Shirley C. Tucker Herbarium (LSU) at Louisiana State University

Bernard Lowy Mycological Herbarium (LSUM)

Welcome to the Herbarium

Our compactor system houses our main collection. It is stored in 450 insect-resistant herbarium cases using a White Storage system funded by The State of Louisiana.

 

Our Viking plant drier for specimen preparation, purchased with funds from the State of Louisiana.

 

Our ThermoForma -86C ULT Freezer for controlling insect infestation, purchased with NSF funds.


Facility

Each of the 50 rows on our compactor system has four- double-door Viking cases; with one LSU case in the middle of the cases. Viking cases were purchased with NSF funds.

History of the Herbarium

Founded in 1869, the Shirley C. Tucker Herbarium at Louisiana State University is the oldest collection of preserved plant specimens in the Gulf South and is the second largest collection of Louisiana plants. Originally composed entirely of specimens of vascular plants, LSU's herbaria now also include fine collections of lichens and fungi, as well as bryophytes and algae. In all, the LSU Herbaria contain ca. 180,000 specimens, with over 40,000 lichens (the largest lichen collection in the Gulf Region) and ca. 25,000 fungi (the second-largest collection of its kind in this region).

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