The Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History’s Botany Collections

The plant collections of the Smithsonian Institution began with the acquisition of specimens collected by the United States Exploring Expedition (1838-1842). These formed the foundation of a National Herbarium which today numbers over 5 million historical plant records, placing it among the world's largest and most important. Over 1.7 million specimen records (including over 113,000 type specimens with images) are currently available in this online catalog.