Madagascar Grass Herbarium Specimens from 1769 to 2016

All Poaceae herbarium specimens collected in Madagascar and surrounding islands, held at the Museum National d'Histoire Naturelle de Paris. The data spans specimens collected over a 247-year period from 1769 to 2016. Marie Linah Rabarivola and the Madagascar Biodiversity Partnership compiled the data through transcription and georeferencing of specimen images.

Use Cases

• Analyze historical plant distribution based on specimen collection dates and locations.
• Study taxonomic diversity of the Poaceae family across the islands.
• Model species occurrence for conservation planning based on georeferenced specimen data.

Strengths

• Specimens collected over a long temporal range from 1769 to 2016.
• Data includes georeferenced locations for specimens.
• Specimens are sourced from a major natural history museum collection (MNHN).

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Last update date is unknown; freshness unverified.

Provenance

Source

Museum National d'Histoire Naturelle de Paris herbarium (MNHN)

Collection Method

Compiled from transcription and georeferencing of specimen images, using web tools and gazetteers.

Time Range

1769-2016

Geography

Madagascar, Comoros, La Reunion, Mauritius, Seychelles, Glorioso Islands, Europa Island, Juan de Nova, Mayotte