Pantnagar Journal of Research

Abstract

Virtual herbarium is a database of images of herbarium specimens and these images can be accessed via internet. It is advancement in herbarium use as physical specimens are not damaged in consultation, many users can see specimen at the same time, and the consultation of herbarium is faster and economic. Virtual herbaria can be developed from existing physical herbaria to facilitate access of herbarium. This study presents the digitization of the physical herbarium of G.B. Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Pantnagar (GBPUH), which is also listed in Index Herbariorum. The herbarium contains more than 1500 specimens collected from different parts of Uttarakhand, and out of which 1,342 specimens, representing 34 orders, 84 families, 301 genera, and 416 species of angiosperms, were systematically digitized. High-resolution images were captured, and brief metadata which include scientific names, collection locality, and collector information, were recorded. An online database, ‘Virtual Herbarium Pantnagar’, was developed using the Google Sites platform, comprising 7 main pages and 97 subpages, each dedicated to a specific plant family or other information. The database hosts 454 images of herbarium specimens, with an additional 365 images accessible through embedded hyperlinks. This digital herbarium enhances accessibility of stored specimens to all interested in the flora of Uttarakhand.