The herbarium came into existence as early as in 1946 with the establishment of the Maharashtra Association for the Cultivation of Science (MACS). Recognized as the Agharkar Herbarium of MACS(AHMA) in 1984. It houses a rich collection of specimens addressing angisperm taxonomy, floristics, ethnabotany and pharmacognosy. The collections include flowering plants(angiosperms 28000), pollen spores(sporothek600), fruits and seeds(carpothek1000) besides a repository of crude drug samples(900). Majority of the specimens are from Northern Western Ghats. Specimens from Australia and Nepal form a small part of AHMA. Uses of plants by local inhabitants are well documented at the AHMA.
AHMA was awarded international status by The New York Botanical Garden in 1984. AHMA received the certificate of registration at a source under United Nations Environmental Program in INFOTERRA in 1984.
Through AHMA Agharkar Research Institute, provides authentication service to pharmaceutical companies, academic institutions and researchers.
Collections made by eminent botanists Prof. S.P.Agharkar, Prof. L.P.Kajale, Dr. G.B.Deodikar, Dr. B.A.Razi, Prof. T.S.Mahabale(Palms of India) and Dr. V.D.Vartak (Flora of Gomantak) and their students have enriched the AHMA. Collections made form in-house and sponsored projects besides those received from various sources have continually contributed to the AHMA.