Bryophyte collections
Herbarium sheet with numerous specimens of the moss Splachnum
The Museum's Bryophyte Herbarium is among the largest in the world, incorporating more than 900,000 specimens.
The majority of the herbaria were accumulated by notable bryologists of the late 18th to early 20th centuries.
These pioneers of bryophyte taxonomy described thousands of new taxa from every continent and consequently the Museum now holds some 32,000 type specimens.
Further important material acquired more recently includes large collections from:
- Malesia
- India
- the Seychelles
- the Mascarenes
- New Zealand
Many new taxonomic and distributional data have been, and remain to be, revealed through examination of this material.
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Bryophyte collection statistics
Details of the numbers of moss, liverwort and hornwort specimens held by the Museum.
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British collections
The collections provide a means to track changes in British bryophyte flora and include the herbaria of authors of national floras.
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International collections
Gathered by important 19th century bryologists, including international moss and liverwort specialists.
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Collections management and curation
Discover how specimens are curated in the Bryophyte Herbarium.