SANBI The National Herbarium (PRE), Pretoria

Overview

The National Herbarium, designated by the herbarium code PRE, is situated within the Pretoria National Botanical Garden and managed by the South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI). It is the largest herbarium in Africa and the fourth largest in the Southern Hemisphere, housing more than 1.2 million plant specimens. The herbarium is the primary reference collection for southern African flora and a cornerstone of botanical and biodiversity research in the region.

History and Founding

The National Herbarium dates to 1903, when Joseph Burtt Davy, the first agronomist in the Transvaal Government, established a herbarium in Pretoria. In 1918, the herbarium was formally named the National Herbarium. The current herbarium building was erected in 1973 to accommodate the expanding collection. In 1991, the Botanical Research Institute amalgamated with the National Botanic Gardens of South Africa to form the National Botanical Institute, the forerunner of SANBI. SANBI itself was formally established under the National Environmental Management: Biodiversity Act No. 10 of 2004. Over the decades, the collection has been enriched by several major additions, including the herbaria of the Transvaal Museum (TRV), the E.E. Galpin collection, the Saasveld Herbarium, and the Forestry Herbarium (PRF).

Collections and Holdings

The National Herbarium holds approximately 1.2 million specimens, of which over 900,000 are computerized in the PRECIS database. Most specimens are from southern Africa, but the collection extends across the African continent and surrounding islands, with small collections from outside Africa. Vascular plants, bryophytes, and lichens are all represented. The cryptogamic collection includes more than 80,000 mounted specimens of bryophytes. The collection contains historical specimens from collectors active as far back as the 1800s and includes over 25,000 type specimens—specimens to which scientific names are permanently tied. The collection rooms are each named in honour of a previous director.

Access and Usage

The herbarium is open to registered researchers. Plant identification services are available, and loans to other herbaria can be arranged. The herbarium's data is accessible through SANBI's Botanical Database of Southern Africa (BODATSA) and contributed to the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF). SANBI's collections support conservation assessments, biodiversity planning, policy, and taxonomic research, including the South African National Plant Checklist and the Red List of South African Plants.