Welcome to the Plants Collections
About the Herbarium
The Angelo State University Herbarium is the largest component of the Angelo State Natural History Collections (ASNHC) and is composed of approximately 55,000 plant specimens which are pressed, dried and mounted on archival paper and filed in metal cabinets. It is the eighth largest herbarium in Texas and represents the most complete floristic inventory of the Concho Valley of Texas.
In addition to this special emphasis, the Herbarium serves as a permanent depository for voucher specimens for floristic surveys of several unique areas in west Texas including Big Bend National Park, Texas Nature Conservancy Big Brushy Canyon, and Texas Nature Conservancy Independence Creek. Specimens resulting from several ecological and systematic studies of rare plants are also housed in our collection. We also have significant holdings in the Poaceae and Cyperaceae. Our official abbreviation is SAT.
Personnel
| Curator: | Bonnie Amos |
| Address: | Department of Biology |
| ASU P.O. #10890 | |
| Angelo State University | |
| San Angelo , Texas 76909 | |
| Telephone: | 325 942-2189, Ext. 256 |
| E-mail: | Bonnie.Amos@angelo.edu |
| Assistant Curator: | Lynn Owens |
| Address: | Department of Biology |
| ASU P.O. #10890 | |
| Angelo State University | |
| San Angelo , Texas 76909 | |
| Telephone: | 325 942-2189, Ext. 249 |
| E-mail: | herbarium@angelo.edu |
We also employ undergraduate assistants and welcome volunteer help.
History
Mr. Glenn Casey started the Herbarium in the 1940´s. At that time, it was called the Goodman Herbarium in honor of the late Oklahoman botanist and gentleman, Dr. George Goodman. The collection languished briefly in the late 1960´s after the departure of Mr. Casey and during the transition from the two-year San Angelo College to Angelo State University . It was revitalized with the arrival of Dr. Chester Rowell, Jr. in 1972. Dr. Rowell served as curator until his retirement in 1987. Dr. Bonnie Amos became curator in 1987 and remains in that position today.
Databases
Specimen label data for all ASNHC specimens are currently being entered into a Specify database for management and use of the collections. This data is searchable through our web interface. Several large families remain to be entered. If you need information concerning a family that does not appear in a query of the database, please contact the curator.
We have also been active participants in the Flora of Texas Project http://www.csdl.tamu.edu/FLORA/ftc/ftchome.htm ; North American data from the Angelo State University Herbarium and images of Concho Valley plants can be viewed at http://www.csdl.tamu.edu/FLORA/tracy/main1.html and http://www.csdl.tamu.edu/FLORA/gallery/gallery_query.htm, along with data from other Texas herbaria. The Advanced Research/Advanced Technology Program of the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board and the National Science Foundation provided funding for data entry; we gratefully acknowledge their assistance.
Recent and Current Research
The ASU Department of Biology has a strong undergraduate research program. Many of the recently completed or ongoing botany research projects involve undergraduate biology majors.
Recent research projects have centered on six activities:
- the reproductive biology of the threatened Chisos Mountain Hedgehog Cactus (Echinocereus chisoensis, Cactaceae),
- floral spectral analyses,
- reintroduction of the endangered Texas Poppy Mallow,
- investigating rare plant genetic diversity,
- establishing an experimental population of Echinocereus chisoensis, and
- herbarium database implementation.
Use and Loan of Specimens
The collection is available for study by all qualified visitors by appointment. Requests for loans from recognized botanical institutions will be honored, provided that adequate facilities are available for the care of the specimens while on loan. Requests must be in writing from the curator of the borrowing institution to the ASU curator. Loans are made for a period of one year with extensions possible by written request. No destructive sampling is permitted without prior consent.
Plant Identification
We will be glad to help with the identification of plant specimens, particularly those representing the native flora of Texas ; however, because of other responsibilities, we cannot always guarantee an immediate response to such a request. We can also arrange tours of the herbarium or educational programs about Texas plants. Please contact the curator for additional information.