Collections

Herbarium

The herbarium of the Botanische Staatssammlung München (herbarium acronym: M) comprises about 3.2 million dried specimens of plants and fungi and is systematically arranged. Associated are a liquid collection, microscope slide collections, illustrations of plants and fungi, and dried fruits and seeds. The collections are worldwide in scope, but with particular strengths in the flora of Bavaria and the Alps, the vascular plants of Brazil, Chile, Middle Asia and parts of Africa, as well as in lichens and fungi. We estimate that 2-3% of the specimens are type specimens. The herbarium grows at an average rate of 16,000 specimens a year and is estimated to house about 25% of the known species of the world. The collections are available for study after prior arrangement with the curators. Members of the curatorial staff will provide a brief introduction about how to use the collections.

Collectors online and Index of the Collectors

A compilation of the collections and an index of the collectors is given by HERTEL & SCHREIBER 1988: Die Botanische Staatssammlung München 1813–1988 (Eine Übersicht über die Sammlungsbestände). – Mitt. Bot. Staatssamml. München 26: 81–512.

An updated version, sometimes called 'Index Collectorum – M, MSB' or 'Index of Botanists and Mycologists – M, MSB', is online available under the title Index to the collectors represented in the Herbaria M and MSB.

Short portrayals of collectors are presented under Collectors Online.

Collections online

Around 150,000 data records and images referring to herbarium specimens, microscope slides and water colours are online accessible (see Collections Online).

Herbarium and Curators

Algae approx. 150,000 specimens
Curator: Dr. Dagmar Triebel
Fungi approx. 400,000 specimens
Curator: Dr. Dagmar Triebel
Lichens approx. 350,000 specimens
Curator: Dr. Andreas Beck
Bryophytes approx. 350,000 specimens
Curator: Dr. Andreas Beck
Vascular plants approx. 1,900,000 specimens
Curators: Dr. Hans-Joachim Esser, Dr. Andreas Fleischmann
Plant galls and leaf mines approx. 18,000 specimens
Curator: Dr. Andreas Fleischmann

Microscope Slide Collections and Curator

Algae (diatoms) approx. 13,000 specimens
Curator: Dr. Dagmar Triebel
Fungi (mycorrhizae, slime moulds) approx. 5,500 specimens
Curator: Dr. Dagmar Triebel

Spirit Collections and Curators

Algae (diatoms) approx. 2,200 specimens
Curator: Dr. Dagmar Triebel
Fungi (ICEM ectomycorrhizae) approx. 2,500 specimens
Curator: Dr. Dagmar Triebel
Vascular plants approx. 2,000 specimens
Curator: Dr. Andreas Fleischmann

Water Colour Collections and Curator

Fungi approx. 6,000 specimens
Curator: Dr. Dagmar Triebel

Current Exsiccatae

H. Hertel, Lecideaceae Exsiccatae
V. John, Lichenes Anatolici Exsiccati
F. Schuhwerk, Cormophyta Exsiccata
D. Triebel, Microfungi Exsiccati

Loan Regulations

Loans of herbarium specimens are granted following standard regulations. For loan management we use DiversityCollection, one of the modules of the Diversity Workbench.