Herbarium: The Quest to Preserve and Classify the World’s Plants

“Plants have a history and their stories can be recorded and preserved within a herbarium which contains a systematically arranged collection of dried plants. This may sound dull, but in this impressive book, author Barbara Their (director of the Lynda Steere Herbarium at the New York Botanical Gardens) superbly and radiantly recounts the history of plant collecting through fascinating historical data, interesting anecdotes, collection references, relevant details of scientific practices, and illustrates these chronicled features with stunning images of pressed plants along with engrossing photos of botanists and study sites. Opening with an introduction to the Italian physician named Luca Ghini who is credited with founding the first Herbarium in 1500AD, the riveting narrative continues with the physicians and naturalists who followed his methods. Her stories are engrossing as familiar names such as Linnaeus, Banks, Darwin, James Cook, Humboldt, and so many others crop up in this chronicle of Herbaria establishments across the world. The importance of herbaria which records the occurrence of plants and fungi is stressed, while the information they contain is important for maintaining ecosystems, detecting pollution, examining stresses to biodiversity. This magnificent tale of plant preservation should engross the attention of all readers interested in history, adventure, science, and the world we live in.”