Oxford University Herbaria OXF

There are approximately 10,000 marine and freshwater algal specimens in Oxford University Herbaria (http://herbaria.plants.ox.ac.uk/bol/oxford) collected from the mid-17th century to the mid-20th century. The collection is dominated by British and Irish collections but there are significant collections from the eastern Mediterranean, Australia and the Pacific. The earliest collections were contributed by Jacob Bobart the Younger and William Sherard but the most significant pre-Linnaean contributor was Johann Dillenius; all specimens associated with his Historia Muscorum (1741; http://herbaria.plants.ox.ac.uk/bol/historiamuscorum) are in the collection. Other important collectors are G.R. Bullock-Webster, W.H. Harvey, E.M. Holmes, W.S. Hore, P.V. Titius and F.M.J. Welwitsch. The largest single contributor is A. Peabody’s collection of diatoms from northern England made in the early 1970s. Much of the collection has not been studied since the end of the 19th century. Outside of Dillenius’ collection, as far we know, there are few types. Zoophytes are also included among the collection. The majority of the collection has been databased and may be searched via the Herbaria website.