Herbarium
The NEBC herbarium limits its scope to the six New England states and is the largest collection for this region anywhere. The vascular herbarium (with more than 253,000 sheets) is currently being integrated with the vascular holdings of the Harvard University Herbaria, but will be maintained in separate color-coded folders (along with Harvard's specimens from the New England states).
The Club's holdings include many specimens collected by Merritt Fernald, Kate Furbish, James Watson Robbins and William Oakes. The vascular herbarium has particularly good representation for Mt. Desert Island, Maine; Coos Co., New Hampshire; the vicinity of Boston, Massachusetts; Essex Co., Massachusetts; Cape Cod; Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard. Type specimen data and other databases for our vascular plants are included in the Harvard University Herbaria online databases. The Club's nonvascular herbarium is housed at Harvard's Farlow Herbarium and is also in the process of being merged with the collections there.
The purpose of the New England Botanical Club Herbarium ( NEBC ) is to support scientific research on plant systematic and ecology. The major objectives of the collection are to represent the diversity of plants occurring spontaneously in New England, and to accurately represent the historic and current distribution of those taxa. The herbarium also serves as a repository for voucher specimens documenting published systematic and ecological studies. The NEBC welcomes additions to the herbarium that support our mission. Detailed information on the acquisition policy of the NEBC is provided in the pdf file NEBC Vascular Herbarium Acquisition Policy. Collectors are urged to contact the Curator before submitting specimens to the Vascular Plant Herbarium.
All loans of specimens are handled through the Harvard University Herbaria. For loan of vascular plant specimens contact Emily Wood or Walter Kittredge of the curatorial staff of the Harvard University Herbaria.
For loan of nonvascular specimens contact Dr. Michaela Schmull of the curatorial staff of the Harvard University Herbaria.
NEBC Herbarium users please note: The Harvard University Herbaria will require that visitors wishing to bring their own plant specimens into the herbarium for study purposes (as opposed to donation of specimens) will need to submit their plant specimens at least 10 days prior to their planned visit in order that the material can be frozen.
