Wolf lichen
The Wolf Lichen is one of the most showy North American lichens,…
Smooth rock tripe
This Umbilicaria species is regarded to be one of the largest lichens…
Giant puffball
This spectacular giant puffball can be found in meadows, fields and forests…
Discovering a Darwin Collection
Cabinet of CuriositiesSpecimen Stories
In the museum world, there's a sort of joke that you never…
Mushroom Paintings
When mycologists collect mushrooms or other fungal fruiting bodies, it's important to…
Jean Baptiste François Bulliard
Jean Baptiste François Bulliard was French physician and botanist, especially interested in fungi.…
Pertusaria andersoniae
Specimen StoriesWomen in Science
Some of our herbarium specimens are of incredibly rare species. This is…
4 Millionth Specimen
With 7,800,000 specimens in our herbarium, reaching 4,000,000 specimens catalogued in our…
John Cage
Mostly remembered for his experimental music compositions, John Cage was also a…
Royal Collector
Cabinet of CuriositiesCollectors
Prince Henri of Orléans, a French royal, collected this parasitic fungi in Tibet while…
Lace Algae
Many of the red algae are incredibly delicate and beautiful, as exemplified…
Dolly's Lichen
NYBG lichen curator James Lendemer and then-PhD student Jessi Allen named this…
Truffle
Specimen StoriesFocus on Science
Truffles are fruiting bodies of Tuber fungi that grow underground. The fungi…
Violetta White
Violetta Susan Elizabeth White Delafield (1875–1949) was a promising young mycologist at the…
A Horse, of Course
Collecting plants and algae was sometimes an artistic hobby, with dried or…
Ellen's Algae
See more of Ellen Hutchin's beautifully detailed marine algae collections.
Octopodotus stupendus
Octopodotus from octopus and the Greek suffix–otus, indicating resemblance, because of the…
Arthonia stevensoniana
Arthonia etymology unknown stevensoniana from Stevenson, honoring Robert Louis Stevenson, author of…
Witches!
Cabinet of CuriositiesWhat's in a name?
Don't be too scared by these witches - just some friendly plants…
Ellen's Types
Among many of the interesting things Ellen Hutchins collected were collections that…
Richard Spruce
“Whenever rains, swollen streams, and grumbling Indians combined to overwhelm me with…
Ellen's Illustrations
We know Ellen Hutchins produced hundreds of detailed watercolors of marine algae. Some…
W. A. Murrill
William Murrill became an assistant curator at NYBG in 1904, and was…
Yuletide Greetings
European winter traditions that predate Christianity have a large focus on plants.…
Some Algae of Nova Scotia
Although the bulk of specimens that find their way into the New…
Mary Treat
Those who have read Barbara Kingsolver's newest novel, Unsheltered, will be familiar with the…
Britton's Chara
In the United States, there is no formal regulation for the endangered…
Rooted in Plants: An Interview with Arvolyn Hill
Arvolyn Hill is the Family Programs Coordinator at the Everett Children’s Adventure…
Lettuce Lichen
Similar to the Old Man’s Beard, Lungwort lichens can only thrive in…
Gross
Sometimes collecting the perfect specimen means going places you'd rather not. Here…
Insect Zombies
Cordyceps are parasitic fungi that often parasitize insects in a way that…
Muhlenberg's Smile
Almost everyone can name an endangered charismatic megafauna. But most would be…
#plantlove
Specimens contained in the William and Lynda Steere Herbarium represent the endless…
Fungi of Australia
As the continent of Australia continues to burn, scientists wonder what these…
Bioremediation
Bioremediation is the use of living organisms to remove contamination from the…
Understanding Interactions: Taking Botany Out of Isolation
For centuries we have viewed plants and fungi in isolation. Tried to…
Alpine Invaders
Climate Change can negatively impact Alpine regions by making them more susceptible…
Alpine Adaptation: Stay Shaggy!
Temperatures may be low but sun-exposure is extremely intense at high-elevations due…
Alpine Adaptation: Red is the New Black
Hairs are one way to deflect damaging UV radiation while locking in…
Alpine Meadows
Alpine meadows exist where soils have deepened and matured through centuries of…
Climate Change & Alpine Retreat
Temperature and moisture availability are factors which influence the distribution patterns of…
Treeline Expansion
The absence of trees at high-elevations both defines Alpine zones and is…
"Citizen Scientists" Support Alpine Research!
Increases in temperature and changes to the availability of moisture and snow…
Alpine Adaptation: Dig-Down & Stand Your Ground
Extreme conditions at high-elevations tend to impede the establishment of annual plants…
Alpine Refugia
Mountaintops have served as unlikely shelter for populations of cold-adapted species throughout…
Alpine Adaptation: Hold Tight & Take It Slow
These prototypical "cushion plants" are extreme alpine specialists. Short and dense branching…
Extreme Alpine Plants
Cabinet of CuriositiesExpeditions
Few places on the land's surface present weather conditions that are more…
Fragile Alpine Ecosystems
Relatively few organisms are sufficiently adapted to the harsh conditions of Alpine…
Alpine Adaptation: Duck and Cover
Leaves and flowering stems flattened to the ground and outwardly spreading from…
Alpine Adaptation: Solid As A Rock
Lichens are the primary colonizers of new habitat in alpine regions. Unlike…
Journey of the US Exploring Expedition (1838-1842)
One of the earliest and most impactful scientific expeditions led by the…
Old Man's Beard: A Medicinal Lichen
Usnea is a genus of lichen, commonly known as Old Man’s Beard. …
Leaves of three, let it be!
If you enjoy spending time outdoors, you surely have heard the age-old…
Okra’s journey to the United States
Many culinary delights that Americans enjoy today, especially in the Southern United…
Vampires Among Us: The Ghost Pipe Plant
Did you know that some plants lack chlorophyll? Often confused for a…