The Herbarium 
The Herbarium was first started in 1880 to house collections of dried and 
preserved specimens for research and academic purposes^ To date ; ‘ :,ose 
a million specimens have accrued over the years. Of these, a total of 300,000 
specimens have already been indexed. 
Specimens for the herbarium are collected mainly from neighbouring countries 
and adjacent territories, and include many important collections of ferns, pa ms, 
gingers and grasses. 
Herbarium specimens are mounted on sheets and arranged according to the 
Bentham & Hooker system of classification. Some of the oldest specimens are 
as much as 160 years old. The Herbarium provides a vast reservoir of information 
to botanists and research workers who need to refer to accurately named plant 
specimens. 
Dendrobium Mata’aho. 
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