Botany: Herbarium Pacificum (BISH)
The Herbarium Pacificum (BISH) collection consists of approximately 600,000 plant specimens, with emphasis on Hawai‘i and the Pacific Basin, but with representative material from other regions. The collections of Hawaiian plants form the largest and most comprehensive assemblage of such specimens in the world, with approximately 182,500 specimens.
Summary of Collections at BISH as of August 1, 2006.
Numbers in brackets give the percentage of collections databased.
| Collection | Hawaiian items | World items | Total |
| Type specimens | 5,518 (100) |
5,299 (100) |
10,819 |
| Vascular plants | 131,963 (100) |
c.350,000 (15) |
c.481,963 |
| Bryophytes | 12,520 (100) |
c.18,595 (9) |
c.31,115 |
| Algae | 30,038 (100) |
40,302 (100) |
70,340 |
| Fungi & lichens | 5,256 (100) |
c.9,000 (38) |
c.14,256 |
| Totals | 185,295 (100) |
c.423,196 (23) |
c.608,491 |
Numerous collections of major importance to Hawaiian botany are located at BISH, including those by H. St. John, F.R. Fosberg, O. Degener, J.F. Rock, C.N. Forbes, B.C. Stone, D.R. Herbst, W.L. Wagner, D. Nelson, U.J. Faurie, G.C. Munro, H. Mann, and W.T. Brigham.
Type specimens have been photographed and are housed in a fire-protected room.
Need to borrow specimens or visit the Herbarium Pacificum? Click here for more information.
Collections Management
- Care and curation of BISH collections.
- Databasing of all Pacific vascular plant, bryophyte, and algae specimens.
- Geo-referencing of all Hawaiian specimen localities using the MaNIS protocols.
- Digital imaging of Hawaii's rare and endangered species.
Current Projects
- Assisting with the identification of unknown plant specimens for State and Federal Agencies, non-profit organizations, and the general public
- Ask a Bishop Museum Scientist
- Oahu Early Detection of incipient weed species program.
- LIP Restoration Project - Kalauao Valley, Oahu
- LIP Restoration Project - Recovery of Bidens micrantha subsp. kalealaha, Lanai
- Hawaii's Invasive Plant Species: an interactive key for the identification and management of invasive species in Hawaii
- Parental identification of Delissea subcordata using molecular markers
Current HBS Surveys and Inventories
- Botanical Inventory of Board of Water Supply lands, Waihe‘e and Kahalu‘u Valley, Oahu
Current PBS Surveys and Inventories
- Marine Benthic Algae of Jarvis Island and Kingman Reef, Line Islands
- Marine Benthic Algae of the Northern Mariana Islands
- Marine Benthic Algae from the Manu‘a Islands, American Samoa
- Pacific Basin Vascular Plant Checklist
- Pacific Grass Checklist
For more information, contact Botany staff at (808) 848 4181
