Algae, Fungi and Plants — Combined minor collections (2 sections)

Overview

Algae, Fungi and Plants — Combined minor collections (2 sections) groups 18 collection units from 2 sections within the LS Algae, Fungi and Plants division (Life Sciences), covering an estimated 614,534 individual items held across 238,370 curatorial/storage units. Material is predominantly whole or partial organism (15 of 18 collection units), whole organisms (2 of 18 collection units), and other (1 of 18 collection units). Geographic coverage is centred on World terrestrial/freshwater and Europe. Preservation is mainly dried and pressed, dried, and microscope slide. Named taxa represented in this product include Plantae, Fungi, and Myxomycetes, among others.

Value

Curatorial assessment rates this product highly on Significance by comparison, Strategy/mission/research, and Scope and depth (avg. 4.5/5 across its top three scored dimensions), indicating it is well positioned for external licensing relative to other NHM holdings. Its breadth and depth of coverage make it suitable as a comprehensive reference dataset rather than a niche sample. This material already shows above-average usage/demand signals internally, suggesting a receptive external market.

Use Cases

1. training data for plant-identification and precision-agriculture computer-vision models
2. herbarium specimen imagery for botanical illustration, publishing, and horticultural media
3. reference datasets for taxonomic and phylogenetic research, and for tracking historical distribution/phenology
4. content for gardening, conservation, and citizen-science apps
5. comparative research, and as a dataset that is distinctive relative to equivalent holdings at other institutions
6. academic and institutional research licensing (biodiversity, systematics, and comparative studies)