Herbarium is a repository where dried plant specimens pasted on cardboard sheets are permanently stored systematically according to scientific grouping of plants. These dried plant specimens are important reference material for scientific studies in various disciplines like plant taxonomy, ecology, environmental studies, genetics, medicinal plants and other economic plants etc. Herbaria are well represented in all countries throughout the world playing a vital role for biodiversity conservation.

Pakistan Agricultural Research Council (then ARC) established National Herbarium in 1975 and acquired Stewart collection (about 50,000 specimens) from Gordon College Rawalpindi. PARC has the best managed Herbarium in the country regularly curated and updated for nomenclature having over 12000 species from Pakistan, India, Afghanistan, Iran and Central Asian countries.