Index Herbariorum

• Title

  Index Herbariorum

• Definition

  Index Herbariorum (the abbreviation is IH) provides codes (called acronyms) for the herbaria of the world with more than 5,000 specimens. In addition, it gives the essential information about the number of specimens, important collections, a list of staff, and a summary of the specialties of the herbaria and their staff. The IH is published electronically which enables updating the information periodically and allows for the data to be retrieved through searches. For example, assume that a user wanted to find out if there were specialists in Sapotaceae, he or she could type the family name into the specialty box and Sapotaceae specialists in all registered herbaria will be listed. The current manager of IH is Dr. Barbara Thiers, the Director Emerita of the Herbarium of The New York Botanical Garden. Please contact bthiers@nybg.org for all IH inquiries.

• *For more educational content, please visit The Hand Lens and explore our herbarium collections and the stories they tell.