Overview
In 2011, Victoria University of Wellington donated the entire contents of the HD Gordon Herbarium (WELTU), containing approximately 15000 specimens, to the Te Papa Herbarium (WELT).
Te Papa employed an extra staff member to database 13104 of these specimens as they were accessioned into the Te Papa collection.
Accessioned specimens are made up of 10914 seed plants, 2020 ferns and lycophytes, 143 seaweeds, 17 liverworts, 9 mosses, and 1 lichen.
The remainder of the WELTU speciemens were donated to other New Zealand herbaria such as Landcare Research at Lincoln, and Otago Univeristy.
Victoria University established the Herbarium in 1947 and it was named after HD Gordon, head of the Botany Department from 1947 to 1970.
The WELTU specimens provide a good representation of New Zealand flora and complemented Te Papa's exisiting collection. The WELTU collection was also very strong in Pacific Myrtaceae.
Images of representative specimens are given on this page.