Botanical Museum of the University of Patras (Department of Biology, Botany Laboratory)

Διεύθυνση: Botanical Museum of the University of Patras (Department of Biology, Botany Laboratory)

Botanical Museum – Herbarium, 265 04 Patra, Rio
Τηλ.: +30 2610 969253; +30 2610 996777; +30 2610 969238
Εmail: [email protected]

www.biology.upatras.gr

The Botanical Museum and Herbarium of the University of Patras (UPA – Herbarium) was founded in 1973 (by presidential decree 360 / Government Gazette 264/3-10-1973). The basic aim of the Museum is to explore and scientifically document the natural riches of Greece with an emphasis on its flora. The Museum functions as the basic research centre of the Biology Department: a) as the basis for systematic, biogeographical and phylogenetic research on plants, b) providing support to students of the Biology Department. The scientific and cultural value of the Botanical Museum is significant because it centres on the unique reservoir of biodiversity and genetic resources in the Greek flora.

The collections of the Museum comprise more than 100,000 dried samples of plants (from the 19th century to this day), representing 88% of the families and 84% of the genera of the Greek flora. 98% of the samples are angiosperms, 0.6% of the samples are gymnosperms and 1,4% of the samples are ferns. Most of the plant samples are from mountains (40.3%) and islands (32.8%) in Greece. The largest part of plant samples exhibited in UPA – Herbarium has been collected from Central Greece (StE), the Peloponnese (Pe), the Ionian Islands (IoI), the East Aegean region (EAe) and the phytogeographical floristic region of Crete-Karpathos (ΚΚ).

Since the early 2019, the Museum hosts a permanent exhibition titled “Greek Flora: a unique natural capital” in renovated premises. The Exhibition serves the following goals:

1. a) to highlight the Botanical Museum as a significant research facility of the University, attracting visitors from schools and from other educational institutions as well,
2. b) to highlight the wealth and value of Greek flora in the Peloponnese, which is also one of the most important “hotpoints” of total and endemic plant diversity in Greece, the Mediterranean and Europe,
3. c) to make the Botanical Museum widely known and visited through connections with educational institutions in the Achaia prefecture and other areas of the Region of Western Greece.

Visitors can tour the three exhibition halls of the Museum, which present interesting exhibition units:

Ι. The history of flora exploration in Greece by famous Greek and European botanists from the 18th to the 20th centuries, with interesting information about their activities.

ΙΙ. Biodiversity on Earth and in Greece. Similarities and differences. Habitats and ecosystems.

ΙΙΙ. Special and applied issues regarding plant diversity in Greece (endemic, rare and endangered species, alien and invasive species, aromatic and pharmaceutical plants).