Bolus Herbarium
| Bolus Herbarium | |
|---|---|
An aerial view of the Bolus Herbarium Library in the HW Pearson Building, Upper Campus, University of Cape Town. | |
| Location | University of Cape Town, South Africa |
| Type | Herbarium |
| Scope | Southern African Flora, particularly the Cape Floristic Kingdom |
| Established | 1865 |
| Service area | Botany |
| Collection | |
| Items collected | Botanical specimens |
| Size | 350 000+ |
| Other information | |
| Parent organization | Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cape Town |
| Website | https://science.uct.ac.za/bolus-herbarium |
The Bolus Herbarium was established in 1865 from a donation by Harry Bolus of his extensive herbarium and library to the South African College, which later became the University of Cape Town.
Its collection of specimens numbers over 320 000, making it the third largest university herbarium in the Southern Hemisphere. The collection is highly representative of the Cape Flora and also houses many type specimens. The international herbarium abbreviation BOL is used when referring to the Bolus Herbarium.
Although the building caught on fire during the 2021 Table Mountain fire, which gutted several other collections in the university including the Plant Conservation Unit, the Bolus Herbarium managed to narrowly escape being destroyed in the blaze.