The history of the vascular plant collection may be traced to 1891 when Peter H. Rolfs established the Herbarium of Florida Agricultural College.
There are currently approximately 280,000 accessioned sheets of vascular plants with an excellent representation of the vascular flora of Florida, the southeastern United States coastal plain, and Haiti. The collection is rich in historical material dating back to the mid-1800s: e.g. from 1838 (Nicaragua), 1841 (the Carolinas), and 1843 (Florida).
Collection Catalog and Organization
Researchers should be aware that our collections are only partially cataloged. The University of Florida Herbarium Collections Catalog contains information on 102,939 specimen accessions (of ca. 450,000); last update: 29 July 2021. This catalog is also shared with iDigBio and GBIF. The SERNEC portal includes data from those specimens plus around 120,000 specimens with images and partial data. For an overview of our complete holdings, please consult our cabinet door lists document, a lengthy PDF. This print-out is the basis for the lists posted on each cabinet with the contents to genus and/or species level.
The vascular plant collection families are delimited by a modern classification based on the Angiosperm and Pteridophyte Phylogeny groups publications. The families are arranged “phylogenetically” by a modified Dalla Torre and Harms numbering system which is based on the Engler and Prantl classification system. This system is outlined in Dalla Torre and Harms (1908) – see “References” below. The family numbering codes we use are in our own family list PDFS (alphabetical, numerical). Documents explaining the details of the arrangement are provided to users during the collection orientation.
The vascular plant collection of the University of Florida Herbarium (FLAS) is located at 379 Dickinson Hall in the Florida Museum of Natural History on the UF campus. Room 379 is in the west wing of the street level of Dickinson Hall on Museum Road, just west of Newell Drive.
The online UF campus map may help you locate Dickinson Hall on the University of Florida campus. See the Plan Your Visit page for more information.
Hours: Monday – Friday 9 a.m. – 12 noon; 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., except for holidays and subject to staff availability. Please contact the Collection Manager or Curator to arrange for consultation of specimens prior to your visit.
University of Florida Herbarium (FLAS)
Florida Museum of Natural History
379 Dickinson Hall, 1659 Museum Rd.
PO Box 117800
Gainesville, FL 32611-7800 USA
Dr. Lucas C. Majure Curator of the Herbarium Correspondent for administrative and grant-related matters Phone: (352) 273-2102
Email: lmajure@floridamuseum.ufl.edu
Alan R. Franck
Manager of the Collection Correspondent for loan, exchange, and collection database matters; scheduling a visit) Phone: (352) 273-1984
Email: francka@ufl.edu
Marc S. Frank
Extension Botanist Correspondent for the Plant Identification and Information Service and volunteering Phone: (352) 273-1994
Email: plantid@flmnh.ufl.edu
J. Richard Abbott (Americas, esp. Florida, 1990s to present)
A.W. Chapman (Florida, 1840s-1860s)
A.H. Curtiss (Florida, 1890s)
A. Cuthbert (Georgia and Florida, 1890s-1910s)
R.L. Dressler (Neotropical Orchidaceae, 1970s to present)
A.P. Garber (Florida, 1870s)
A.K. Gholson (Florida and Georgia, 1970s to present)
R.K. Godfrey (Southeastern U.S., esp. Florida, 1950s to present)
S.C. Hood (Florida, 1900s-1910s; United States, 1940s-1950s)
H.H. Hume (Florida, 1930s-1950s)
W.S. Judd (Florida, 1970s to present; West Indies (esp. the Dominican Republic and Haiti), 1980s to present)
W.A. Murrill (Florida, 1930s-1950s)
P.H. Rolfs (Florida, 1890s)
F. Rugel (Florida, 1840s)
E.P. & R.P. St. John (Florida ferns, 1930s-1940s)
J.K. Small (Florida, 1910s-1930s)
D.B. Ward (Florida, 1950s-1970s)
E. West (Florida, 1930s-1950s)
Dalla Torre, C. G. de et H. Harms. Register zu de Dalla Torre et Harms: Genera Siphonogamarum ad Systema Englerianum Conscripta. W. Engelmann, Leipzig [Germany]. 1908. Facsimile reprint by Verlag von H. R. Engelmann (J. Cramer), Weinheim [Germany]. 1958. 568 pp. 28 cm.