About Us
The UCF Herbarium was founded in 1968 for the deposit, curation, and study of preserved plant and fungi specimens. Vascular plants, mosses, liverworts, lichens, fungi and macro-algae can all be found in the collections of the UCF Herbarium. The growing collection includes over 20,000 specimens some dating back to the 1920s.
Most collections are from the Central Florida region (many from the UCF campus itself) but representative specimens from all over the world can also be found tucked away like hidden jewels. Many of the older specimens collected locally represent plants in habitats that have been lost due to development and thus serves as an important record of past biodiversity.
Some of the notable collections deposited in the UCF Herbarium include those made by Mary Singeltary, Harvey A. Miller, Sam Hopkins, Henry Whittier, and Paul O. Schallert. Numerous UCF undergraduate and graduate students have also donated specimens, many serving as vouchers for their research and theses.
Herbarium Director – Elizabeth Harris
PROJECTS
Curation
Curation is an ongoing process at the Herbarium. Staff are continually adding new specimens to the collection, while working to maintain the sanctity of the collection as a whole.
Digitizing
In the near future we aim to create a digital archive of our collection organized into an electronic database. We will create a permanent virtual duplicate copy of our archive and make data more accessible to researchers.
RESEARCH
Herbaria are essential for the studies of taxonomy, bio-geography, systematics, and evolution. We can also track changes in morphology over time to answer larger questions about human interaction, climate change, and conservation management.
Voucher Specimens:
The use of voucher specimens improves the quality of any research project involving taxonomy or anatomy.The UCF herbarium gladly provides a home for well preserved plant specimens involved in student research projects.
Specimen Loan/Exchange:
The Herbarium actively participates in specimen loans and exchanges with other herbaria around the world. In the near future we aim to digitize this collection to make data more accessible to researchers.
RESOURCES
Atlas of Florida Vascular Plants: http://www.florida.plantatlas.usf.edu/
Environmental Health Safety: http://www.ehs.ucf.edu/
SouthEast Regional Network of Expertise Collections: http://sernec.org/
Tree of Life Web Project: http://tolweb.org/tree/
UCF Arboretum: http://arboretum.ucf.edu/
UCF Lanscape & Natural Resources: http://www.green.ucf.edu/
Location
The UCF Herbarium is located just off of the UCF Main Campus at the Research Pavilion Building in Suite 305.
UCF Herbarium
12424 Research Parkway, Suite 305
Orlando, FL 32826
Show on Map: http://map.ucf.edu/?show=8102
Please contact a member of our staff for information about scheduling a visit or volunteering.