Air plants
Specimen StoriesFocus on Science
The little air plant in your house that you mist every day could…
Giant puffball
This spectacular giant puffball can be found in meadows, fields and forests…
John Cage
Mostly remembered for his experimental music compositions, John Cage was also a…
Richard Spruce
“Whenever rains, swollen streams, and grumbling Indians combined to overwhelm me with…
Corpse Flower
Another famous plant in the Araceae family is the Titan Arum or…
Lavender
Lavender has been used in traditional medicine for centuries for its soothing…
Pertusaria andersoniae
Specimen StoriesWomen in Science
Some of our herbarium specimens are of incredibly rare species. This is…
Banded Mottlegill
This mushroom was called 'weed Panaeolus' because it would frequently grow as…
Christmas Lichen
Specimen StoriesCabinet of Curiosities
This bright-colored lichen is called the 'Christmas Lichen' because of its bright…
Some Algae of Nova Scotia
Although the bulk of specimens that find their way into the New…
Lettuce Lichen
Similar to the Old Man’s Beard, Lungwort lichens can only thrive in…
Madagascar periwinkle
Commonly known as Madagascar periwinkle, this member of the dogbane family has…
George Washington Carver
George Washington Carver (1860s–1943) was an inventor, teacher, botanist, and mycologist (a…
Fig family, Moraceae
Ficus carica L., the edible common fig has been cultivated for millenia.…
Mary Treat
Those who have read Barbara Kingsolver's newest novel, Unsheltered, will be familiar with the…
Smooth rock tripe
This Umbilicaria species is regarded to be one of the largest lichens…