About the Herbarium

The University of Victoria Herbarium (UVIC) is associated with the UVic Department of Biology. It was founded by Dr. Marc Bell in 1962. Dr. Geraldine Allen was Curator from 1981 to 2022. The collection continues to expand through undergraduate and graduate student collections, faculty research, and specimen donations from public and private collectors. The Herbarium at UVic is used for teaching and is available for consultation by all students, faculty and staff at the University and by the general public.

The UVic collection includes vascular plants (~50,000 specimens), bryophytes and lichens mainly from British Columbia (especially Vancouver Island), but also from nearby areas including Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Alberta, and Yukon, and elsewhere. The collection houses a large collection of North American asters (Asteraceae), especially the genera Eucephalus and Symphyotrichum. Special collections include those of Arctic plants (Dewline Collection), lacustrine aquatics and macrophytes, and marine algae. Other resources include a small reference library of 700 non-circulating books and a collection of B.C. topographic maps (mostly 1:50,000).