The herbaria M and MSB (Munich, Germany) integrate their data of specimens collected in Brazil with Brazil’s Virtual Herbarium of Plants and Fungi

The herbaria of the Botanische Staatssammlung München (M) and the University of Munich (MSB) are sharing 5.409 records, 1.546 typus and 5.408 images of specimens collected in Brazil and under their care with Brazil’s Virtual Herbarium of Plants and Fungi.

The Botanische Staatssammlung München (M and MSB). Images from: www.botanischestaatssammlung.de

The herbaria M and MSB have long been intercalated and historically belong together. They hold about 3.2 million specimens of plants, lichens, and fungi from around the world, although their collections are particularly representative for the flora of Bavaria and the Alps, vascular plants of Brazil, Chile, Middle Asia and parts of Africa. Practically all material from Brazil is under the responsibility of M, because of its former director Carl Friedrich Philipp von Martius (17 April 1794 – 13 December 1868).

In October 2014, 5,409 textual records and associated images of specimens collected in Brazil were repatriated and became part of Brazil’s Virtual Herbarium of Flora and Fungi. Most samples were collected during the 19th and early 20th centuries and include material collected by Martius (3,767 samples), Pohl (422), Spruce (250), Sellow (166), Luetzelburg (157), Riedl (114), Krukoff (49), Blanchet (34), and many others.

Over 1,500 samples refer to types, including 361 holotypes, 292 isotypes, and 327 syntypes.

M’s online catalogue of holotypes from Brazil

Check out M’s collection of Brazilian plants at http://www.splink.org.br/index?lang=pt&group=plantas&ts_collectioncode=M&action=search

Read more! 

• M and MSB specimens available at the Brazilian Virtual Herbarium of Plants and Fungi
• M collection metadata at speciesLink network
• Herbarium Botanische Staatssammlung München (M)
• Herbarium of the University of Munich (MSB)