E. C. Smith Herbarium (ACAD) - Cape Breton University Collection

Ruth Newell; Jennifer Richard

doi:10.15468/7dtqgn

E. C. Smith Herbarium (ACAD) - Cape Breton University Collection

Citation

Newell R, Evans R, Richard J (2018). E. C. Smith Herbarium (ACAD) - Cape Breton University Collection. Version 1.2. Acadia University. Occurrence dataset https://doi.org/10.15468/7dtqgn accessed via GBIF.org on 2022-06-28.

Description

Today, the E. C. Smith Herbarium contains over 200,000 specimens, including vascular plants, bryophytes, and fungi. It is the largest herbarium in Atlantic Canada and the first Canadian herbarium to have a digital database with scanned images of the collection. The Acadia Herbarium began as an initial gift to Dr. H. G. Perry of a small collection made by G. U. Hay of St. John, New Brunswick. Included in this collection were a few plants collected by J. Fowler of New Brunswick before he went to Queen's University. These first specimens were collected between 1868 and 1880. Some of the plants were cultivated and some were from the United States. Subsequently, in these early years, the additions were made chiefly through the work of Dr. H. G. Perry and his students. No records were available until the collection numbered some 6,000 sheets. Included in the 6,000, however, are a number of sheets from the Gray Herbarium Expeditions to Nova Scotia in 1920 and 1921. Of the specimens above the 6000 count, the majority have been added by the work of Dr. M. V. Roscoe and her students from 1928-1940 and Dr. H. P. Banks and his students from 1940-1946. In 1946 a large collection was being assembled by Mr. David Erskine, who catalogued the Flora of Wolfville and vicinity. During Dr. E. C. Smith's tenure at Acadia (1947-1971) the number of specimens grew from 20,000 sheets to over 70,000. In 1970, Acadia University's Board of Governors announced that the department's excellent collection of plants would be named the E. C. Smith Herbarium as tribute to him for his contributions to the collection.

Sampling Description

Study Extent

Digitization of Vascular plants from the Cape Breton University teaching collection with a focus on plants of the Acadian Forest Region.

Sampling

All data are manually digitized as text from high resolution scans of each herbarium specimen.

Quality Control

Records are corrected on an ad hoc basis.

Method steps

Data are entered into the main database through in-house software, some of which is verified electronically (e.g. all taxonomic data using ITIS).

Taxonomic Coverages

This dataset includes all the Cape Breton University teaching collection that have been digitized, databased and geo-referenced.

Plantae
common name: Plants rank: kingdom
Equisetopsida
common name: Vascular Plants rank: class

Geographic Coverages

Primarily the Flora of the Acadian Forest Region. However, there are smaller collections within the herbarium that stem from research initiatives across the globe.

Bibliographic Citations

Contacts

Ruth Newell
originator
position: Curator - E. C. Smith Herbarium
Acadia University
33 Westwood Avenue
Wolfville
B4P 2R6
Nova Scotia
CA
Telephone: 902-585-1335
email: ruth.newell@acadiau.ca

Rodger Evans
metadata author
position: Director - E. C. Smith Herbarium
Acadia University
33 Westwood Avenue
Wolfville
B4P 2R6
Nova Scotia
CA
Telephone: 902-585-1710
email: rodger.evans@acadiau.ca
homepage: http://herbarium.acadiau.ca/

Steve McNeil
programmer
position: IT Consultant
Wolfville
Nova Scotia
CA
email: steve@acadiau.ca

Jennifer Richard
originator
position: Consulting Librarian
Acadia University
Wolfville
Nova Scotia
CA
email: jennifer.richard@acadiau.ca

Rodger Evans
administrative point of contact
position: Director - E. C. Smith Herbarium
Acadia University
33 Westwood Avenue
Wolfville
B4P 2R6
Nova Scotia
CA
Telephone: 902-585-1710
email: rodger.evans@acadiau.ca
homepage: http://herbarium.acadiau.ca/

Alain Belliveau
administrative point of contact
position: Curator
Acadia University, K. C. Irving Environmental Science Centre
32 University Avenue
Wolfville
B4P 2R6
Nova Scotia
CA
Telephone: 902-585-1335
email: alain.belliveau@acadiau.ca
homepage: http://herbarium.acadiau.ca/

Allison Walker
administrative point of contact
position: Assistant Professor
Acadia University, Department of Biology
33 Westwood Avenue
Wolfville
B4P 2R6
Nova Scotia
CA
Telephone: 902-585-1333
email: allison.walker@acadiau.ca
homepage: https://biology.acadiau.ca