A growing herbarium, invertebrate reference collections, and specialist botanical and ecological expertise – supporting identification, voucher specimen work, and taxonomic research.
What you can do here
Our taxonomy and collections resource brings together physical reference material, specialist identification expertise, and imaging tools, supporting everything from routine species verification to detailed morphometric analysis and voucher specimen work.
Herbarium access & voucher specimens
Access to our reference herbarium of British vascular plants and bryophytes, built from academic and student collections. Available for comparison, voucher work, and botanical reference by arrangement.
Invertebrate reference collections
Reference collections of British invertebrates – including pinned specimens and ethanol-preserved material – available for comparison and identification support by arrangement.
Morphometric imaging & analysis
Where we have the expertise, we can assist with species identification across botanical and invertebrate groups. Enquire to discuss your specific requirements.
Species identification support
Microscope camera setup for capturing detailed images of specimens, with ImageJ software for morphometric measurement and analysis, useful for size, shape, and structural comparisons.
Our collections
Our collections have been built up through academic research and student fieldwork over a number of years. They are primarily held as departmental reference material, but we welcome enquiries from external researchers who would like to visit and consult specific specimens.
Herbarium
A reference herbarium of pressed and mounted plant specimens, primarily comprising British vascular plants and bryophytes collected by academic staff and students. Useful for comparative botanical work, voucher verification, and morphological reference. External researchers are welcome to visit and consult specimens by arrangement.
Entomological Collection
A reference collection of British invertebrates spanning multiple orders – with particular representation of beetles, bees, and dragonflies as pinned specimens, alongside spider material preserved in ethanol. Available for identification comparison and reference by arrangement.
National Plant Heritage Collection – British Ferns
Our on-campus fernery houses a National Plant Heritage Collection of British ferns, registered with Plant Heritage as a living conservation collection. Built by our own PhD researchers and horticultural society, it reflects the depth of pteridological expertise within the department and is available to visit by arrangement.
Making & Preparing Collections
We have the facilities and materials to prepare both herbarium and invertebrate collections – including pressing and mounting equipment for plant material, and pinning and preservation equipment for invertebrates. This can support collaborative collecting projects or training in collection preparation techniques.
Working with us
Our botanical and ecological expertise spans a range of plant and invertebrate groups. Where we have the relevant expertise, we are happy to assist with species identification queries but we’ll always be upfront about the limits of what we can confidently confirm. Please enquire with your specific group and query and we’ll let you know whether we can help.
Vascular plants & bryophytes
We hold expertise across a range of British vascular plant groups – with particular strength in grassland flora, sedges, and ferns. Bryophyte identification support is also available. Please enquire with your specific group – some taxa require specialist expertise beyond what we can reliably offer in-house.
Invertebrates
We have expertise in spider identification and broader invertebrate ecology across a range of orders. As with botanical groups, some taxa require highly specialist knowledge, particularly those requiring microscopic examination of fine morphological features. Please enquire and we'll confirm whether we can help with your specific group.
Not sure if we can help? Get in touch and describe your identification query – the taxon, the material you have, and what level of confidence you need. We’ll be honest about whether it’s within our expertise, and can sometimes point you toward more specialist contacts if not.
