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

by Barbara M. Thiers

“A sweeping history of the origins, development, and future of herbaria and their role in plant consternation.”  —The American Gardener

Since the 1500s, scientists have documented the plants and fungi that grew around them, organizing the specimens into collections. Known as herbaria, these archives helped give rise to botany as its own scientific endeavor.

Herbarium is a fascinating enquiry into this unique field of plant biology, exploring how herbaria emerged and have changed over time, who promoted and contributed to them, and why they remain such an important source of data for their new understanding how the world’s flora is changing. Barbara Thiers, director of the William and Lynda Steere Herbarium at the New York Botanical Garden, also explains how recent innovations that allow us to see things at both the molecular level and on a global scale can be applied to herbaria specimens, helping us address some of the most critical problems facing the world today.

Genres: Nature, Nonfiction, Science, Gardening, History, Plants, Environment

304 pages, Hardcover

First published December 8, 2020

Reviews

[8stitches 9lives · Rating 4 out of 5]

A herbarium is a repository of preserved specimens from our world’s plants, fungi and other organisms. First created by Renaissance scholar Luca Ghini, today they number more than 3,300 in more than 170 countries across the world, together they house nearly 390 million examples of what grows on planet Earth. Author Barbara M. Thiers is director of the William and Lynda Steere Herbarium at the New York Botanical Garden, president of the Society for the Preservation of Natural History Collections, and vice president of the Natural Science Collections Alliance.

She has put together a sublime collection of specimens creating not only a fascinating read but one accompanied by complementary pictures of pressed flowers and plant life. Simply stuffed with history of herbaria, statistics, facts and interesting anecdotes, this is a must-read for those who appreciate the natural world and its importance in keeping this planet habitable for human beings. It explores those who first began compiling herbarium, those who furthered their use as well as the science and industry that has moved them forward. Highly recommended.

[Alicia Bayer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an incredibly comprehensive look at the history of herbaria, filled with beautiful photos, historical images, detailed information and more. It turns out that this is far more information than I ever really wanted to know about the topic but it should stand as a go-to guide for anyone who wants a really thorough history of the topic. Many of the historic photos and images are worthy of framing. It's really beautiful and brimming with information.

I read a temporary digital ARC of this book for review.

[Tristan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent read on the history of herbaria and their ever growing significance in understanding our natural world. I found the age of exploration portions to be very thrilling, with the plants never leaving the foreground. The photos of the herbarium specimens were always well chosen and capture well these snapshots of plant life across the globe. I found myself squinting to read the cursive notes of plant collectors from 100’s of years ago.

One qualm I had was with the author’s treatment of the Morril act, which created Land Grant Universities: by referring to it as land given to free to universities, Thiers misses the theft and dispossession of indigenous land inherit in these scheme of funding for American institutions of higher education.

Overall a very interesting and approachable book! While I have some botanical education I would readily recommend this book to anyone interested in natural history, ecology, or simply in a little told story.

[Mandy Bookstagram · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love gardening. It might be the ultimate girly cliche, but it’s true! I love trying to grow them, and I always try to keep plants and flowers in the house. So naturally, I loved the gorgeous art in this book as much as I enjoyed learning about herbaria. It was incredibly interesting to see the ways vegetation has evolved and changed over the centuries...Amazing that samples of the past have been recorded and contrasted against modern plants in this book! I especially enjoyed the vintage woodcuts and engravings of ancient plants that were included. I received this as a free e-book but I would be very proud to display this on my shelves.

[David Schwan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A history of the people who collect, prepare, and document the various plants on this planet. The systemic collection of plants is newer than I would have guessed. As the Europeans started their great voyages of discovery we see much more collecting taking place. The photos are wonderful and show plants collected by a variety of important collectors over time. My one complaint is that many more herbariums are described than needed to be.

[J. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Herbarium is a pretty much what you'd expect from the cover: a book all about herbaria, collections of preserved plants.

Although the book touches on the logistics of how a herbarium is made and preserved, the main focus is the notable people who collected and preserved plant species around the world.

I really enjoyed reading this book. I'll admit it was a bit dry in places, but that's hard to avoid given the subject matter. What I enjoyed most were the stories tied to these famous herbaria, especially that of Jeanne Baret (who disguised herself as a man to join an expedition around the world) and Constantine Rafinesque (who was so prolific yet slapdash in his work that he actually negatively impacted the field). You'd be surprised by the drama and personalities involved.

I also appreciated the section toward the end of the book that spoke about the future of herbaria, specially how to volunteer to help preserve your local herbaria. (After all, the pioneers in the field weren't all formally trained, so why can we help out!)

I would highly recommend Herbarium to anyone interested in plants or history. It was a joy to read.

[Ioana · Rating 5 out of 5]

This has been such a fascinating read!

There is so much history here, and so much adventure in the pages of a book documenting the story of herbaria - how we got to collet plants and keep information about them. It's a long history, which the author presents beautifully, focusing on important characters and actual heroes that built herbariums and studied plants, fungi & co.

But more than the history of herbaria, this book is truly encompassing, with every detail one needs to know about it: why it is important, what great treasure trove of information it provides, what are the challenges they encounter and so much more.

A book perfect for people interested in the world of plants but also for anyone looking to read little know history or simply looking for inspiration. A wonderful read!

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

[Annie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Published on my blog at release: Nonstop Reader.

Herbarium is a comprehensive reference of the history and development of botanical nomenclature as related by botanist Barbara M. Thiers. Due out 24th Nov 2020 from Workman Publishing on their Timber Press imprint, it's 304 pages and will be available in hardcover and ebook formats.

The cataloguing and organization of plant material into a cohesive (and correctly identified) herbarium is admittedly exotic, academic, and (some would say) tweedy pastime. It's also deeply steeped in adventure, history, (yes colonialism), and exploration. Early explorers were hardy and fearless and raced to find and bring back heretofore unknown species. As a result, botanical material was crated and shipped wholesale (generally unidentified) back to be bought and curated into private and public collections worldwide.

This is the story of those collectors, the materials they brought back, the people who curate(d) and maintain(ed) them then and now, conservation, and more. The book is arranged roughly chronologically and geographically: origins, the age of botanical exploration, herbaria in the US, herbaria in the wider world, and the important future of herbaria given the uncertainties of climate change. The author has an engaging writing style, both academically rigorous and layman accessible. I can well imagine that she's a capable lecturer.

The book is -beautifully- illustrated throughout with mounted specimens shown in situ with their accession entries. It's very much like a museum trip in the reader's hands as well as abundant drawings and illustrations. I work in a healthcare setting in a laboratory (cancer biopsies mostly), but seeing the photographs of their labs with climate controlled storage and rooms full of files of plant material made my bionerd-y heart sing.

There is an abbreviated resource and bibliography list for further reading, a links and informational list of worldwide botanical collections, as well as a comprehensive cross-referenced index.

It's an admittedly niche book, but I heartily recommend it to readers who enjoy academic collections and who really enjoy seeing huge collections of *stuff* being arranged and catalogued and ordered. Beautifully done and well illustrated. Five stars.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

[Comfort Me With Nature · Rating 5 out of 5]

Naturalists — Let’s Geek Out!

From the moment I saw the cover of this book, I knew it was for me. And if you’re a naturalist, plant conservationist, citizen scientist, or serious gardener, this book may speak to you as well.

For those who may not be familiar with the term ‘herbarium,’ it refers to a collection of dried and mounted plants. Specific accompanying data is often used in determining their taxonomic classification.

Did I just hear you mentally yawn? It’s not like that at all. For the right audience, this book is anything but dry!

When Barbara Thiers, the director of the New York Botanical Garden herbarium, admitted that she and her peers were stumped when asked to name the significant milestones in the history of herbaria, you can sense that the idea for this book was born.

The resulting volume covers some of the highlights of herbaria and spans about 600 years, touching six continents. You will learn a bit about the people who undertook this work and the challenges of both the exotic locations and the collection process. Additionally, you will also discover some interesting historical events that were impacted by or occurred adjacent to the collection efforts.

Also, don’t forget to read the captions associated with the many illustrations. Some are mini-stories on their own.

The book succeeds in explaining why these collections are critical to understanding biodiversity through time to the present and into the future.


Why you should not miss this one:
carefully researched and richly detailed
illustrations include not just plants but historical images
appendix includes list of major herbaria across the globe, many of which have an online presence for you to further explore

Thanks to NetGalley, Timber Press, and the author, Dr. Thiers, for the opportunity to read a digital copy in exchange for this review.

#NetGalley #Herbarium

For additional resources related to herbaria, visit my website at www.comfortmewithnature.com

[Brenda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Along with breathtaking imprints, maps, photographs and illustrations, Barbara Thiers details the history of herbaria and their many roles in the world from 1500 to the present. As a master gardener and forager thirsting to learn more, this title hooked me immediately.

International trade has always been important but from 1500 on interest in adding new plant and species and spices developed and grew. Transportation on ships made this possible, especially with the invention of Wardian cases which preserved specimens.

Thiers focuses on various explorers and botanists, some famous and some lesser known, and their contributions from collecting to categorizing to nomenclature to preserving. The meticulous preserving processes used then and now from papers to glues to presses intrigue me very much. I had no idea there were so many herbaria in the world, though I have visited a few.

It seems many medical doctors centuries ago became botanists. One of my favourite stories in the book is about a man, Dampier, who not only documented and collected plants but also described nature including land, animals and water currents in wonderful detail. Another story which stands out is the rescue of pressed plants from a burning building by a passionate female botanist.

Contemporary topics are discussed as well such as the environment, invasive species, pathogens, pollution, interesting fungi
and agriculture.

This book is extremely detailed and niche so obviously isn't geared for those with only a passing interest in plants and/or fungi. It's more suited to those with a deeper scientific interest in this specific subject. I enjoyed it very much!

My sincere thank you to Timber Press and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this enthralling book.

[Annie Leadley · Rating 5 out of 5]

A truly facinating Book for any one who adores & loves Plants & all the amazing natural Medicines they have & can still provide us with.
I take my Hats off to all those Brave ,some times Fool Hardy explorers who charted unknown waters sometimes as the case with Dampier a very poor Vessel in which to make those Journey's in cramped conditions for both the men who sailed on the vessel & the "specimens they were carrying.
Plants we now take for granted & the sometimes Life saving medicines they provide us with ,were hard come by over the years by these intrepid people .
How ever some need to apologise for the destruction they caused such as the Aztec Libraries which contained 1000's of Manuscripts of Herbs & which were wiped out by the European Conquestador's.
So it proves one of our most imported resources has been exploited since man started to develop his so called intelligence , I do hope we will stop this now ! This is a truly amazing Book to read , for Historical interest, People , Plants & many other area's of life , we can all learn from this Book.#Netgalley#GoodReads#Amazon.co.uk#instagram, ,,

[M. Raymond · Rating 5 out of 5]

--Fascinating World of Collecting Plant Specimens

I received an advanced review copy of Herbarium through NetGalley, and here are my thoughts about the book.

This is a specialist title, and for those who are interested in the history and techniques of preserving dried plant specimens for scientific research and classification. Note that the word herbarium can also refer to a book about medicinal plants. This is not that kind of book!

The audience for this niche will be well rewarded. The author includes several profiles of some of the more notable plant collectors around the world, and includes a history of the development of herbaria in the USA as well as other areas of the world. The anecdotes of the lives of those who devoted themselves to finding and preserving plants are written in a lively, authoritative way.

The book is heavily illustrated with drawings, photographs, and maps that bring another level of richness and depth to this book. Beautifully designed, it could be in that category of books known as "coffee table" books...however, the well-written and researched text would stand up by itself and be fascinating to read, even if the book didn't have a single illustration.

Recommended for those who want to know more about the history of plant collecting, preservation and classification.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

*This book was received as an Advanced Reader's copy from NetGalley.

So, you have to really, really like plants to read this book. And I mean that in a good way. I like plants a lot, and it still came as a surprise to me what a herbarium actually was (I'm almost ashamed to admit I thought pressing flowers was just for fun and decoration). Or how many herbariums they are and what scientific progress they have helped make. This book covers that.

Written textbook style, but with plenty of illustrations and photographs to break up the monotony, this book covers the historical significance of herbariums, modern uses and threats, and how you can help or get involved in the work. While it can get a bit dry at times, it was still incredibly interesting to see the depth the collections covered and how many areas in the world had their own herbariums along with the sheer amount of specimens collected and stored. There was also brief touches on the experiments being run with DNA and herbarium specimens, which I found fascinating.

Great for a plant and science lover, this is one of those books that if you really like to study (or are in this line of work) you should probably pick up.

Review by M. Reynard 2020

[Marth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Barbara M. Thiers has written a comprehensive account of plant preservation and conservation. Historical details on botanists from early explorers to modern day plant collectors with an emphasis on methods of preservation of specimens is presented for scientists, conservationists and novice gardeners. I especially enjoyed the sections on different countries and brave women botanists. While I am a huge proponent of ecologically collecting plants, “take nothing leave nothing”, these groundbreaking plant collecting pioneers discovered remedies for medicine among other important uses for plants while also preserving specimens of currently extinct or endangered plants. Modern botanists are now able to study these preserved specimens at many of the botanical and herbarium institutions mentioned in this book, while also giving us insight into a field of scientists saving many plant species from loss due to weather, environment or destructive actions by humans. This book is not a fast read, however most books with this much detail are often to be read slowly or referred to as research. Recommended for scientists, gardeners and students of botany. They will definitely find it worthwhile. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

[Aimee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Barbara M. Theirs'' new book, Herbarium, is a truly lovely, full of detailed photos and copies of documents from botanical societies and Herbaria. A herbarium, for those who may not be aware, is a collection of preserved plant specimens, which have been preserved for scientific study and classification. Most plants are pressed and dried on flat sheets of paper, which were often bound into books in the early days of plant collection (16th century.)
After drying, these specimens were labeled with all kinds of information about the plant - where it was collected, time and date, growing conditions, et cetera.

Thiers outlines the history of such plant collection and collation by scientists and explorers and leads the reader to the importance of such collections in the present day, where botanists and other scientists are able to compare today's plants and their habitats to what they looked like and were they grew in the past. Work goes on even today; I was interested in this book primarily because my daughter volunteered at a herbarium and spent a lot of time cataloging plant samples. It's nice to know that she's now part of that scientific chain and has contributed to our ongoing learning, even if only in a small way.

[Tove R. · Rating 4 out of 5]

An in-depth history of herbaria and plants. It is an interesting read, but I believe you need to be really interested in the subject to enjoy it and get the most out of it. This book gives a great overview of herbaria around the globe, All the famous herbaria, plants, and scientists are in this book, from Linnaeus to Lewis and Clark. I can fully understand the author has had a hard time choosing what to keep and what to cut out of the book. Not an easy task.

There are alot of interesting facts in this book, but I found it to have a bit too many pictures, and at times it went a bit too much into a subject that I think could have been given less space. I am however not an expert in this subject, just an interested observer, so I might not fully understand if something is superbly important. In any case, it’s a great reference book when it comes to herbaria around the world, and the history and science behind plants and where we stand now. My favorite part was the descriptions of herbaria in different countries like South Africa and Brazil.

[Stephen the Bookworm · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Herbarium is a beautiful and highly interesting book exploring the cataloguing of plant species. The text follows a chronological development of the herbaria ‘explorers’ from Europe, North America and other areas of the globe from the 1600s and onwards cataloguing their exploits and to some extent their desire to be the first to find new and elusive plants. The stories of individuals don’t hold back from revealing the true characters of the key figures in the establishment of Herbarium. The text is written in an academic style but is extremely accessible. The final section looking at the future and the link to the wedigbio group was useful and thought provoking. Although not a criticism, it would have been interesting to see in more depth how the role of herbarium could further support the challenges that await plant earth in the future. An excellent book that would be recommended to all with a love of plants and the history of much that we take for granted all around us.

[Denice Langley · Rating 5 out of 5]

A walk is not truly lived unless you take a group of children with you to investigate any and all plant life found along the path. The illustrations in this book are beautifully rendered to be used for identity purposes. They are not the stylized pictures used to decorate your kitchen, although many could easily replace them. We took gathering tools and envelopes on our walks...yes, one walk was not enough for our investigating...brought them back to the porch and spent many hours matching them to the book's pictures and learning so much more about the world around us. Any age group would enjoy this book. Just remember, the best way to enjoy it is to share with someone you love.

[Asha - A Cat, A Book, And A Cup Of Tea · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very interesting glimpse into the history of herbaria, from their first beginnings to the state of botanical study today. I was expecting a little more information about the contents of the herbaria - how are they organised? who would have used them? - and while this kind of information is touched upon, the book spends far more time on the history of individual botanists and their collections, which still turned out to be very interesting. I enjoyed seeing all the inset photographs of specimens, too. Not a book to read in one go, but something to be dipped into and savoured as a history book.

[Mellissa Bushby · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh joy and delight of my heart! This is a wonderful book, especially if - like me - you love plants.
It contains a bit of everything, from history and historical significance to the importance of plant preservation, spiced up with magnificent illustrations and photographs.
Highly recommend it if you are a plant lover or if you want to know a bit more about the significance and importance of these incredible treasures.
Many (many!) thanks to Timber Press, Net Galley, and Barbara M. Thiers for my ARC.

[Cherie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A treasure for botanists, history buffs and artists. This book tells the story of the early explorers in the field and their efforts to learn and expand their knowledge. It is well organized, with extensive photos of important people and their work. I enjoyed looking through it, it is a significant and well-written reference work and while I read sections of particular interest it is a book to keep on your virtual shelf to dip into as questions are raised or an impulse strikes. I received an uncorrected galley of this book for review.

[Weslyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was completely enthralled by this book. I had no expectations going into it. I saw the cover, read the title, and knew this book was going to be for me. As a former botany student, I was very interested in the history of herbaria and plant collections. This book is written in a reader friendly format and filled with beautiful photographs and digitized herbaria specimens that guide you through history. Although this book might not be for everyone, I highly recommend it for anyone who truly loves plants and nature.

[Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very detailed book on herbaria, which is something I never knew about before. Full of drawings and photos, history, stories, and explanations. I admit to being a bit intimidated, as botany is not something I truly understand. The historical accounts and stories were fun and interesting to learn about. It’s not a quick read but something to give time and attention in order to truly get the best of it.

[Evalina · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an impressive reference book. It contains a lot of information on the history of botanists and explorers who have studied and classified various plants throughout history. It would make a great gift for the enthusiast or professional with interest in the topic.

I voluntarily reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book provided by the publisher and Net Galley. However, the thoughts expressed are totally my own.

[Lorca Damon · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a really beautiful volume and carried the same kind of historical science of other books that explain how things came to be called, not just what they are called. Obviously those with an interest in biological sciences would enjoy it, but I can actually envision gardeners, casual environmentalists, and anyone who cares about preserving undiscovered plant species would also really find this interesting.

[Helen · Rating 5 out of 5]

An interesting book full of history and information, and with beautiful pictures. An in-depth reference book that is perfect for anyone who wants to study the subject, with detailed information from around the world. Perhaps a bit lengthy for beginners or anyone with a passing interest, but an essential book for those who love botany or work in the profession.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of this book.

[Patricia Buzo · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an interesting read! I loved it all, from the technical aspects to the history to the plethora of illustrations and photos. I learned about how specimens were carefully collected and preserved for further study and how the people that carefully cataloged these specimens contributed to modern day botany. Again, really fascinating book if you are at all interesting in plant science and history. And not too difficult to understand for a regular person like me!

[Lou · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would have loved to read and review this book, it sounds really good and something I'm interested in, unfortunately the book would not show up on my shelf after I downloaded it. Since its not the book or the authors fault I'm giving the book 4 stars based on the parts I could see and other reviews.

[Anna]

An extremely important read for anyone in the plant sciences. Taking a look at the nature of herbaria - the people who started them, the people who furthered them, and the industries and sciences propelling them forward - gives us an exquisite view of the importance and beauty of these scientific forays into our natural world.

[Annarella · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating, informative and wonderfully illustrated book about plants and how they are classified.
I loved the mix of facts, history and documents.
It's an excellent book for whoever is interested in botanic.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine