LUCKNOW, Feb. 27 -- An artificial intelligence enabled herbarium has been made functional by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research - National Botanical Research Institute (CSIR-NBRI) after the digitisation of the existing LWG Herbarium. It was inaugurated on January 31 by N Kalaiselvi, director-general CSIR. The herbarium consists of mounted specimens with scientific information across generations which serve as primary resources for taxonomy, biodiversity assessment, ecology, conservation biology, and evolutionary research. The herbarium was established in 1953 by the founder director Prof K N Kaul, where LWG Herbarium derives its acronym from Lucknow Garden, reflecting its origin from the historic National Botanical Garden. In 2006, it was designated as a National Repository of Indian Flora by the National Biodiversity Authority under the Biological Diversity Act, 2002, shared director NBRI Ajit Shasnay. "The herbarium houses more than 2.25 lakh preserved specimens, the largest collection within the CSIR system, including the largest lichen collection in South Asia and the richest bryophyte collection in India. "The newly introduced initiative enables intelligent recognition, digital organization, and rapid retrieval of herbarium specimen data, transforming traditional taxonomy through advanced artificial intelligence. The initiative has an integration of artificial intelligence with classical taxonomy, ensuring faster accessibility, improved accuracy, and global visibility of India's plant wealth." Alongside AI implementation, CSIR-NBRI has introduced QR-based herbarium tagging of the entire herbarium. Traditionally, accessing specimen information required manual searching through cabinets and archival records but in the new system, researchers can now scan QR codes using mobile devices to instantly access specimen details including family, genus, species name, collection number, accession number, and associated metadata. "Digital tagging bridges the gap between preserved specimens and modern research needs. The integration of QR technology ensures seamless accessibility while maintaining the integrity of traditional herbarium practices. This innovation significantly improves research efficiency, accuracy, and accessibility, creating a seamless blend of classical taxonomy and smart technology," Shasnay added....