A Volunteer Mounting Herbarium Specimens. [photo: Jane Bowles] Herbarium
The University of Western Ontario Herbarium [UWO] comprises over 42,000 specimens of vascular plants, with best representation of the plants of southwestern Ontario, and sparse coverage of the remainder of Canada, the United States and other parts of the world. In addition there are several thousand specimens of Crataegus (Rosaceae) from all parts of North America including Mexico as well as small bryophyte and lichen collections.
The herbarium lies in the centre of the Carolinian Zone of southwestern Ontario, floristically the richest region of Canada. At least one specimen of most of the 2,500 or so native and non-native plants found growing in the wild in the surrounding area is represented in the herbarium. Collections at UWO have supported the production of regional checklists for the Carolinian Zone including Middlesex, Oxford and Elgin Counties (Oldham et al., 1991), Lambton County (Tiedje & Tiedje, 1994) and Elgin County (Stewart & James, 1969). The herbarium has partnerships with Carolinian Canada to produce educational and outreach material on species and habitats at risk in the Carolinian Zone.
Faculty, students and other visitors are welcome to visit the herbarium and use its facilities. Occasional introductory workshops are held on the plant collecting, using a herbarium and plant identification. For more information contact Jane Bowles, Curator.
