Directory of World’s Public Herbaria

Listed below are herbaria (Malaysia and Top 100 largest Herbaria in the world) that was registered and recognized by International Association for Plant Taxonomy (IAPT).

According to The World’s Herbaria 2020 which was published on 7th January 2021, Malaysia consists of 14 active herbaria. Latest annual report reporting that the newest herbarium added into IAPT and Herbarium Index came with the code UNISZA with total of 423 specimen. Up till 2022, 15 herbaria was registered under International Association for Plant Taxonomy (IAPT); with current status of 14 active and 1 inactive (code UKMS; not in the list) .

Below is the list of active herbaria in Malaysia along with the mapping location (refer Figure 1).

Herbarium NameInstitution Address (State)Herbarium IndexNumber of SpecimenDate foundedWebsiteNote
THE KEPONG HERBARIUMHerbarium Forest Research Institute Malaysia,
Kepong, 52109 Selangor, Malaysia
(SELANGOR)
KEP3000001908 KEP Herbarium website
Herbarium’s brochure
Taxonomic Coverage: Vascular plants

Geography Coverage: Malaysia, especially Malaya and Borneo; Indo-China

*A part of specimen in KEP was transferred from Herbarium Forestry Department
UM HERBARIUMHerbarium Rimba Ilmu,
Institute of Biological Sciences,
University of Malaya,
50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
(SELANGOR)
KLU630001960KLU Herbarium website
List of KLU specimen
Taxonomic Coverage: All groups

Geography Coverage: Emphasis on Old World tropics, especially Malay Archipelago
UKM HERBARIUMHerbarium of Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM),
Biological Sciences and Biotechnology,
Department Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) Bangi,
43600 Selangor, Malaysia
(SELANGOR)
UKMB121,0001970Herbarium UKMB webpageTaxonomic Coverage: Systematics, Ecology, Phytochemical and Ethnobotanical Collections

Geography Coverage: Malay Peninsula and Flora Malesiana region

*10 000 current specimen in UKMB was transferred from UKM Sabah (UKM branch) on 1995

*As of 9th July 2021, UKMB herbarium is closed for visitors.

Any enquiries please contact:
UKMB Email: [email protected].
UKMB Curator’s email : [email protected]
UPM HERBARIUMHerbarium,
Department of Biology,
Faculty of Science,
Universiti Putra Malaysia,
Serdang,
43400 Selangor, Malaysia
(SELANGOR)
UPM60001976UPM Herbarium webpageTaxonomic Coverage: Vascular plants

Geography Coverage: Peninsular Malaysia
MARDI HERBARIUMMDI
Resource Utilisation and Agrobiodiversity Conservation Programme,
Agrobiodiversity and Environment Research Centre,
Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute,
MyGeneBank Complex,
Persiaran MARDI-UPM
Serdang,
43400 Selangor Malaysia (SELANGOR)
MARDI150001977MARDI Herbarium webpage
Taxonomic Coverage: Wild forest species, traditional vegetables, tropical fruit species

Geography Coverage: Tropical
MDI HERBARIUMMARDI Agrobiodiversity Herbarium,
Agricultural Seed Genebank Complex,
MARDI Headquarters, Persiaran MARDI-UPM,
Strategic Resources Research Centre,
Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute (MARDI),
Serdang, 43400 Selangor Malaysia
(SELANGOR)
MDI128001986 MARDI Herbarium webpage Taxonomic Coverage: Wild tropical fruits

Geography Coverage: Malaysia and Borneo
HERBARIUM PERDANA BOTANICAL GARDENPERDANA BOTANICAL GARDEN,
Jalan Kebun Bunga, Tasik Perdana,
55100 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
(SELANGOR)
This herbarium is not registered under IAPT but open to public visit/public studyN/A2017PERDANA Herbarium websiteGeography Coverage: Forest in Peninsular Malaysia
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE HERBARIUMHerbarium
Crop Protection and Plant Quarantine Division,
Department of Agriculture
Jalan Gallaher,
Kuala Lumpur 50632
Malaysia
(SELANGOR)
KLAN/A1696No available website foundN/A
UMT HERBARIUMHerbarium,
School of Marine and Environmental Sciences,
Universiti Malaysia Terengganu
Kuala Terengganu,
Terengganu 21030 Malaysia
(TERENGGANU)
UMTP50002016University webpageTaxonomic Coverage: Vascular plants, bryophytes

Geography Coverage: Malaysia
UNISZA HERBARIUMHerbarium
Department of Plant Science and Biotechnology,
Faculty of Bioresources and Food Industry,
Besut Campus,
Besut, 22200 Terengganu Malaysia
(TERENGGANU)
UNISZA4232008University websiteTaxonomic Coverage: Vascular Plants

Geography Coverage: Malaysia
USMP HERBARIUMHerbarium
Universiti Sains Malaysia
11800 Penang Malaysia
(PENANG)
USMP111001969USMP Herbarium webpage
Taxonomic Coverage: Vascular plants and bryophytes

Geography Coverage: Malaysia
SEPILOK ARBORETUMHerbarium
Sabah Forestry Department
Forest Research Centre,
P.O. Box 1407 Sepilok,
Sandakan, 90715 Sabah Malaysia
(SABAH)
SAN273,5991916SAN Herbarium webpageTaxonomic Coverage: Vascular plants; mainly Borneo

Type of service :
1. Plant Specimen loans
2. Exchange of duplicate herbarium specimens
HERBARIUM UMSHerbarium
Institute for Tropical Biology and Conservation,
Universiti Malaysia Sabah,
Locked Bag 2073
Kota Kinabalu,
Sabah 88999 Malaysia
(SABAH)
BORH64101996BORH Herbarium webpageTaxonomic Coverage: Bryophytes; pteridophytes; Zingiberaceae; medicinal plants

Geography Coverage: Borneo
HERBARIUM SABAH PARKHerbarium
Botany Section
Research and Education Division,
Sabah Parks,
P.O. Box 10626
Kota Kinabalu,
Sabah 88806 Malaysia
(SABAH)
SNP290701981Sabah Park websiteTaxonomic Coverage: All plant groups

Geography Coverage: Sabah, especially montane areas
SARAWAK DEPARTMENT FORESTRY HERBARIUMSarawak Herbarium,
Forest Research Centre,
Department of Forestry,
Mile 6 Penrissen Road
Kuching,
93250 Sarawak Malaysia
(SARAWAK)
SAR300,0001961SAR Herbarium webpageGeography: Sarawak; Malaysia

* On March 1961, some of the specimen in SAR was transferred from Herbarium Sarawak Museum (now in Inactive status)
List of active herbaria in Malaysia
Figure 1 shows the location of active and registered (with IAPT) herbaria in Malaysia

Top 100 largest herbarium (defined by total number of specimens in particular herbarium) in the world. The data below is sorted by regions involved ( Europe, Asia, Africa and America) along with their ranking.

TOP-100-LARGEST-HERBARIA-TOP-100-INF-2

Below is Vocabulary Aids to assist readers in understanding the context of this page content.

TERMINOLOGYDEFINITION
Herbarium IndexOfficial acronym (code) that is used as a standard for referring to the institution and its specimens.

An international and standardize guide that records the physical location, holdings, and contact information of the world’s herbaria.
Taxanomic Coverage Category of plants covered in respective herbarium
No. of SpecimensTotal number of pressed and mounted plants, seeds, dry fruits, wood sections, pollen, microscope slides, silica-stored materials, frozen DNA extractions, and fluid-preserved flowers or fruits in the respective herbarium.
Please note that the definitions in this Vocabulary Aids is reflected in herbaria context only.
TERMINOLOGYDEFINITION
Geography CoverageGeographic extent of the collections in respective herbarium
Flora Malesiana Region Region including Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Brunei Darussalam, the Philippines, Timor-Leste and Papua New Guinea
Montane regionsRegion of/relating to the biogeographic zone of relatively moist cool upland slopes below timberline

Region of mountain slopes
Specimens Include pressed and mounted plants, seeds, dry fruits, wood sections, pollen, microscope slides, silica-stored materials, frozen DNA extractions, and fluid-preserved flowers or fruits
Please note that the definitions in this Vocabulary Aids is reflected in herbaria context only.