Pittsburg State University, Theodore M. Sperry Herbarium

Citation

Description

Specimens of the Sperry Herbarium are used in support of teaching several botany courses, graduate training, research, and outreach. Its 53,217 specimens document the distribution and natural variation of vascular plants and bryophytes, primarily from Kansas, adjacent states and North America, but also 60 foreign countries. Approximately 12,020 new collections have been added the past decade, mostly comprising student collections. Ca. 1500 vascular plant specimens are backlogged from North America, another ca. 300 from Madagascar and hundreds of bryophytes. Many specimens are unicates. Important holdings from abroad include the Democratic Republic of the Congo (T. M. Sperry), Peru (H. Tuomisto), Myrtaceae (H.S. MacKee and others from New Caledonia); Eugenia and Syzygium from Madagascar, Poaceae (worldwide), and 30 isotypes. Data for ca. 7500 bryophytes are housed here or at the Consortium of Bryophyte Herbaria (https://bryophyteportal.org), including ca. 250 from Peru of Timme. Some collections of fungi and algae used primarily in teaching will be datasased in the future. Phenological data (flowering/fruiting) and geocoordinates are present for ca. 45 percent of the specimens, and over 15 percent are vouchers for published research. The top collectors (by number) are W.W. Holland, S.Y. Pryer, T.M. Sperry, S.L. Timme, M. Daines and N. Snow. Student and volunteer curatorial assistance, and financial support from the PSU College of Arts and Sciences and the National Science Foundation (CSBR 1756276) are gratefully acknowledged. Homepage: https://www.pittstate.edu/biology/the-sperry-herbarium.html 

Taxonomic Coverages

Geographic Coverages

Bibliographic Citations