The seeds are stored in a drying room at 15°C and 15% relative humidity. Seeds of woody plants are stored in the refrigerator. If you are looking for a species and cannot find it in the Index Seminum, you are welcome to send us a request. In our freezer we store more than 9,000 other seed accessions which are not published.
Our Index Seminum contains seeds from sites in the wild as well as from the Botanic Garden Berlin. The seeds are from open pollination; hence hybridization is not impossible in seeds collected in the garden.
Some of the species might be invasive. The invasive and potentially invasive species of the German warning list of invasive vascular plant species ((bfn.de/sites/default/files/2021-05/II_1_2_18 Naturschutzfachl Invasivitaetsbew Pflanzen.pdf) are marked. Those placing orders are responsible for informing themselves about potentially invasive behaviour of the ordered species in their country and, if necessary, to take appropriate precautions during cultivation.
All identifications of the seeds offered in this Index Seminum have been verified and vouchered in the Herbarium B. We are grateful for any information on possible misidentifications or seeds that do not germinate. The taxonomy and nomenclature of the European and Mediterranean plant species follows largely the Euro+Med PlantBase (https://europlusmed.org/), outside Europe the major standard floras. Author citations are abbreviated in conformity with International Plant Names Index (IPNI, 2023; https://www.ipni.org/).
Locality and habitat data are the abbreviated original data from the collectors and have not been standardized.
Seed ordering information
The Botanical Garden Berlin observes the agreements of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and the Nagoya Protocol as well as the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) when receiving and giving off plant material. We expect our partners to act in compliance and in accordance with these conventions and existing laws regarding the protection, sustainable use of biological diversity, access to genetic resources and equitable benefit sharing when receiving, maintaining and transferring plant material from the BGBM.
We are part of the International Plant Exchange Network IPEN (s. BGCI, IPEN). The IPEN network is based on a common code of conduct (IPEN Code of Conduct), which meets the obligations of the CBD as well as the implementation of the Nagoya Protocol. The botanic gardens commit themselves to comply with this code by registering as IPEN members. IPEN members can order seeds directly from us without further formalities. Non IPEN members must have the Material Transfer Agreement (MTA) signed by an authorized person. The signed agreement can be sent electronically or by post (see above for address). Without this signed agreement no seeds will be sent out. By ordering seeds, the above mentioned delivery conditions become binding for the customer.
The number of accessions is limited to 35 per order.