORANGE: Asia
PURPLE: Australia, New Zealand, and nearby Pacific islands
BROWN: Africa & Madagascar
In addition, cultivated specimens have been separated as follows:
DARK GREEN: Cultivated material from U.S. & Canada
YELLOW-GREEN: Cultivated material from other parts of the world.
Type specimens are filed separately. If you discover types within the general collection that are not so indicated, please bring these to the attention of a Curator. Exsiccatae are filed in the series. Our cryptogam collections are especially rich in this historical material.
The Hortorium collection is especially rich in Carex, Rubus, Solanum, Cucurbitaceae, gymnosperms, legumes, Malvaceae, and bryophytes. We house one of two great collections of Palms (80,000+ specimens - the other is at Kew), and the Muller Oak Collection, the premier collection of Fagaceae in North America (ca. 20,000 sheets). Approximately one-fifth of our holdings is New York State material, one of the largest accumulations of local flora vouchers for the state. Geographically we cover all continents, with special strengths in the Americas, Europe, Asia, Australia, and New Zealand, but with limited material from Africa, the Mediterranean region, and the Middle East. Our collection contains representatives of nearly all plant families and bryophyte groups.
General Requests
Please do not bring any plant material into the collection that has not been frozen or fumigated.
The Curators can find you a work space where there are some microscopes and electric outlets for laptop computers or other equipment.
We ask that you close case doors at all times, except when working in the case. This is a specimen protection procedure, to prevent entry of dermestid beetles.
As a general rule, please do not re-file material unless we have discussed this with you. Leave it in your work space when you have finished.
If you would like to borrow specimens, please leave them with a Curator. We can usually process loans within a few days if they are not too large.
We can provide annotation slips and glue if you need them. Please do not write directly on any label. If you want to write on the sheet, use archival ink. If you need to mark the sheet in some way as with a rubber stamp, please consult the Curators about placement.
As a convenience for visitors who may want to curate large groups, specimens may be left in piles with the new identification clearly indicated on top of the pile.
Please do not remove parts from specimens without curatorial permission. If you notice broken pieces. please ask a Curator for a fragment folder. Some of our older specimens may need repair - if you notice this, please give the specimen to a Curator.
Please check out when you leave.
If you have questions about the herbarium or the Ithaca area, feel free to ask. We will do our best to answer, and hope you enjoy your visit to the Bailey Hortorium Herbarium.