Botanical Department

Department

The Herbarium Collection of the Botanical Department was established in 1987 and currently contains approximately 100,000 herbarium specimens of vascular plants. The collection continues to grow each year through the addition of newly collected botanical material.

The collection comprises three principal units:

Herbarium of Vascular Plants
Trinajstić Herbarium
Algae Collection

The core activities of the Botanical Department include plant collection, research into flora and vegetation, and the scientific and professional processing of botanical material. These activities encompass specimen preparation, identification, documentation, conservation, and the presentation of botanical collections through temporary exhibitions and educational programmes.

The Department’s long-term goal is to continue its professional, scientific, and educational development while further expanding the Herbarium Collection. Through systematic acquisition and documentation of new plant material, the collection aims to provide a comprehensive representation of Croatia’s rich floristic diversity. In doing so, it serves as an invaluable scientific resource for researchers and the wider public, while preserving a record of the country’s natural heritage for future generations.

Historical Background

More than 160 years ago, the former National Museum housed a herbarium collection alongside other natural history collections. The herbarium consisted of donated collections assembled by numerous collectors and distinguished botanists, most notably Josip Kalasancije Schlosser and Ljudevit Vukotinović, authors of the landmark work Flora Croatica.

The collection remained in the Museum until 1875, when it was transferred by government decision to the University Botanical and Physiological Institute. There it became the foundation of the herbarium of the Botanical Department of the Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb (Herbarium Croaticum), today the largest herbarium in Croatia.

Following the merger of three former museums into the Croatian Natural History Museum, the Botanical Department was formally established in 1987. The collection of contemporary botanical material resumed under the leadership of Dr Mirjana Vrbek, who consolidated the specimens into a unified Herbarium Collection.

Thanks to intensive collecting and scientific processing, the collection rapidly developed and, in 1996, was included in the international herbarium directory Index Herbariorum (Bronx, New York), recognizing it as a significant herbarium collection on a global scale.

Botanical Collections and Preparation Techniques

For long-term preservation, plant specimens are prepared using traditional herbarium techniques involving pressing, drying, and mounting on archival paper sheets.

For exhibition purposes, however, alternative preparation methods are also employed. During the preparation of the exhibition Poison and Cure (2008), selected plant specimens were preserved by embedding pressed and dried material in epoxy resin. This technique enables specimens to retain their natural appearance and colour more effectively over time, creating visually appealing displays while ensuring long-term preservation.