Herbarium
L’Herbarium de l’Université de Liège est le principal Herbarium de Wallonie et compte environ 600 000 échantillons...
The Collections of the Herbarium
The Herbarium of the University of Liège is the largest Herbarium in Wallonia with about 600,000 samples of flowering plants, conifers, ferns, lycophytes, mosses, lichens, fungi and algae. The majority of the items are duly documented herbarium plates, but there are also jars containing plant parts preserved in alcohol or other plant structures, such as seeds or fruits. European and African flora are particularly well represented.
The aim of the collection is to document the diversity of the plant world on Earth and its evolution as well as to keep track of scientific progress in the field of botany.
Remarkable Pieces
Among the remarkable pieces, we can mention the collections of Bromeliads (the pineapple family) of Prof. Morren, dating from the 19th century, or the collections of Prof. Lambinon, which served as a basis for the realisation of the New Flora of Belgium, the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, the north of France and the neighbouring regions - well known to the students under the name of "Flore bleue". There is also a remarkable herbarium of galls (plant infections caused by insects, other invertebrates or fungi).
The Herbarium has over 3,000 type specimens. A type specimen is the original sample on the basis of which a species is described. This sample is therefore the absolute reference for this species at a global level, which gives it a high scientific value.
Lively Research
The Herbarium is an essential support for botanical research and teaching. At present, thanks to the expertise of various teams of ULiège scientists, the research carried out in the Herbarium is particularly active with regard to mosses, lichens and fungi.
A Constantly Growing and Consulted Collection
Samples from all over the world are constantly added to the collections, coming from the collections made by the researchers for their work. This is how the herbarium has recently been enriched with samples from Papua New Guinea, Malaysia, China, Japan, Madagascar, Brazil, to name but a few.
Conversely, researchers from all over the world need to consult the Liege collections. National and international exchanges are thus organised with other institutions. The digitisation of the collections, which is underway thanks to a team of scientists and volunteers, is giving the Herbarium a new dynamic. All of the Herbarium's collections will soon be available online and accessible to all, including the general public, who flock to the museum for special events.
