Of the 2.6 million specimens housed in the Department of Botany, more than 2 million are flowering plants which ranks as the fifth largest collection of flowering plants in the nation. This number includes 32,500 type specimens, estimated in 1995. Strong representation of neotropical taxa is credited to the many floristic projects and collection-oriented research programs, an integral part of the department since its inception. Especially rich are holdings in the neotropical families Rubiaceae, Asteraceae, Palmae, Piperaceae and Solanaceae, primarily due to the work of present or former staff botanists. The Central American material is overall one of the world's finest single collections with special strengths in Guatemala, Honduras and Costa Rica. The South American collections are important with special strengths in Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru. A good representation in North American taxa is found, especially for Missouri and Illinois, and unmarked types are commonly discovered in these holdings. Some major contributors to the development of the collections are noted below. Jesse H. Greenman collected extensively in Mexico and Central America from 1904-1912. B. E. Dahlgren concentrated on collecting palms in Cuba, Brazil and British Guiana, his most active field work being conducted between 1909 and 1938. J. Francis Macbride initiated the Flora of Peru in 1922, and added significantly to the Peruvian holdings through his own expeditions and through attracting collections of others. In recent years the Botany Department has collaborated on the Flora of Veracruz, Mexico project from 1973-1985 resulting in the herbarium housing the nation's best collection of plants from that area. During the 1980's South American representations increased due to the collecting efforts of Timothy Plowman whose expeditions included trips to Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Venezuela. More recently, floristic projects and collection-oriented research programs have continued to build on our Neotropical strengths, particularly in Central America with Williams Burger's Flora Costaricensis and Michael Dillon's coordination of the Asteraceae for the Flora of Nicaragua project. The collections of Michael Dillon have greatly improved our holdings from Peru and Chile, as he continues floristic and monographic efforts in the Peruvian flora. His work on the Asteraceae over the past ten years has added numerous specimens to that family's holdings. Thomas Lammers is providing monographic efforts for the Campanulaceae in Peru and Chile. Resident research associates maintain active programs that contribute to collection strength, including Robin Foster's inventory projects in Peru, Panama and Bolivia, and Doel Soejarto's drug plant exploration, especially in the Paleotropics. The herbarium also expanded through purchase of major private collections and through acquisition of the herbaria of the University of Chicago, Northwestern University and the Department of Pharmacy, University of Illinois at Chicago, among others. The Field Museum is likely to continue to play an important role in the future, serving as a repository for such "orphan" collections. The Field Museum curates an extensive collection of dried fruits, large seeds, bark and other plant parts generally not accommodated on herbarium specimens. A seed collection consisting of some 6,400 glass vials also is maintained by the Department. A reference collection of 3,600 pollen slides is maintained and increased through exchange. In addition, 1,030 anatomical slides are preserved. Other Botany Collections: Botany Herbarium | Fungi | Lichens | Algae | Bryophytes | Pteridophytes | Gymnosperms | Flowering Plants | Timothy C. Plowman Economic Botany Collection | Type Photograph Collection