Pertusaria andersoniae
Specimen StoriesWomen in Science
Some of our herbarium specimens are of incredibly rare species. This is…
Christmas Lichen
Specimen StoriesCabinet of Curiosities
This bright-colored lichen is called the 'Christmas Lichen' because of its bright…
Lettuce Lichen
Similar to the Old Man’s Beard, Lungwort lichens can only thrive in…
Smooth rock tripe
This Umbilicaria species is regarded to be one of the largest lichens…
Ellen's Types
Among many of the interesting things Ellen Hutchins collected were collections that…
Wolf lichen
The Wolf Lichen is one of the most showy North American lichens,…
Gross
Sometimes collecting the perfect specimen means going places you'd rather not. Here…
Dolly's Lichen
NYBG lichen curator James Lendemer and then-PhD student Jessi Allen named this…
#plantlove
Specimens contained in the William and Lynda Steere Herbarium represent the endless…
4 Millionth Specimen
With 7,800,000 specimens in our herbarium, reaching 4,000,000 specimens catalogued in our…
Old Man's Beard
This lichen grows as an epiphyte on trees. They require clean air,…
Discovering a Darwin Collection
Cabinet of CuriositiesSpecimen Stories
In the museum world, there's a sort of joke that you never…
Muhlenberg's Smile
Almost everyone can name an endangered charismatic megafauna. But most would be…
The LGBTQ+ Legacy of NYBG: Out of the…
Herbarium specimens are kept in metal cabinets to protect them from damage.…
Alpine Adaptation: Solid As A Rock
Lichens are the primary colonizers of new habitat in alpine regions. Unlike…
Witches!
Cabinet of CuriositiesWhat's in a name?
Don't be too scared by these witches - just some friendly plants…
Ascension Island: Volcanoes, Castaways, and Darwin’s Manmade Forest
One million years ago, a volcano broke the surface in the middle…
Old Man's Beard: A Medicinal Lichen
Usnea is a genus of lichen, commonly known as Old Man’s Beard. …