Central National Herbarium, Botanical Survey of India 3.47

Established in 1795 at Howrah, the CNH holds ca. 2 million specimens of seed plants. It includes 15,000 type specimens, 12,340 Wallichian specimens and 15,000 non-flowering plants. Dr. William Roxburgh, a Scottish surgeon of East India Company was appointed as the first salaried Superintendent of the Company’s Garden in 1793. Roxburgh established the ‘Calcutta Herbarium’ in the ground floor of his house in 1795 in the garden at Shibpur.The herbarium was shifted to a 2-storied building in 1883 by Sir George King. The present herbarium is in a 5-storied building constructed during 1971–1972.