Flora Melitensis : a natural history gem from the village of Żabbar, Malta

Abstract

In 2013, a neglected herbarium entitled Flora Melitensis was rediscovered at the St. Margaret College (Primary B) in Żabbar, Malta. Housed in a custom-built cabinet and dating to 1951–1952, the collection originally comprised around 150 plant specimens prepared by teachers and students as part of an innovative natural history curriculum. Upon discovery, the herbarium was in a state of severe deterioration caused by pest infestations, decayed protective materials, and specimen loss. A ten-month restoration project was undertaken to preserve its scientific and historical value. This process included cleaning, freeze-drying, fumigation, specimen and label conservation, and the replacement of missing plants with newly collected or cultivated material. Of the original specimens, 72 were extant and could be saved, while 32 were recollected from the wild, and eight were recollected from cultivated specimens purposely grown for the collection. Historical investigation confirmed the herbarium’s origins within one of Malta’s earliest initiatives to integrate environmental education in state schools. The restored Flora Melitensis, now forming part of the collection at the National Museum of Natural History in Malta, now serves as both a botanical archive and a cultural artefact, preserving a unique intersection of Maltese floristics, pedagogy, and heritage.