Herbarium

A herbarium is a collection of dried, pressed, and systematically organized plants, maintained under low humidity and disinfection conditions for their conservation. These plants are intended for botanical study and research.

The Herbarium of the Sóller Botanical Garden (HJBS) is organized according to the systematic sections of pteridophytes, gymnosperms, dicotyledons, and monocotyledons in accordance with BRUMMITT, 1992 Vascular Plant Families and Genera. Within each group, the sheets are ordered alphabetically by families, genera, and species.

The Herbarium is located in the Botanical Institute, in facilities that guarantee its conservation. The sheets are maintained at a relative humidity of 55-60% and a temperature of 21°C, in compact cabinets. All specimens in the collections are frozen for a minimum of 48 hours before entering the herbarium room to prevent infections. The herbarium has pest control through pheromone traps for different potentially harmful species.

The main collection essentially covers the flora of the Balearic Islands and is the result of herborizations carried out by the Botanical Garden staff as a consequence of their work and research activities. Additionally, this collection includes contributions from Jeroni Orell, Maria Mayol, Maurici Mus, Josep A. Rosselló, Gabriel Bibiloni, Guillem Alomar, Antoni Rebassa, Joan Mayol, and Jean-Paul Dagnac.

In addition to the general collection, other historical collections are preserved, such as the herbarium of Father F. Bonafè, the herbarium of Brother Bianor, and that of the Menorcan naturalist Antoni Pons i Guerau de Arellano. The data from these collections can be consulted in the Global Biodiversity Information Facility database.

At present, the entire Herbarium is being computerized with the ELYSIA program, an MS-Access application for herbarium management. It is the standard application of the AHIM (Ibero-Macaronesian Herbaria Association), to which the Sóller Botanical Garden belongs.

The herbarium can be visited by accredited scientists by making a written request. Access to the BONAFÈ and BIANOR collections requires the assistance of Herbarium personnel. The visitor must sign a visit sheet noting the user data, date, and material consulted. Loans are made only to recognized botanical institutions. To make a request, a letter or email must be sent with the name of the Institution, the principal investigator who will review the material, the complete address, email, the list of material requested, and the reason for the request, as well as the date and signature.

Historical collections are not lent out, although photographs of sheets can be requested.