Abstract
The Paleobotanical Collections of The National Science Museum are made up of ca. 24,000 specimens, including ca. 11,000 registered specimens with 385 types and several described specimens of the 130 published works. Based on the curatorial work of the collections, present status and problems are described with regard to the preparation, registration, conservation and management, and utilization of plant fossil materials. It is emphasized that: 1) physical and research works before the deposition of specimens are one of the major obstacles ; 2) reference collections of modem species, such as cleared leaves and fruits and seeds, should be conserved and utilized as in the case of fossil specimens ; and 3) personal computer is now a powerful tool to achieve a small- sized database and computerized cataloguing of the particular collections, and information of such database through the network is necessary for more effective use of the collections. In addition, the Plant Fossil Record Database organized by the International Organization of Palaeobotany is briefly introduced as an example of utilization of plant fossil data.
