Purdue University Herbaria

The Purdue University Herbaria, comprised of the Arthur Fungarium and the Kriebel Herbarium, are located in the Lilly Hall of Life Sciences at Purdue University. Together, the Herbaria contain over 235,000 specimens, with some dating as far back as 1769​.

The Arthur Fungarium (PUR) exclusively contains the collection of the Pucciniales, or rust fungi (formerly Uredinales).

The Kriebel Herbarium (PUL) contains non-rust fungi, vascular plants, lichens, algae, and bryophytes. 

For more information on the collections and their holdings, history, and current projects, choose one below.

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The Joseph C. Arthur Fungarium (PUR)
Plant-pathogenic Rust Fungi (Pucciniales​; previously Uredinales)
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The Ralph M. Kriebel Herbarium (PUL)
Additional Fungi, Vascular plants, Algae, and Bryophytes

Contact Us

Herbaria Director

M. Catherine Aime
Full Staff Profiles

Email:
herbaria@purdue.edu​​


Telephone:
+1.765.494.4623


Address:
G-447 Lilly Hall of Life Sciences
915 Mitch Daniels Boulevard
West Lafayette, Indiana 47907 USA


Hours:
8:30 AM to 4:00 PM, Monday to Friday
(excluding staff holidays)
Please email two weeks in advance
to arrange a tour or professional visit

Purdue Alumnus 2024
Herbaria featured in Purdue Alumnus

An insider’s look at a university collection so valuable, the professor who built it once stole it back.

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Loan Policy

Loan Inquiries

MyCoPortal digitized holdings of the PUR and PUL can be found on each collection's page above. Please contact us​ for questions and loan inquiries, or refer to our Loan Policy.

Loan Policy
Visitor Policy

Visitor Information

We are open to visitors weekdays from 8:30 AM to 4:00 PM year-round, excluding Purdue University staff holidays. Please make arrangements via email at least two weeks prior​ to your visit.

Visitor Policy

Would you like to make a donation to the Herbaria?

Consider becoming a Friend to the Herbaria by pledging your support to the continuing missions of the Arthur Fungarium and Kriebel Herbarium. Click below for instructions on making a donation to the Purdue University Herbaria.

Donate Now

Roles of the Herbaria

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What is an Herbarium?

A herbarium is a collection of preserved plant or fungal specimens.

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Specimen Digitization​

Digitization of herbarium specimens, capturing the data and images, for digital archiving

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Type Specimens

The specimens on which a scientist base their descriptions of new species

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Rust HUBB: DNA barcode-based identification of Pucciniales

Rust fungi (Pucciniales, Basidiomycota) are a species-rich (ca. 8,000 species), globally distributed order of obligate plant pathogens. In 2024, using material vouchered in PUR supplemented with fresh collections we generated DNA barcodes of the 28S ribosomal repeat from more than 3,700 rust fungal specimens. Barcoded material spans 120 genera and more than 1,100 species, most represented by several replicate sequences. Barcodes and associated metadata are hosted in a publicly accessible, BLAST searchable database called Rust HUBB (Herbarium-based Universal Barcode Blast) and will be continuously updated.

Rust HUBB

Herbaria History and Resources

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History of the PUL

Learn how the PUL grew and moved throughout its history

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Purdue Mycologists and Botanists

Researchers and Staff of the past and present

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Herbaria Outreach

Herbaria publications, visitor resources, activities, and tours

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M. Catherine Aime Lab

Dr. M. Catherine Aime is the Director of the Purdue University Herbaria and Aime Lab. The Aime Lab conducts research on the systematics and biodiversity of fungi. Our research focuses on the earliest diverging lineages of Basidiomycota (Pucciniomycotina, Ustilaginomycotina, and Wallemiomycetes) and on the biodiversity of basidiomycetes in tropical ecosystems. For more information about our research visit our Aime Lab page​.

Aime Lab Website