Tuscia Herbarium

TUSCIA HERBARIUM

Anna Scoppola and Simone Cardoni

Herbaria: between museum and research
Although still little known to non-professional amateurs, herbaria are real historical institutions: the most important ones were born in Europe between 1600 and 1850. The Herbarium constitutes an official register of plant species and is therefore the starting point for
verifying new entities and for critically identifying those already known. It is also the place where specialists gather and exchange information, as well as a place to study, revise, acquire or exchange samples (e.g. specimens). In such museums you can realize the
incredible extent of plant diversity and you can get an accurate picture of the real distribution of most plant species.
‘Categorize’ and ‘research’ are two inseparable poles of the scientific enterprise: without either one, the second is unproductive. That’s why scientific research in Botany cannot exist without the presence of a Herbarium which has activities mainly aimed to: – actively increase the number of the preserved species, according to planned programs; – promote the widest information on existing collections; – actively cooperate with a network of other official Herbaria; – use and develop new techniques in the practice of conservation.

Tuscia Herbarium
It is one of the three university Herbaria of Lazio region, and part of the Network of the
Museums of the City of Viterbo and of the Network of University Museums of the CRUI
(Conference of Italian University Rectors). On the invitation of Professor Fabio Maggini and the rector Gian Tommaso Scarascia-Mugnozza, the establishment of Tuscia Herbarium occurred in 1990 pursuant the donation of more than 6000 specimens from the A. Scoppola Herbarium to the Agrobiology and Agrochemistry Department (DABAC). From 2008 to 2011 the Herbarium was a part of Interdepartmental Centre of the Botanical Garden of Viterbo, from 2011 to 2019 was a part of the Experimental Educational Farm and from 2020 belongs to the Department of Agriculture and Forest Science (DAFNE). Currently, it is extended over 140 square meters and it is located on the basement floor of the former Faculty of Agriculture (Building A). The spaces of the Herbarium are divided into: – a main room used for the storage and consultation of specimens, – a room dedicated to the preparation, study and computerisation of the records, – some adjoining areas used for the dehydration, antiparasitic treatments and the conservation of specimens under study- a room to host external researchers and collaborators.  Enlisted in the Index Herbariorum (world’s catalogue of Herbaria) since 1996, with the acronym ‘UTV’, the Tuscia Herbarium today has a collection of more than 40,000 dehydrated records of ‘spermatophytes’ and ‘pteridophytes’ in good condition, systematically assembled in 460 groups of folders, alphabetically organised by Family names. The same criterion is used to organise Genera and Species within Families. The specimens have been provided by more than 750 Italian and foreign collectors. The collection increases by approximately 400-800 regularly classified and archived specimens every year. The Herbarium also has a small library with more than 150 volumes; it is fully equipped to assemble, study, preserve specimens, and for a computerized archive. As a whole, the facility is primarily dedicated to the study of plant biodiversity and its documentation over time, with particular reference to the Italian territory, ensuring consultation and exchange of the specimens mainly across specialists, taxonomists and students.
The Herbarium carries out activities to support the botanical teachings (university course, thesis and internships, realization of didactic herbaria, initiatives for schools, etc.), and takes an active part in  projects managed by the SMA – Sistema Museale di Ateneo –  and DAFNE  Department, aimed to educational service and the diffusion of scientific culture. There are specific instructions regulating the access and permanence in the main collection room, the utilization of the equipment, the consultation of the specimens and of the library. All visitors and users are registered. These disciplinary regulations have been in place for years at the Herbarium.

The collections
The Herbarium retains exsiccata of vascular plants from Italy, especially from Lazio region
and the province of Viterbo, and from Europe and other countries, with particular reference to Bulgaria, Spain, Germany, Morocco, and Kenya. It includes, moreover, important individual records or specific collections of some plant groups grown in the university Botanical Garden in Viterbo, of particular taxonomic interest (Trifolium, Viola, Gastridium, Rubus, ecc.), or belonging to numerous investigations documented by scientific publications reporting that such specimens are preserved in Tuscia Herbarium (e.g. the floras of the Vico Lake, Lamone and Monte Rufeno Natural Reserves, and Marturanum Suburban Park). In addition, the specimens related to other important floras (“M. Casoli di Bomarzo” Reserve, Arcionello Park) have already been archived. Finally, the herbarium hosts five deposited holotypes. Holotypes are single specimens of an organism, on which the original, formal description of any given species is based, and are considered the benchmark reference of the species itself.
Among the most important species, relatively to our territory, the Herbarium collects specimens of  Spergula pentandra L. (Caryophyllaceae), Vicia laeta Ces., V. pisiformis L., V. pimpinelloides Seb. & Mauri, and V. sparsiflora Ten., Lupinus graecus Boiss. & Spruner (Leguminosae), Helianthemun aegyptiacum (L.) Miller (Cistaceae), Ludwigia palustris Elliott (Onagraceae), Hottonia palustris L. (Primulaceae), Chaenorhinum rubrifolium (Rob. & Cast) Fourr. (Scrophulariaceae), Catananche lutea L (Compositae), Orchis palustris (Miller) Crantz (Orchidaceae), Convolvulus meonanthus Hoffm. & Link (Convolvulaceae), Viola hymettia Boiss. & Heldr. (Violaceae), and other very rare or endangered species. In addition to this core of exsiccata related to specific floristic and vegetational contributions, to laurea degrees and Ph.D. thesis, you can also access the specimens collected during major excursions planned in Italy and abroad by scientific societies and international organizations. The most represented families in the collection are Fabaceae, Asteraceae, Poaceae, Rosaceae, and their specimens are consultable directly at the Herbarium or through the website.

GENERAL INFORMATION
Tuscia Herbarium, University of Tuscia, via S. Camillo de Lellis s/n, Viterbo. Italy.
Scientific Coordinator: Prof. Anna Scoppola

Phone: +39 0761/357490 – 357244 e-mail: erbario@unitus.it
Site: http://www.erbario.unitus.it
Free admission on weekdays by reservation, guided tours and activities at the collections classroom.