In March 2024, the USF Libraries and the USF College of Arts & Sciences formed an extraordinary partnership: the transfer of the USF Herbarium to the Libraries. Together, our goals are to proactively manage, grow, and enhance use of this distinctive and impressive research collection.
Established in 1958, the USF Herbarium acquires, preserves, and makes accessible for research and curricular use several significant collections. It is one of the largest herbaria in the United States and the second largest in Florida.
The USF Herbarium is known for its rich collection of vascular plants, algae, bryophytes, and lichens. The collection has over 270,000 specimens and more than 10,000 books and related resources.
Areas of research and collecting emphasis in the USF Herbarium include: 5,800 Orchidaceae; several thousand specimens from Nepal and Burma; such specific groups as Apocynaceae, Arecaceae (palms), Begoniaceae, Bromeliaceae, Fabaceae (lugiminosea) and Pteridoyphytes (ferns).
Important collections include those of K. Burt-Utley, Edwin L. Bridges, G.R. Colley, B.F. Hansen, R.K. Godfrey, R. Kral, J.M. Kunzer, O. Lakela, R.W. Long, Steve L. Orzell, J.D. Ray, Jr., J. Utley, and R.P. Wunderlin.
Though visits to the USF Herbarium are currently limited while we complete the collection transfer, the Herbarium Specimen Search can be used to search by classification, family, genus, or habitat. The Atlas of Florida Plants is another online tool to identify USF Herbarium specimens.
Books and other print resources can be found in the USF Libraries catalog. Items in the printed collection are available by appointment in the Special Collections Reading Room.