Oxford University Herbaria Collections
Oxford University Herbaria had its origins in the mid-seventeenth century with the foundation of the Oxford Physic Garden. Today it comprises approximately one million specimens, of which there are at least 35,000 types. Most taxonomic groups and geographical regions are represented. The Herbaria comprise three principal collections: a) Fielding-Druce Herbarium (OXF) - worldwide collection, including all pre-1796 and British holdings; b) Daubeny Herbarium (FHO) - former herbarium of the forestry department and particularly strong in African woody species; and c) Xylarium (FHOw) - wood block and microscope slide collection.
Featured Collections/Activities
Jacob Bobart the Younger (1640-1719) was the Younger was a son of Jacob Bobart the Elder (1599-1680), and succeeded his father as Hortus Praefectus of the Oxford Botanic Garden.
The Oxford University Herbaria are home to a wide range of taxonomic and floristic research initiatives contributing to our knowledge and understanding of the world's flora.
This site publishes data, images and literature from Dillenius' Historia Muscorum.
This website provides access to the botanical watercolours, bramble illustrations and Druce Illustrations by Charlotte Georgina Trower (1855-1928).
The xylarium is the University's wood collection and contains c. 24,000 wood blocks and 13,000 microscope slides; approximately 30% of wood blocks have associated microscope slides.
The fossil collection comprises details and images of some 115 palaeobotanical microscope slides. The collection is primarily used for teaching.
The Gregorio da Reggio collection dated from 1606 is the oldest herbarium collection held in the Fielding-Druce Herbarium at Oxford.
The Sibthorpian Herbaria contains all of the plant specimens collected by John Sibthorp (1758-96) on his eastern Mediterranean expeditions which are associated with the Flora Graeca (1806-40).