A herbarium is an organized collection of plant and fungal specimens that have been appropriately prepared and preserved, together with information about their identification and provenance. The creation of a herbarium is usually associated with scientific research, either as voucher material or as a support tool for teaching botany. For this reason, herbaria are generally linked to academic or scientific institutions, or both, as is the case with universities.
The Herbarium of the University of Barcelona, internationally recognized by the acronym BCN, houses more than 400,000 specimens, with significant representation of all the major plant groups: algae, bryophytes, cormophytes, fungi and lichens. It also houses important historical collections, mainly from the19th century, as well as several specialized collections, including a fruit and seed collection, an ethnobotanical collection and a teaching herbarium. It is a constantly growing herbarium, thanks to the plant biodiversity research activities carried out by UB, as well as through donations and exchanges with other herbaria around the world.
In 2001, when the Plant Biodiversity Resource Centre (CeDocBiV) was established, the former Herbarium of the Faculty of Biology (BCC Herbarium) and the Herbarium of the Faculty of Pharmacy (BCF Herbarium) were merged, giving rise to the current BCN Herbarium. It subsequently became one of the largest collections in Catalonia and Spain.
A large part of the herbarium is computerized and available online, and relevant specimens have also been digitized. You can consult the collection catalogue in the databases section, and view the images in the virtual herbarium.
Visits
Anyone interested in coming to the CeDocBiV should make an appointment in advance and check the pertinent regulations in order to make the most out of their visit.
Loans
Researchers may request herbarium specimens on loan for a maximum period of six months. Requests must always be made between herbaria, in order to ensure the proper preservation of the specimens. Requests can be submitted by email.
CeDocBiV members who need to consult specimens from another herbarium can send their requirements by email, and the necessary arrangements will be made.