Curation

 

The Claude E. Phillips Herbarium

 

            The Claude E. Phillips Herbarium (DOV) is the only public herbarium on the DelMarVa Peninsula.  The Herbarium is housed in a beautiful, state-of-the-art building dedicated in 2000.  The facility is well-equipped and bright, with ample natural light.

 

 

 

Important Facts about DOV

 

•Total Size: ca. 145,000 specimens.

 

•Strengths: Flora of DelMarVa Peninsula (ca. 60,000 sheets), Cyperaceae (ca. 12,500 sheets), mosses & liverworts (ca. 10,000 packets), Lamiaceae (ca. 6,000 sheets).

 

•#Type Specimens (holotypes, isotypes, syntypes only): ca. 200, of which 9 are holotypes.

 

•Annual Growth Rate (number of sheets or packets newly integrated in collection, averaged for last three years): ca. 3300.  This figure does not include a substantial number of recently acquired specimens awaiting mounting.

 

Interior of Claude E. Phillips Herbarium, as Viewed from Northwest Corner.

 

The collection of lichens, mosses, liverworts, seedless vascular plants, nonflowering seed plants, and flowering plants at DOV is expansive and worldwide in coverage.  The Herbarium’s collections also have great chronologic breadth, with the oldest specimen in DOV collected in 1799.  In fact, the Herbarium has a wealth of historically important specimens, including large numbers of specimens collected by William M. Canby, A. W. Chapman, A. H. Curtiss, C. G. Pringle, H. P. Sartwell, and Robert R. Tatnall.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Isotype of sedge from Massaschusetts, U.S.A. (Scirpus debilis var. williamsii, Plantae Exsiccatae Grayanae 26).

Moss from Hawaii, U.S.A. (Dicranodontium falcatum, Hoe 4000).

Sedge from Ecuador (Calyptrocarya glomerulata, Abbott 15584).

 

 

            The Claude E. Phillips Herbarium houses a fine botanical library.  Nearly 3000 books and numerous issues of 75 different periodicals (many complete sets) are included in its literature collection.  The oldest book was published in 1737 and the periodicals date back to the 19th century.  Several books and journals are quite rare.  The strengths of the Herbarium Library are in plant identification, floristics, horticulture, and ethnobotany.  The Herbarium Library Catalog is searchable online.

 

My chief goals as Curator are to

1) Ensure the safekeeping of the specimens housed in DOV

2) Increase the taxonomic and geographic breadth of the collections

3) Facilitate study of DOV specimens by those who have a legitimate interest in them

4) Assist in training the next generation of botanists by teaching students the worth and uses of the collection, and

5) Use the collection in my research.

Toward these ends, I welcome request for loans and exchanges of specimens.  Visitors to the Herbarium are welcome, too.  Regular hours of operation are Monday–Friday, 8:30 am–4:40 pm.  I recommend writing or calling before visiting, to ensure a Herbarium staff member will be here to assist you (contact information below).

 

Mr. Louis Calabrese, a dedicated Herbarium volunteer, preparing specimens of sedges.

 

The Claude E. Phillips Herbarium is such a success largely because of the generosity of talented volunteers.  Opportunities for volunteers abound in the Herbarium.  Specimen preparation, filing of specimens, and processing of specimen loans are just some of the varied and interesting jobs available for volunteers.  Please contact me if you would like to get involved!

 

Contact information for Curator of Claude E. Phillips Herbarium:

 

Dr. Robert F. C. Naczi, Curator

Claude E. Phillips Herbarium

Department of Agriculture & Natural Resources

Delaware State University

Dover, DE 19901

 

rnaczi@desu.edu

302-857-6450 (telephone)

302-857-6460 (fax)

 

 

For more information about the Claude E. Phillips Herbarium, please see the Herbarium webpages maintained by Dr. Arthur O. Tucker.