University of La Réunion

The Herbarium of La Réunion was born from the ambition of the famous réunionnais botanist, Thérésien Cadet, to undertake, around 1960, the long and difficult inventory work of the La Réunion flora. He alone composed most of what would become the largest collection of native and endemic plants from La Reunion. Thérésien Cadet initiated, at this period, fructuous collaborations with the Maurice Herbarium (MAU), the Museum d’Histoire Naturelle of Paris (P), the Royal Botanical Gardens of Kew Gardens in London (L). These collaborations made possible the publication in 1976, of the first volumes of the Mascarenes flora, a work still ongoing today.

The Herbarium was then enriched with historical samples, the oldest being collected over 200 years ago, during expeditions to the Mascarene Islands. This historical collection is represented by specimens collected by naturalists who left their mark in the history of botany and systematic (Commerson, Richard, Thouars, Cordemoy…).

The University of La Réunion Herbarium represents an invaluable heritage bequeathed by Thérésien Cadet. It is now the bedrock of knowledge for the Reunion plant diversity. It is considered as the essential reference tool to the knowledge of terrestrial biodiversity of La Réunion. It is a tool of significant value, of which the international influence is proven every day. It is today the sole scientific collection of the University that is referenced at international level.

Since its composition by Thérésien Cadet, botanists; either researchers (botanists, biochemists, chemists, ...), students, novices or amateurs, on transit or residents of the island; never ceased to enrich the Herbarium with new collects. Every new sample contributes to the essential floristic scientific knowledge and heritage of the island. These new collections are also a cultural and historical contribution for La Réunion. The University Herbarium keeps more than 20,000 specimens of herbarium sheets, over 1,000 specimens in liquids, about 500 samples in silica gel, and nearly 400 DNA specimens. It covers over 300 families of plants from different phyla (bryophytes, pteridophytes spermaphytes), and about 2,500 species. It contains several collections. A collection of 300 historical specimens (over 100 years old; the oldest dating back to 1785). The other collections are those of Thérésien Cadet (8,500 specimens), of Roger Lavergne (3,000 specimens), of Jean Bosser (2,000 specimens), of Francis Friedman (2,000 specimens), etc.

In June 2006, the members of the Administration Council of the University voted unanimously for the inalienability of the University of La Réunion herbarium, thus making it part of the public domain.
The University Herbarium is a scientific collection, member of the international network of herbaria, and is registered under the acronym REU.Contact:
Miharisoa Mirana GAUCHE
Curator of biological collections
miharisoa-mirana.gauche@cirad.fr

Sheets conserved at the University of La Réunion © Herbier de la Réunion