The JABU Herbarium collection brings together samples of exsiccatae, a bank of tissues in silica gel, and liquid-preserved samples, mainly of angiosperms (flowering plants), totaling approximately 2,000 samples.

Most of the collection consists of exsiccatae, which are dry samples sewn onto cardboard, a simple and effective procedure that has been used for centuries by naturalists. The exsiccatae collected by Charles Darwin (19th century), one of the authors of the theory of evolution, and by Linnaeus (18th century), the father of modern taxonomy (the science of organism classification), are still kept in European herbaria, bearing witness to the travels and studies of these naturalists.

Any work involving plants must have a sample deposited in a herbarium. This material is called a voucher and is required in the publication of scientific studies and also in the presentation of dissertations and theses, being proof of the existence of the plant. Each material deposited in a herbarium can serve for studies of various types, from morphological and classification to biochemical (from these samples it is possible to extract DNA and other molecules) and even historical.

Thanks to samples deposited in a museum such as the herbarium, we can know about the flora that exists today as well as that which has been destroyed: we know about the forest formations or grasslands that existed in Jaboticabal and on the plateau thanks to collections deposited in herbaria.

The deposit of samples is important not only for wild species, but also for cultivars and forms of agronomic and landscape importance. Thus, every biological collection is a heritage of importance not only regionally, but also for humanity, and should be preserved ad aeternum!

The JABU Herbarium collection is currently being digitized and soon the samples will also be available with images – at the moment only textual information is available.

The JABU Herbarium and its collection are integrated into various national and worldwide databases, such as the Brazilian Biodiversity Information System (SiBBr), the speciesLink network, the REFLORA Virtual Herbarium, and the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF).

In addition to showcasing our university, the most important thing is that the availability of the collection contributes to the democratization of knowledge, with the collection accessible to all people with internet access. But it is important to note that the herbarium is also available in physical form, with visits by appointment possible.

The Herbarium is a public museum and, as such, also plays an important role in education and culture. We regularly receive visits from schools, students, researchers from Brazil and abroad, or even laypeople who are interested in knowing or identifying a species of plant or another.

Thus, everyone is invited to get to know our Herbarium. We are available to receive the entire academic community, as well as to answer any questions.

Sincerely,

JABU Herbarium team