Collection of seeds and fruits
The collection has been gradually built up since the second half of the 19th century. After the Second World War it belonged to the Faculty of Science of Charles University, Prague. Under the supervision of Václav Jirásek (1906-1991), the collection was further enriched and divided into "Fruit and seeds collected in Czechoslovakia" (about 3,100 specimens) and "General collection of fruit and seeds from all over the world" (about 17,500 specimens). The collection was often used for teaching and also for forensic purposes. However, between 1987 and 2004 it was unavailable and partially damaged (mainly by insects and mould) due to unsuitable storage conditions in the attic of the Department of Botany. In 2009 it became part of the herbarium collections of the Charles University in Prague (PRC). Since then, thanks to the support of the Department of Botany and the enthusiasm of students, it has been restored and modernised.
The items are stored in plastic boxes placed in lockers in the doctoral students' room at Benátská 2, on the first floor. Currently (2024) it contains almost 25,000 specimens represented by more than 9,500 species from 270 families. The specimens in the collection are arranged according to corresponding families, and genera and species within families are arranged in alphabetical order. The nomenclature has been updated using the BioLib database and The Plant List (2013). The material is mainly used as a reference collection in palaeoecology and archaeobotany and for teaching.
References:
BioLib. BioLib. https://www.biolib.cz
The Plant List (2013). Version 1.1. http://www.theplantlist.org
