The University of Ghana (formerly University College of the Gold Coast) was established by an act of Parliament in 1948. After the Gold Coast colony gained independence in March 1957 the name of the country was changed to Ghana, and the name of the university was also changed to the University of Ghana. University of Ghana is the premier and largest university in Ghana, situated in Accra, the capital city of Ghana.
The Gold Coast Herbarium, with the acronym GC, was founded in 1948, with the establishment of the University College of the Gold Coast and housed in the Department of Plant and Environmental Biology (formerly Department of Botany). The Gold Coast Herbarium (GC) was renamed the Ghana Herbarium, maintaining the acronym GC, when the name of the university was changed to University of Ghana.