Botanical Museum Research Articles

Mycobiota of the Maksimjarvi Planned Protected Area (Republic of Karelia, Russia)

This paper is a first report on the results of macrofungi studies in the planned protected area (PPA) Maksimjarvi, situated in the middle part of the Republic of Karelia, near the Finnish border. The forests there are predominantly north-boreal pine stands with a smaller proportion of spruce stands. The data were gathered during the fieldwork carried out in 2022 by O. Predtechenskaya and A. Ruokolainen and combined with data from Finnish colleagues carried out in 2012 and 2016. The records are supported by specimens deposited in the herbarium of the Karelian Research Centre RAS (PTZ) and Botanical Museum of the University of Helsinki (H). The current checklist for the Maksimjarvi territory includes 196 species of 121 genera, 57 families, 14 orders of aphyllophoroid, agaricoid and gasteroid fungi. The records include the first finding of Phellodon secretus in the Republic of Karelia, and 3 fungal species (Botryobasidium laeve, Peniophora septentrionalis, Phellodon secretus) were found for the first time in the biogeographic province Karelia pomorica occidentalis. Surveys of the Maksimjarvi PPA revealed 17 fungal species listed in the Red Data Book of the Republic of Karelia (2020). The area is known to harbor indicator and specialized fungal species of biologically valuable forests. The need to designate it as a conservation area is substantiated with regard to the ongoing formation of the PA system of the Green Belt of Fennoscandia and the Republic of Karelia.

Mycobiota of the planned protected area Nyuk Lake (Republic of Karelia, Russia)

The article reports the results of macrofungi surveys in the planned protected area Lake Nyuk (pPA), situated in the north-west of the Republic of Karelia. The forests there are primarily north-boreal pine stands with pine trees aged 170—250 years at maximum. As of now, records from the pPA include 183 species of 114 genera of aphyllophoroid and agaricoid fungi. The annotation for each species specifies their habitats and occurrence. Seven species are reported for the biogeographical province Karelia pomorica occidentalis for the first time; of which two species, Hydnellum gracilipes and Tubulicrinis medius, are first records for the Republic of Karelia. The territory was found to harbor nine fungal species (Anthoporia albobrunnea, Diplomitoporus crustulinus, Flavidoporia mellita, Gloeophyllum protractum, Resinoporia crassa, Rhodonia placenta, Sidera lenis, Skeletocutis sajanensis, S. stellae) red-listed in the Republic of Karelia (2020). Locations of 13 indicator species and 16 specialist species of biologically valuable forests are known within the pPA. The findings are validated by the herbarium specimens stored at the Karelian Research Centre RAS Herbarium (PTZ) and Botanical Museum of the University of Helsinki (H). The rationale for establishing a nature conservation area in the territory is provided.

Revisitando a trajetória histórica do Museu Botânico “Dr. João Barbosa Rodrigues” do Jardim Botânico de São Paulo

This study delves into the historical journey of the “Dr. João Barbosa Rodrigues” Botanical Museum, a space of memory located within the São Paulo Botanical Garden. It discusses its historical origins and material, institutional, and contextual transformations up to the present day. This space has seen advancements, setbacks, challenges, and potentialities as a small museum of natural history. It has undergone three reconfigurations of its physical and internal structures, gradually modernizing its museum concept while retaining its identity as a museum with a unified focus on botany. It reopened in early 2020 and is currently operating within a subtle boundary established between the public and private sectors due to the concession of the São Paulo Botanical Garden’ operation to private initiatives, although it remains under public control. In this renewed museum, one can observe its contribution as a space of social responsibility, imbued with meanings and functions that evoke imagery by its memory spacesrelated to the concerns of its founder, the botanist Frederico Carlos Hoehne. Over its 80 years of existence, this museum has evolved from a neutral space to one engaged in the conservation of nature and contemporary environmental issues. Its exhibition now contextualizes these themes, becoming a narrative museum that responds to everchanging local challenges. Its pedagogical role is vital in an inclusive and equitable society, promoting education and learning. The museum constitutes a contemporary space, transcending its traditional functions of preservation, conservation, and research, serving society by educational initiatives on botany, nature conservation, and environmental sustainability.

Herbaria and Botanical Museums in the U. S. S. R.

The paper gives a brief account of some of the impressions gathered during a recent visit to the important Herbaria and Botanical Museums of the Soviet Union located in Leningrad, Moscow, Kiev, Minsk, Tbilissi and Tashkent.

A Review on Plant Taxonomy

The Identification and naming of plants has attracted a lot of attention throughout history. The science that investigates, identifies, describes, naming of the plant and classifies all plants. Plant taxonomy includes the description of the variation of plants, the observation of the characters like morphological, anatomical and phylogenic characters of the plants, variation, comparison and the manipulation of the data obtained from the previous information/ data is useful to arrange plants in a system of classification. The 3 aspects of the taxonomy are Identification, Nomenclature, classification are the main activates of the taxonomy. Taxonomy means law full arrangement of plants and it is a process of grouping the plants and other organisms. In ancient days plants the classification of plants was very easier and the classification of made by taking consideration of one or two morphological characters which is known as artificial classification but in course of time the classification of plants underwent many medications were taken place because of technological development. But end the end of 19th century the system of classification based on external morphological characters especially based on floral characters because floral characters are stable when compare to morphological characters while growth of the plants, this system of classification is classical/ alpha taxonomy. In course of time the classification of organisms/plants taken consideration of the multiple allied disciplines like the evidences from Anatomy, Embryology, Palynology, Cytology and Genetics. This type of classification is used to resolve taxonomic problems in addition to morphology this classification special significance which is called as biosystematics. Of course an insufficient number of experts, and the instability of phenotypes, which are easily affected by environmental factors, made this classification meet difficulties. With the advent evidences of the fields of phylogenetic, cladistics, experimental botanical gardens, field study, herbariums, keys, museums, computers and systematics, the artificial classification have progressed to a system of modern/ Phylogenic system of biological classification based on consideration of the evolutionary relationships between organisms and both biotic and abiotic factors. Here, I discussed the history of Identification, nomenclature classification and its different systems, for the identification of plants, the development of various molecular techniques that generate molecular markers has made it possible to accurately identify plants. Here I referred the reviews which gives information of the modern techniques and traditional methods that can be used for identification plant species through genotypic studies based on DNA barcoding.

Palynology of Huberia (Melastomataceae: Cambessedesieae): diversity and taxonomic implications

Huberia DC. is a genus belonging to the family Melastomataceae, which comprises 37 species distributed in vegetation formations of the Amazon Forest and Andes complex and the Atlantic Forest biome. Recent phylogenetic studies have modified the circumscription of the genus to include the genera Behuria Cham. and Dolichoura Brade. Furthermore, the genus was placed in the new tribe Cambessedesieae, together with the genera Cambessedesia DC. and Merianthera Kuhlm. In view of the relevant contribution of palynology to taxonomic and phylogenetic studies, this study aimed to expand the palynological knowledge of Huberia. Samples from 22 species were obtained from specimens deposited in the herbaria of the Rio de Janeiro Botanical Garden (RB), National Museum/UFRJ (R), Municipal Botanical Museum of Curitiba (MBM), and Federal University of Paraná (UPCB). Flower buds were acetolysed and used to prepare pollen sediment slides. Slides were mounted with glycerinated gelatin and analyzed and photographed under a light microscope. The results showed pollen grains in monads, small, varying in shape from prolate-spheroidal to subprolate; heteroaperturate (colporate and pseudocolpate), tricolporate, with a small, very small, or non-existent polar area in syncolporate pollen; colpi long or very long and narrow, endoaperture lalongate with median constriction in most species and lolongate in others; exine perforate, rugulate, or striate microreticulate and the sexine thicker than the nexine. Based on the findings of this study, it is concluded that palynological characters provide information for the taxonomy of the group.

The Refiguration of Conservation: Introducing the Concept of 'Staging Nature' in the Case of Botanical Gardens

Botanical garden museums are undergoing profound transformations. At the beginning of the 21st century refiguring processes, including climate change, the imperative of decolonisation, and advances in digital technology have led to a shift in the positioning of botanical gardens from Humboldtian collectors of nature to protectors of biodiversity. In this paper, through the sociospatial investigation of Berlin’s Botanical Garden and Museum, we analysed the ordering logics underpinning the staging of nature within the glasshouses - caught between permanence and change. Pursuing this investigation on a double analytical level, we analysed how the Berlin botanical garden is adapting to, or indeed struggling with a shifting conservation mission; and secondly, what are the consequences for the destabilisation of the conservation regime’s modernist underpinnings. We conclude the paper by speculating about the necessity of a nature-culture conservation regime.

Chemical Composition and Antimicrobial Activity against the Listeria monocytogenes of Essential Oils from Seven Salvia Species.

In recent years, essential oils (EOs) have received interest due to their antibacterial properties. Accordingly, the present study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of the EOs obtained from seven species of Salvia on three strains of Listeria monocytogenes (two serotyped wild strains and one ATCC strain), a bacterium able to contaminate food products and cause foodborne disease in humans. The Salvia species analysed in the present study were cultivated at the Botanic Garden and Museum of the University of Pisa, and their air-dried aerial parts were subjected to hydrodistillation using a Clevenger apparatus. The obtained EOs were analysed via gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry for the evaluation of their chemical composition, and they were tested for their inhibitory and bactericidal activities by means of MIC and MBC. The tested Eos showed promising results, and the best outcomes were reached by S. chamaedryoides EO, showing an MIC of 1:256 and an MBC of 1:64. The predominant compounds of this EO were the sesquiterpenes caryophyllene oxide and β-caryophyllene, together with the monoterpenes bornyl acetate and borneol. These results suggest that these EOs may possibly be used in the food industry as preservatives of natural origins.

Digitization of the historical Herbarium of Michele Guadagno at Pisa (PI-GUAD).

The herbarium digitization process is an essential first step in transforming the vast amount of data associated with a physical specimen into flexible digital data formats. In this framework, the Herbarium of the University of Pisa (international code PI), at the end of 2018 started a process of digitization focusing on one of its most relevant collections: the Herbarium of Michele Guadagno (1878-1930). This scholar studied flora and vegetation of different areas of southern Italy, building a large herbarium including specimens collected by himself, plus many specimens obtained through exchanges with Italian and foreign botanists. The Herbarium is composed by 547 packages of vascular plants. Metadata were entered into the online database Virtual Herbaria JACQ and mirrored into a personalized virtual Herbarium of the Botanic Museum. After the completion of the digitization process, the number of sheets preserved in the Herbarium amounts to 44,345. Besides Guadagno, who collected 42% of his specimens, a further 1,102 collectors are represented. Most specimens were collected in Europe (91%), but all the continents are represented. As expected, Italy is the most represented country (59%), followed by France, Spain, Germany, and Greece. The specimens cover a time span of 99 years, from 1830 to 1929, whereas the specimens collected by Guadagno range between 1889 and 1928. Furthermore, we traced 134 herbarium sheets associated with documents, among which 75 drawings handmade by Guadagno, 34 letters from various corresponding authors, 16 copies of publications, and 14 copies of published iconographies.

Type material in the Hieracium (Compositae: Cichorieae) collection of Joseph Bornmüller

The herbarium of Joseph Bornmüller (1862–1948) was acquired by the Berlin Botanical Museum in 1938 and belongs today to its most valuable possessions. Parts of Bornmüller´s Hieracium collection remained in the museum´s backlog and have now been incorporated in the general herbarium. A list of Hieracium names published by various authors on the basis of plant material collected by Bornmüller or deposited in Bornmüller´s herbarium is presented here, including information on the type localities given in the protologues. The type material available is listed with full label data and other particulars to be found on the specimens. The status of the type specimens is discussed and the currently accepted names are provided. The names Hieracium fridae-bornmuelleriae and H. scitulum subsp. aquae-albae are validated, the new combinations H. bifidum subsp. arnstadtense, H. diaphanoides subsp. leptodermum, H. glaucinum subsp. chrysoprasicola, and H. schmidtii subsp. trichocyaneum are proposed, and 95 names are lectotypified.

Stemroton Adenia globosa caused by Lasiodiplodia theobromae in Jiangsu.

Adenia globosa, as an excellent indoor ornamental plant, is planted in Tropical Botanical Museum, Nanjing Zhongshan Botanical Garden, Jiangsu Province, China.In September 2022, a new stembasalrot disease was observed on A. globosa seedlings,being planted here. Stem basalrot were observed on approximately 80% of A. globosa seedlings. The basalstem of cutting seedlings appeared decayed, and stem tip eventually turned dry due to water loss (Figure S1A). To isolate the pathogen, three diseased stems were collected from three cuttings planted in different pots of the Tropical Botanical Museum. The stem sections (3 to 4 mm) were excised from the margins between healthy and diseased tissues, surface sterilized in 75% ethanol for 30 s and 1.5% NaClO for 90 s, rinsed three times in sterilized distilled water, plated on potato dextrose agar (PDA) and incubated at 25℃ in the dark. Pure cultures were obtained by monosporic isolation. Eight isolates were obtained, and all identified as Lasiodiplodia sp.. The colonies morphology of cultures, growing on PDA were cotton-like, the primary mycelia were black gray after 7 days, and the reverse sides of PDA plates were similar to front sides in color (Figure S1B). A representative isolate, QXM1-2 was selected for the further study. Conidia of QXM1-2 were oval or elliptic, with a mean size of 11.6 µm×6.6 µm (n=35). The conidia are colorless and transparent in the early stage, and become dark brown with one-septum in the later stage (Figure S1C). The conidiophores produced conidia after nearly four weeks of cultivation on PDA plate (Figure S1D). The conidiophore was a transparent cylindrical structure, with a size of (6.4-18.2) µm × (2.3-4.5) µm ( n = 35). These characteristics were consistent with the description of Lasiodiplodia sp. (Alves et al. 2008). The internal transcribed spacer regions (ITS), translation elongation factor 1-alpha (TEF1α) and β-tubulin (TUB) genes (GenBank Accession No.OP905639, No.OP921005, and No.OP921006, respectively) were amplified and sequenced with the primer pairs ITS1/ITS4 (White et al. 1990), EF1-728F/EF1-986R (Alves et al. 2008) and Bt2a/Bt2b (Glass and Donaldson 1995), respectively. They had 99.8-100% homology to the ITS (504/505 bp) of Lasiodiplodia theobromae strain NH-1 (MK696029), TEF1α (316/316 bp) of strain PaP-3 (MN840491), and TUB (459/459 bp) of isolate J4-1 (MN172230). A neighbor-joining phylogenetic tree was generated by combining all sequenced loci in MEGA7. The isolate QXM1-2 clustered in the L. theobromae clade with 100% bootstrap support (Figure S2). To test pathogenicity, three A. globosa cutting seedlings that previously had been wounded with a sterile needle were inoculated with 20 μL conidia suspension (1×106 conidia/mL) on the stem base. The seedlings inoculated with 20 µL sterile water was used as the control. All plants were covered with clear polyethylene bags to keep moisture in a greenhouse (25℃, 80% relative humidity). The experiment was repeated three times. After 7 days post-inoculation, typical stem rot were found on the treated cutting seedlings and the control seedlings did not have any symptoms (Figure S1E-F). The same fungus, identified by morphological characteristics and sequencing using ITS, TEF1α and TUB genes, was isolated from the diseased tissues of the inoculated stems to complete Koch's postulates. This pathogen has been reported infecting the branch of castor bean (Tang et al. 2021) androot ofCitrus (Al-Sadi et al. 2014). For our knowledge, this is the first report of L. theobromae infecting A. globosa in China. This study provides an important reference for the biology, epidemiology of L. theobromae.

Orchidaceae acostanae: typification of Costa Rican orchid species described by Rudolf Schlechter from collections by Guillermo Acosta

ABSTRACT Rudolf Schlechter (1872–1925) described several orchid taxa based on specimens collected in Costa Rica during the first half of the 20th century. Unfortunately, the type material kept at the Botanical Museum of Berlin-Dahlem (B) was destroyed in the bombing of Berlin, Germany, in 1943. To complete the typification of names proposed by Schlechter, based on orchid collections attributed to Guillermo Acosta in Costa Rica, we have compiled a list of 22 names. Previously, 11 lectotypifications and five neotypifications were proposed on this material. However, we found six names that lacked typification. Therefore, formal typifications are proposed for Acostaea pleurothalloides, Dichaea similis, Goodyera micrantha, Lepanthes acostae, L. pubilabia, and Stelis acostae. Additionally, we provide a biographical context to understand Acosta’s relationship with Schlechter and the historical background of these collections. Finally, we provide bibliographical references and illustrations for lectotypes and neotypes. This work is part of a series focused on the nomenclature and typification of orchid names proposed by Schlechter in Costa Rica, aimed at clarifying our understanding of his species concepts in the Neotropics. Further, the typification of the names based on the collections made by the brothers Alfred and Curt Brade is necessary to complete this series.

A Comprehensive Approach to Improving Endemic Plant Species Research, Conservation, and Popularization

Scientific research is the main driver to push forward and disseminate botanical knowledge. Despite many institutions having this fundamental aim as a core activity, many of them do not have a complete set of facilities, expertise, staff, and resources to cover all the steps involved in the study, management, conservation, and popularization of plant diversity. Accordingly, we propose a workflow formalizing the cooperation between a botanical garden and a botanical research center, focused on the study of plant endemic species. Specifically, the cooperation was implemented between the PLANTSEED Lab of the Department of Biology and the Botanic Garden and Museum of the University of Pisa. We present seven representative case studies (Armeria arenaria complex, Bellevalia webbiana, Crocus etruscus and C. ilvensis, Dianthus virgineus complex, Pulmonaria hirta complex, and Santolina chamaecyparissus complex) to disentangle the approaches and opportunities arising from cooperative approaches, from laboratory to cultivation. We analyze the emerging properties derived from this synergistic cooperation by promoting open research questions and answering them using a comprehensive approach to improving endemic plant species research, conservation, and popularization in the botanical garden. In this manuscript, we show how a cooperative approach between heterogeneous botanical institutions can constitute an effective and easy-to-implement approach to achieve the goals of each partner involved in the cooperation.

Revision of bryophyte specimens from Montenegro

More than hundred specimens of problematic or taxonomically re-evaluated taxa were revised in the Bryophyte Herbarium of the Hungarian Natural History Museum, Budapest (BP) and in the herbarium of P. Erzberger, Botanic Garden and Botanical Museum Berlin Dahlem (B). As result two species (Lophozia silvicola, Ulota interm edia) can be added to the Montenegrin bryophyte flora and one species (Brachythecium tenuicale) should be deleted. The recent distribution of several taxa of conservation interest was clarified, e. g. rarities like Neckera pumila, Ulota bruchii or genera potentially threatened due to climate change like Philonotis and Timmia. The results are important contributions to the preparation of an updated checklist and red list of the Montenegrin bryoflora.

The journey of a book from the sixteenth to the twentieth century

Two handwritten notes found in a small volume published in 1564 – an older one relating to the first owner bearing the name of Ulisse Aldrovandi placed at the top of the title page, and the second one bearing the location on the tail of the book – have aroused great interest in the possibility that it could belong to the famous naturalist’s library in Bologna. A third note, placed on the doublure of front cover, refers to an unknown later owner whose identity will be sought out, based on the little information reported. Starting from these handwritten notes, the journey of the book is reconstructed in space – from Aldrovandi’s library in Bologna to the Historical Library of the Orazio Comes Botanical Museum kept at the MUSA Museum Centre in Portici – and in time – from the sixteenth to the nineteenth century.

Catalogue and Typifications of New Taxa of Vascular Plants Described by Anders Thiodolf Saelan (1834–1921)

Anders Thiodolf Saelan (1834–1921) was a notable non-professional botanist in the late 19th and early 20th century Finland, and was amongst the most diligent writers of his time in the country, authoring five books, 75 articles and 83 communications, for a total of 163 texts. Saelan was particularly known for writing extensive botanical reviews, such as Herbarium Musei Fennici in 1889 and Bibliography of Finnish botanical literature until the end of 1900. He validly published 34 taxa, including two species, Hieracium linifolium and H. pilipes, 6 varieties, 25 forms, and one subform, and introduced 46 names as nomina nuda. Saelan had no concept of type specimens and therefore all his plant taxa need typification, and 28 of those are lectotypified here. In this paper, nomina nuda and the taxa whose type material was not found are also listed, except those of the apomictic genus Hieracium. Most of Saelan's new taxa are nowadays not recognised. Saelan's type collection treated here, as well as his other specimens are deposited at the Botanical Museum (H), Finnish Museum of Natural History, University of Helsinki, Finland.

Ferdinand Tessendorff (1879–1924) and his Hieracium collection

The Hieracium (Compositae: Cichorieae) collection of Ferdinand Tessendorff (1879–1924) was recently located in the backlog of the Botanical Museum Berlin. It comprises 565 specimens, including several types, which have now been incorporated into the general herbarium. A digest of the life and work of Tessendorff, a high school teacher and amateur botanist in Berlin, is presented. The status of the 11 type specimens present in the collection is discussed, their taxonomy is assessed, new synonymies are proposed and four names are lectotypified. Citation: Vogt R. & Gottschlich G. 2022: Ferdinand Tessendorff (1879–1924) and his Hieracium collection. – Willdenowia 52: 83–90. Version of record first published online on 21 March 2022 ahead of inclusion in April 2022 issue.

AUTHENTIC SPECIMENS COLLECTED BY A.I. MALZEV IN THE VIR HERBARIUM COLLECTION (WIR)

Alexander Ivanovich Malzev is one of the foremost collectors and founders of the VIR herbarium collection (WIR). To develop the original system of Euavena section, he collected over 16,000 herbarium specimens and studied Russian and foreign herbarium collections of botanical gardens, museums and universities. During the inventory of historical collections of the Herbarium of cultivated plants of the world, their wild relatives, and weeds (VIR Herbarium, WIR), some authentic herbarium specimens collected by A.I. Malzev and cited in his monograph have been identified. In taxa protologues, the author cited only the origin of the specimen. Many specimens were initially represented by seeds and studied and herbarized by A.I. Malzev later when planted at experiment stations. We are publishing nomenclatural types of 40 taxa found in the VIR Herbarium (WIR), which were described, and validly and effectively published by A.I. Malzev. Lectotypes for 15 taxa were selected by B.R. Baum (1977). We have designated 10 lectotypes.

Contributions to the biodiversity of Vietnam - Results of VIETBIO inventory work and field training in Cuc Phuong National Park.

VIETBIO [Innovative approaches to biodiversity discovery and characterisation in Vietnam] is a bilateral German-Vietnamese research and capacity building project focusing on the development and transfer of new methods and technology towards an integrated biodiversity discovery and monitoring system for Vietnam. Dedicated field training and testing of innovative methodologies were undertaken in Cuc Phuong National Park as part and with support of the project, which led to the new biodiversity data and records made available in this article collection.VIETBIO is a collaboration between the Museum für Naturkunde Berlin – Leibniz Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity Science (MfN), the Botanic Garden and Botanical Museum, Freie Universität Berlin (BGBM) and the Vietnam National Museum of Nature (VNMN), the Institute of Ecology and Biological Resources (IEBR), the Southern Institute of Ecology (SIE), as well as the Institute of Tropical Biology (ITB); all Vietnamese institutions belong to the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology (VAST).The article collection "VIETBIO" (https://doi.org/10.3897/bdj.coll.63) reports original results of recent biodiversity recording and survey work undertaken in Cuc Phuong National Park, northern Vietnam, under the framework of the VIETBIO project. The collection consist of this “main” cover paper – characterising the study area, the general project approaches and activities, while also giving an extensive overview on previous studies from this area – followed by individual papers for higher taxa as studied during the project. The main purpose is to make primary biodiversity records openly available, including several new and interesting findings for this biodiversity-rich conservation area. All individual data papers with their respective primary records are expected to provide useful baselines for further taxonomic, phylogenetic, ecological and conservation-related studies on the respective taxa and, thus, will be maintained as separate datasets, including separate GUIDs also for further updating.

Участие женщин в формировании и развитии музейного дела Томского университета (1880-е - начало 1920-х гг.)

The authors of this article highlight the contribution of women to the creation and functioning of museums of Tomsk University. The using of authentic sources suggests that in the early years of the university's creation, the participation of women in the museum science was limited to charity. Women donated collections of their deceased relatives to Tomsk University or donated their own collections of museum objects. It is known about the generous gift of F.E. Tsibulskaya, Siberian gold-miner' widow. She donated a collection of Siberian minerals to the university. Anna Nordenschild (Smit), the widow of the Norwegian collector Gustav Nordenschild, presented a large collection of butterflies. It was highly appreciated by the head of the University Zoological Museum, professor Kashchenko. It mentioned that among the women-donors were ordinary townswomen, and high-society ladies. For example, the collection of coins and tokens, sent to Tomsk by E.V. von Geyser, the Minister of Public Education I.D. Delyanov had accompanied. The situation was changed by the law of July 3, 1914. This law allowed women to work in university museums on equal terms with men. The implementation of the law began in 1915. The Ministry of Public Education sent additional assignation for the maintenance of educational and auxiliary institutions (offices, laboratories, museums) of the Imperial Tomsk University. In 1915-1916, the first female employees were admitted to the museums of Tomsk University. Graduates of the Siberian Women's Courses Taisiya Tripolitova, Enafa Nikitina and Lidia Sergiyevskaya worked at the Botanical Museum (Herbarium)) on a permanent basis. They participated in scientific expeditions conducted under the leadership of professor of Botany Department V.V. Sapozhnikov, as well as the curator of the Botanical Museum P.N. Krylov. They processed their herbariums, published the first scientific articles. Elizaveta Kiseleva, a graduate of the Siberian Women's Courses, worked at the Zoological Museum. Under the guidance of Professor M.D. Ruzsky, she collected a collection of ants and was engaged in the processing and description of this collection. In 1919, E.F. Kiseleva collaborated at the Institute of Siberian Studies. She studied the fauna of the Ob River and brought a collection of Ob fish to the Zoological Museum. So the study of the causes of the “fish kill” in Ob River was began. In addition to full-time employees in Tomsk University museums female students who specialized in the study of Siberian vegetation worked as well. Their collections replenished the Herbarium of Tomsk University and were used for scientific and educational purposes. In conclusion, the authors emphasize that at the turn of the 1910-20s, Tomsk University formed a core of women researchers, around whom professional museum employees were concentrated.