Bob & Betsy Campbell Museum

The Herbarium is dedicated to the acquisition and distribution of information on the taxonomy, biogeography and conservation of native species of the Southeastern United States. The Herbarium is maintained as a research and educational tool available to Clemson University students, faculty and staff as well as interested individual researchers from throughout the world.

In summer 2020, The Herbarium moved into new space in Long Hall. Contact the curator, Lorena Endara, to make an appointment to visit the herbarium.

Read more about The Herbarium in these stories and blogs.

• The Herbarium moved into a new space in Long Hall in 2020. Read about the renovation on ClemsonNews.
• Dixie Damrel, former curator of The Herbarium, explored botany, biomes and religious culture accompanying her spouse in 2019 on a Fulbright Scholarship to Sri Lanka. Read her blog of this adventure to Sri Lanka.
• Dixie Damrel, former curator of The Herbarium, was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship to work in Malaysia during Spring 2015. Read her blog of her Malaysian trip.

The History of The Herbarium

The Herbarium at Clemson University was initially organized between the turn of the century and 1905 by a group of botanists who lectured and were often called upon to identify plant specimens for the general public. The Herbarium was used to verify identifications and keep a more or less permanent documentation of the flora of South Carolina. These remain the primary uses of the Clemson University herbarium today.

The Early Days

Much of the original plant collection was lost in 1925 when Sikes Hall, the site of the natural history collections, was destroyed by fire. After this disaster, two Clemson professors, Duane B. Rosenkrans and Myron A. Rice, took on the challenge of rebuilding The Herbarium. Rice remained at Clemson until 1938 when he left for Cornell University to pursue a Ph.D. Rosenkrans remained on the faculty for over 40 years, and retired in 1975. Both men contributed numerous specimens to The Herbarium, greatly adding to our botanical knowledge of the Palmetto State. Another noteworthy professor of this period, Henry W. Barre, taught a course in cryptogamic botany and probably was instrumental in starting the mycology (fungus) collections. Most importantly, he saved this part of the collection from the fire of 1925.

The Herbarium in Recent Times

In the past the curators of The Herbarium were often also faculty members. Their duties included the collection, identification and preparation of plant specimens along with the maintenance and organization of the collection itself. Two professors/curators of recent times include Andrew C. Matthews, who served as curator from 1957 to 1968, and John E. Fairey III, who carried the duties of professor and curator from 1968 to 1977. In 1977 Caroline C. Douglass was hired as curator and served for 10 years until Steven R. Hill replaced her in 1987. In 1995, John F. Townsend began his tenure as curator and remained until 2001, when Patrick D. McMillan was hired for the position. McMillan later became director of the Bob & Betsy Campbell Museum of Natural History, and currently is director of the South Carolina Botanical Garden on the Clemson campus. Dixie Z. Damrel was named curator in 2008 and held that position until she retired in April 2020.

Lorena Endara was named curator and lecturer in August 2021.

The Future of The Herbarium

While the mission of The Herbarium continues to be documentation of the flora of South Carolina and the Southeastern United States, a growing percentage of The Herbarium’s specimens come from other regions of the country as well as other parts of the world. The Herbarium at Clemson University is a crucial resource for the identification of plant specimens and an important source of plant material for classroom instruction. Botanists from the southeast and across the nation often borrow specimens from Clemson’s herbarium for use in plant research. The Herbarium strives to be a significant resource for the study of the natural world that accommodates research specialists, Clemson students and the general public.

The Clemson database is available through the search engine, managed by SERNEC — the Southeast Regional Network of Expertise and Collections — is a consortium of over 230 herbaria in 14 states in the Southeastern United States. These data span 200 years of botanical information housed in herbaria in the Southeast and are vital to studies in biodiversity, evolution, ecology and systematics and to help serve the general public.

To explore the Clemson University Herbarium Database:

• Visit the SERNEC portal: http://sernecportal.org/portal/.
• From the Specimen Search drop-down menu select “Search Collections.”
• Remove the checkmarks by clicking the Select/Deselect All box.
• Scroll down to Clemson and then check the box (or boxes) of the collections you wish to search. Then click Search, top right.
• In the Search Criteria screen, look for plants by entering all or part of their common name, scientific name or other categories
• When ready to search, select “List Display.”

The Clemson University Herbarium is also searchable online through the Flora Caroliniana (search for CLEMS), an interactive and flexible interface that is constantly adding new features.

The Herbarium also has a mycology specimens collection available online through the Mycology Collections Portal.

Visitation Policy

The Herbarium at Clemson University welcomes students and researchers 8:30 a.m. – 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. Due to field work and staff teaching schedules, it is advisable to contact the curator (at cendara@clemson.edu) to confirm opening hours. Arrangements to visit at other times must be made in advance with the curator. Visitors should sign the guest log and include their name(s), date of visit, research project, taxa examined and institutional affiliation.

Incoming Plant Material

All plant material brought into the herbarium must be first be treated to remove any threat of insect contamination. Plant material should be given to a staff member for freezing prior to use in The Herbarium.

Collection Use Policy

The collections at Clemson University are available to all researchers during normal business hours. Researchers are expected to treat and handle the specimens with great care. If you are unsure about the proper handling of herbarium specimens, please consult a staff member. Researchers are asked not to refile specimens, and any specimens used should be placed in the designated area for refiling by herbarium staff.

Annotation Policy

Researchers are encouraged to annotate specimens they examine. Annotations should be made with archival ink or typed on acid-free paper. The labels should include the determination, researcher’s name, date and institution of affiliation. Annotation labels should be placed either above or to the left of the specimen label if possible. Please consult herbarium staff for assistance.

Loan Policy

The specimens housed at The Herbarium are available to scientists for research and education. The Herbarium maintains an archival collection and a separate teaching collection. Loans utilized for educational purposes may be obtained from the teaching collection. All loan requests must be made in writing to the curator. Specimens are packed to assure their safe arrival and are to be returned in the same manner. Loans are made for either a six-month or 12-month period. Loan extensions may be requested in writing before the termination of the requested loan period.

The Herbarium is connected with a number of ongoing and exciting research projects. Learn more about:

• Clemson University Herbarium research at Audubon’s Silver Bluff Sanctuary.
• The Clemson Experimental Forest Project.
• The South Carolina Botanical Garden Voucher Project.