An herbarium is a storehouse of invaluable information for use by the general public and researchers involved in any area of study where plant information is of use. It is a collection of preserved plant specimens -- identified, labeled and mounted -- that serve as a lasting record. The specimen label gives information of the plant upon its collection, and thus serves as a documented voucher for the plant and the conditions in which it was collected. Early herbaria took the form of sheets bound in book-like volumes for private collections. The modern herbarium has evolved into a system of separate specimen sheets, filed in special cabinets, classified and arranged alphabetically by botanical nomenclature. Institutions commonly house specimens, thereby making them more accessible to researchers. Herbaria serve to house reference material, to provide means of plant identification, as an arbiter of correct names and as a databank of the diversity and distribution
of regional vegetation.

Research uses of the herbarium include, but are not limited to: plant identifiction, plant and plant identification, plant and plant anatomy comparisons, population studies, mapping invasive species, vouchering specimens for studies and programs, and housing type specimens. The Desert Botanical Garden Herbarium (DES) contains over 60,000 accessioned specimens. It was designated as a National Resource Collection in l974 and houses important desert plant collections of early Arizona botanists and current research staff.

The collection is composed of plants from arid and semi-arid regions worldwide, with particular emphasis on the southwestern U.S. and northern Mexico. The representation of cacti (3,000 specimens) and agaves (1,800 specimens) is especially strong. The herbarium houses voucher specimens that substantiate the identity of plants in the living collection, and serves as a repository for plants cited in ethnobotanical studies of the southwestern U.S. and Mexico. The herbarium collection is used by both garden staff and visiting scientists as an aid in floristic and taxonomic work. In addition, specimens are loaned to researchers at botanical gardens and universities throughout the world.

The Garden's herbarium began to catalog its specimens in a collections database in 2001. This database now contains over 4,000 entries, with additions made daily. This database is accessible on the World Wide Web through the Southwestern Natural History Database, which was developed and hosted by the Arizona State University Center for Environmental Studies.

For more information contact:
Wendy Hodgson - 480-481-8108 or email
Andrew Salywon - 480-481-8107 or email