Collected on March 10, 1830, this specimen was found by Nathaniel Wallich, probably in India. Polygonum chinense is also known as Chinese knotweed, although there are several species with that common name. This species is in the same family as many familiar plants, including Japanese knotweed, which is a widespread invasive plant in our area. Nathaniel Wallich (1786-1854) was an influential botanist from Denmark who worked much of his
life in India. Carnegie Museum of Natural History’s Herbarium includes 36 specimens from his collections, each over 180 years old. If you thought your handwriting was hard to read, check out the label in the lower right!
Botanists at Carnegie Museum of Natural History share pieces of the herbarium’s historical hidden collection on the dates they were discovered or collected. Check back for more!
