Vilnius University Herbarium – Treasury of Knowledge of the Past and the Present
- What is a Herbarium?
In general, a Herbarium is a scientific institution that gathers, stores, and researches plant and fungal collections. This institution provides an unlimited resource of raw scientific data. In the narrowest meaning, a Herbarium is an assortment of specially collected and labelled plants, either dried or fixed in a solution. Herbarium illustrates the combination of scientific, historical, and cultural values.
- Structure of Vilnius University Herbarium
The Herbarium of Vilnius University is composed of four sections: the Herbarium Generale (herbarium of foreign specimens), the Herbarium Lithuanicum (herbarium of Lithuanian specimens), the Historical Collection, and the Museum of the Herbarium. Specimens of plants, algae, and fungi are stored and researched in the Herbarium.
The collection of the Herbarium Generale comprises specimens from all over the world and is constantly supplemented with floral samples from abroad.
The Historical Collection was established before the beginning of the 20th century. This section is of immense scientific, historical, ethnic, and cultural value. The importance of the Historical Collection as a regional documentary heritage has been recognised by the UNESCO Memory of the World Programme, which has enlisted the collection in the Lithuanian National Registry. The unique, rare personal collections, created before the beginning of the 20th century, are also attributed to this Historical Collection.
The collection of the Herbarium Lituanicum comprises samples dating from the beginning of the 20th century to the present, collected from the territory of the Republic of Lithuania. It is the most extensive and continually updated collection that represents the diversity and changes of Lithuanian flora, as well as the distribution of various taxonomic groups of plants in Lithuania. A large section of this collection has been created from specimens collected in different regions of Lithuania by students during their field studies and in preparation for graduation theses.
The Museum of Herbarium presents the merits of the botanical world to the public. Visitors are welcome to explore various exhibitions showcasing the development of botany studies at Vilnius University and to discover the variety of plants, mosses, algae, and fungi in Lithuania. Visitors are kindly asked to book their visit in advance by contacting the Herbarium.
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Director of Herbarium Dr. Mindaugas Rasimavičius Phone: +370 5 223 4355, +370 5 239 8263; Address: Room V010, Saulėtekio al. 7, Vilnius, Lithuania
Personnel: Dr. Jonė Rukšėnienė, phone: +370 5 239 8251, +370 5 223 4355, Room V008 Dr. Jūratė Tupčiauskaitė, phone: +370 5 223 4355, Room V008
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