Plant Specimens Aren't Flat - The Many Dimensions of Herbaria

This lecture explores the multidimensional significance of herbaria - collections of preserved plant specimens that, despite their often flat and brownish appearance, represent invaluable scientific and cultural resources. Discover why over 400 million plant specimens are preserved worldwide and their crucial role in documenting botanical history, tracking environmental changes, and providing evidence of climate change. Learn how these "plant mummies" serve as repositories of information about plant hunting expeditions, global botanical exploitation, and indigenous ethnobotanical knowledge developed over millennia. The presentation highlights how digitization efforts, including those by the Linnean Society, have transformed access to these collections, making them available for diverse research across scientific disciplines, humanities, and the arts. Presented by Maura C. Flannery, Fellow of the Linnean Society, professor emerita of biology at St. John's University, and author of "Inside the Herbarium: The Hidden World of Collecting and Preserving Plants."