Chulalongkorn University’s Herbarium Preserves Thai Flora for Research and Criminal Investigations

The Department of Botany, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, provides services such as scientific name identification, specimen comparisons, and voucher specimens deposition. Plant specimens in our herbarium are an important foundation for both basic plant science research and plant science applications such as food and pharmaceutical industries, invasive plants ecology, and even as forensic evidence in criminal investigations. 

Plants specimens can serve as important evidence and a database that can tell us more than we think.

At the Professor Kasin Suvatabhandhu Herbarium, located on the 4th floor of the Botany Department, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, one can find more than 20,000 plant specimens from Thailand and other countries, as well as samples of fruits, seeds, and products from both economically valuable plants and ethnobotany. This herbarium is open to the public free of charge. It also provides analysis services to identify scientific name of plant specimens for research on plant diversity. Apart from serving as an occurrence record for a species, the specimen can be used for other purposes such as to detect active substances in plants for the benefit of the pharmaceutical industry and other related fields, or to serve as evidences in criminal investigations. 

“On one occasion, the Royal Thai Police brought plant parts found on a suspect’s pants for us to examine to determine the kind of plant, whether it grows in a restricted area, and where it came from, as evidence for prosecution. The Customs Department has seized shallots at checkpoints and sent them to us to determine their kind and species, and whether they are of the same species and can be propagated.”  Mrs. Parinyanoot Klinratana, Science Service Officer (Expert) at the Department of Botany, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, cited some examples of the kinds of services provided to various agencies and organizations.  

“Another case involved a company that exports automobiles. They asked us to check the plant parts stuck to the car’s grille to determine if it is an invasive plant species. This is because foreign countries are very strict about this. We had to ask what kind of plants were growing around the factory. We had them send us photos so we could see if there was a chance that the plants were around and could be blown by the wind and get stuck on the car.” 

The Professor Kasin Suvatabhandu Herbarium (BCU) comes under the supervision of the Plants of Thailand Research Unit, Department of Botany, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University. It was established in 1960 to collect plant samples as a database of plants in Thailand and to support teaching and research on plant diversity. At present, Mrs. Parinyanoot tells us that the herbarium has expanded its academic services to include a comprehensive analysis and identification of plant scientific names. The main missions are to analyze and test plant samples for:

1. Identification of the scientific names of plants
2. Preservation of plant specimens, both dried and pickled, including reference specimens (Voucher specimens) 
3. Writing descriptions of plant species

What makes a scientific name important?

One of the services of the Herbarium is to identify the scientific names of plants. Many may wonder why we need to identify the scientific names since we have local names of plants. 

“In each country or each region, the names of the same plant might be different. For example, papaya is called “Makuay Thet” in the North, “Mak Hung” in the Northeast, and “Loko” in the South. Conversely, different plants can have the same name, such as there are 4-5 species of plants called “Tin Tuk Kae”, all of which are in different families and species. These can cause confusion. Therefore, we must have scientific names to ensure understanding,” Mrs. Parinyanoot explained the importance of identifying the scientific names of plants. 

“Giving the correct scientific names is the main principle for further study or research on plants. For example, chemists use the scientific names as references to research and examine research documents to find important substances in plants. Pharmacists can use them to further research on medicines. Basically, we need to know the scientific name before we can search to see who has studied that plant before.”

Mrs. Parinyanoot further explained about identifying the scientific names of plants that the scientific name or botanical name is given in Latin, which is the international name known and used all over the world. Rules for naming scientific plants are determined by the International Botanical Congress (IBC) and published in what is known as the International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants (ICN).

“A scientific name for plants follows the binomial nomenclature, comprising a generic name followed by a specific epithet. For example, in the name Toxocarpus villosus (Blume) Decne, Toxocarpus is the generic name, whereas villosus is the specific epithet that might indicate the distinctive characteristics of the plant or the location where the plant was found. When writing a complete scientific name, the name of the person who named the plant (author) must be added at the end, for example, as seen in the name (Blume) Decne.” 

The Department of Botany, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, offers services in plant sample analysis, scientific name identification, and preparation of preserved plant specimens. These services support education and research, benefit the food and pharmaceutical industries, help identify non-native plants, and even assist in providing evidence in criminal investigations.

Preserving Plant Specimens That Last for Hundreds of Years

Collecting and storing plant data includes photographs and drawings, but what is essential is collecting real specimens, both dried and preserved — another important mission of the Herbarium. 

“Preserving plant specimens is a way to preserve evidence of the existence of various plant species in nature through a process that allows the plant specimens to be kept for study for a long duration. If there is a method to preserve the specimens in a room with temperature control, constant humidity, no insects to disturb them, and a room that is a closed system, the specimens can last for hundreds of years,” Mrs. Parinyanoot explained. 

Each plant specimen will be preserved in a dry or pickled state, depending on the suitability of the specimen. Dry preservation is generally used, while pickled specimens are usually succulent or have delicate flowers, such as orchids. Details of the plant specimen data include the family name, scientific name, date, place of collection, Thai name, and various characteristics that cannot be determined by just seeing the specimen, such as characteristics (trees, climbers, shrubs, herbaceous plants), what color the flowers are, the presence of latex, and the presence of odor. In addition to the plant information, the bottom of the plant species data sheet will have the name along with the collector’s number and the specimen registration number stored in the herbarium. 

“This type of data collection is for the benefit of those who come to study. When they look at the data, anyone who wants to collect plant samples, wants to collect flowers to extract various substances, will know when they can collect plant species. For example, the plant species data sheet states the date of sample collection as 23/10/2023. If researchers want flowers, they have to collect samples in October. If they want fruits, they have to delay it another 2-3 months.” 

“The Professor Kasin Suvatabhandhu herbarium also provides a reference specimen (Voucher Specimen) service. Currently, to publish research on plants in various journals, it is necessary to specify the reference specimen used in the research, which specimen was used for the study, and which herbarium the specimen is kept in. What we have here is a herbarium that is properly registered according to the Index Herbariorum (a system that collects registered herbarium around the world) and uses the abbreviation BCU. When researchers use plants in their research, there will be a reference source that the plant specimen is kept at BCU.” 

Writing a description of the plant’s characteristics

Mrs. Parinyanoot said that the plant specimen used to specify the scientific name must have a complete reproductive structure, for example, the bryophytes (mosses, liverworts, hornworts) must have a sporophyte; ferns and lycophytes must have an underground stem and have both vegetative and fertile leaves; gymnosperms (pines and cycads) must have leaves, male and female cones; and flowering plants must have leaves, flowers, and fruits. 

“Once we have a plant sample, we will study its morphological characteristics in detail using a Stereo Microscope or Dissecting Microscope. For example, we need to look at the shape of the leaves, whether they are simple or compound leaves, how the leaves are arranged on the branches, what the leaf tips, bases, and edges are like, whether the leaf surface has hairs or not. We need to look at the flowers, whether they are single flowers or inflorescences, whether they are perfect or imperfect flowers, whether the petals are connated or separated, how many petals are there, etc.” Mrs. Parinyanoot detailed the steps in the process of identifying the scientific name and writing a description of the plant species.

“After that, we use plant taxonomic documents to identify families, find their genus, and find plant species names. Sometimes, the books we have do not cover all plant species. We may have to take the plant species to compare with samples of this plant species that have been correctly identified by plant group experts at other herbarium. Then we will get the details of the plant species and the correct scientific name as needed for further use.” 

For the Department of Botany, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, there are experts in analyzing and identifying plant species covering 4 groups as follows: 

• Associate Professor Dr. Rossarin Pollawatn and Dr. Karn Imwattana: experts in the bryophytes (mosses, liverworts, and hornworts) 

• Associate Professor Dr. Rossarin Pollawath: an expert in pteridophytes (ferns and lycophytes) 

• Professor Dr. Manit Kidyoo, an expert in flowering plants, especially the Apocynaceae family  

• Mrs. Parinyanoot Klinratana, an expert in analyzing and identifying the names of gymnosperms (conifers, cycads, ginkgo, and gnetophytes) and flowering plants. 

New Plant Species

Although this Herbarium already has more than 20,000 plant specimens, the world still has many new plant species waiting to be discovered. There are more than 60 new plant species described by the members of the Plants of Thailand Research Unit, Department of Botany, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University. For example, in 2008, Professor Dr. Manit Kidyoo discovered a new species of Hoya and named it Hoya phuluangensis Kidyoo, found in Phu Luang Wildlife Sanctuary, Loei Province. 

In 2011, Professor Dr. Thaweesakdi Boonkerd and his team found a previously unknown fern at Pha Sawan Cave, Pha Khao District, Loei Province. They brought the specimen to be kept at the herbarium. Later, Dr. Puttamon Pongkai, Dr. Li-Bing Zhang, and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Rossarin Pollawatn studied it in detail and found that it was a new species to the world. They named it Hypodematium boonkerdii Pongkai, Li–Bing Zhang & Pollawatn to honor Professor Dr. Thaweesakdi Boonkerd, one of Thailand’s top fern experts. 

“Discovering a new plant species does not mean that it will be published immediately. It may take several years because it must go through a detailed morphological study process. There will be a sample comparison to confirm that it is truly a new species. We will keep this new plant specimen in a red envelope, stored separately and visible because it is an important specimen, that is, a type specimen used to describe the characteristics of that new plant species,” said Mrs. Parinyanoot. 

Every plant species has its origins, and the Department of Botany, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, will be the unit that provides the answer for further research and development, which can be used for the benefit of society in the future. 

Professor Kasin Suvatabhandhu Herbarium Opening hours: Monday-Friday, 9:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. and 1:00 p.m.-4:00 p.m. Closed on public holidays. No admission fee. 

Those interested in using the service can contact https://www.botany.sc.chula.ac.th/?page_id=1638 or contact directly at the Plants of Thailand Research Unit and the Professor Kasin Suvatabhandhu Herbarium, Department of Botany, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, Tel. 02 218 5502 (Mrs. Parinyanoot) 

The cost of scientific identification of plant species is 200 – 3,000 baht per sample (depending on the difficulty level, and whether the clients are Chulalongkorn University personnel, government officials, and private sectors). The analysis takes 7-30 days, depending on the difficulty level of the sample. 

Source of information: https://www.chula.ac.th/museum/763/ 

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