Today the herbarium houses approximately 200 000 plant specimens, making it the 4th largest herbarium in South Africa and the 9th largest on the African continent. Taxonomic coverage is broad, and although the majority of specimens are Angiosperms, the herbarium has a very large collection of marine algae based on M.A. Pocock's work. Geographically GRA focuses on the flora of the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa, although collections from most parts of southern Africa are also available, including the Jacot-Guillarmod Lesotho material. The herbarium also has a limited number of specimens from other regions of Africa and other continents. Collections of several historically important collections include Burchell, Ecklon, Flanagan, Galpin, MacOwan, Pappe, Pegler, Rogers, Schlechter, Sim and Zeyher. Thanks to Schonland’s early exchange programmes the herbarium is exceptionally rich in type specimens. These have been digitised and are available for viewing on the Jstor Global Plants website (GRA Types). Ancillary collections include a carpological collection (fruits), a large exotic plant collection and a "Quick Guide" identification section.

Library

The library is not a lending library but inter-library loans are made available through the Rhodes University library. The oldest book in our possession is Basil Besler's Hortus Eystettensis, which dates from 1613. These books are stored under controlled environmental conditions in the Cory Library of Rhodes University. Access can be arranged through the Curator.

PDF list of "rare and old books" held in the Cory Library.‌

You may also wish to search the Rhodes University online catalogue or the Cory Library online catalogue.

Last Modified: Thu, 19 Oct 2023 16:36:57 SAST