Collections
The Bessey Herbarium was founded in 1874, making it among the oldest in the Great Plains states of Colorado, Kansas, Montana, North Dakota, and Nebraska. The collection has more than 310,000 specimens, including more than 600 type specimens, making it the 30th largest in the country and among the largest in the Great Plains. The largest parts of the collection are, in descending order, from Nebraska, the Great Plains, the Rocky Mountains, other parts of North America, and Europe. It contains important collections by such scientifically notable Nebraskans as Charles Bessey, Frederic Clements, Per Rydberg, Raymond Pool, Jared G. Smith, Truman Yuncker; by other Nebraskans who later became prominent in other fields, such as Roscoe Pound, Louise Pound, Willa Cather, Flora Sandoz; and by many prominent scientists from outside the state.
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NEB Collection Taxonomic Composition
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Taxon
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# Specimens
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Fungi
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50,000
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Lichens
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16,500
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Algae
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9,400
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Bryophytes
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11,900
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Pteridophytes
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4,200
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Gymnosperms
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2,800
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Angiosperms
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205,560
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| Collection also includes 10,000 fossil specimens. | |
