Carnegie Museum of Natural History

One of the Four Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh

collected on this day

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Collected on This Day in 1982

by Mason Heberling

Corn is a staple crop known well by many across the world.  Corn is used in a variety of ways including human food (from corn on the cob to corn syrup), animal feed, ethanol production, and especially this time of year, fall decoration and corn mazes. Corn is an economically important crop worldwide, with over 81 acres expected to have been harvested in the US alone this year.  But where did this plant come from?

corn specimen

Corn, better known to many as maize (Zea mays), is a domesticated plant.  Yes, plants can be domesticated, just as your pets.  Corn was domesticated from a wild grass species known as teosinte in Mexico approximately 8,700 years ago.  Like many other food crops, corn was domesticated by humans through artificial selection – that is, through selective breeding for traits of interest over many generations, causing the evolution of a species.  In the case of corn, teosinte evolved through human intervention by selecting seed from plants with desirable traits (such as large cobs), planting those seeds, again selecting the “best” plants, and repeating over decades.  Eventually, teosinte evolved from a many branching grass with small seed cobs to what we recognize as corn today – tall, unbranched plants with large, tasty cobs.

This specimen is of a species of teosinte (Zea mays subspecies parviglumis) that is thought to be the close relative of the domesticated crop we know today (Zea mays subspecies mays).  This specimen was collected near the site of domestication in Mexico on October 2, 1982 by Hugh Iltis, a botanist and geneticist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison who studied teosinte species, and an influential conservationist.   Note the species name on the label “Zea mays L. subsp. parviglumis var. parviglumis Iltis and Doebley” – his name at the end denotes Iltis was one of the scientists who named the taxonomic variety new to science in 1980. It was also collected in the “type locality,” meaning from the same spot where the specimen used to describe the species was collected.

Botanists at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History share digital specimens from the herbarium on dates they were collected. They have embarked on a three-year project to digitize nearly 190,000 plant specimens collected in the region, making images and other data publicly available online. This effort is part of the Mid-Atlantic Megalopolis Project (mamdigitization.org), a network of thirteen herbaria spanning the densely populated urban corridor from Washington, D.C. to New York City to achieve a greater understanding of our urban areas, including the unique industrial and environmental history of the greater Pittsburgh region. This project is made possible by the National Science Foundation under grant no. 1801022.  

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Collected on this day in 1944

by Mason Heberling

illustration of a wildflower

Herbarium specimens are both an art and a science.  This fact is no more apparent than in the collaborations between Andrey Avinoff and Otto Jennings, which culminated in the 1953 book Wildflowers of Western Pennsylvania and the Upper Ohio Basin.

Jennings was a longtime curator of botany, professor at University of Pittsburgh, and served many roles at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History (including director from 1945-1949).

Avinoff was a lepidopterist (studied butterflies) and artist, who was Director of the Carnegie Museum if Natural History from 1926-1945.

“Probably never again will there be two scholars, each a master in his own field, who can work together as did these two.” – Agnes L. Starrett

The book features a detailed, scientific manual describing plant species found in the region written by Jennings, along with 200 watercolor paintings of a subset of these species by Avinoff.  Jennings would travel across Western PA in search of the perfect specimen to return to the museum for Avinoff to paint while still fresh and unwithered.  Avinoff is said to have dropped everything he was doing upon Jennings’ return, and stay through the night to paint the flowers from still life.  Avinoff estimated that it took him about 1,600 hours to paint them all.

illustration of a wildflower next to a wildflower specimen

A. Avinoff, referring to his wildflower paintings: “These were my guiding principles: (1) accuracy in form and color; (2) portrayal of the individuality of the plant as to the character, position, arrangement, and venation of the leaves and the texture of their surfaces; (3) decorative arrangement, composition, and spacing; (4) strictly water color technique—only transparent pigment and no opaque colors, no whit paint anywhere, not a single stroke used in the high lights. The whit is the paper and all light parts are lighter washes of the pigment—thoroughbred aquarelle has been observed throughout.”

Some of these specimens were then pressed and remain in the Carnegie Museum’s herbarium today.  We know of 50 specimens that were used by Avinoff for his paintings.

illustration of a wildflower next to a wildflower specimen

This specimen of squarrose goldenrod (Solidago squarrosa) is one of those specimens.  It was collected by Otto Jennings on September 21, 1944 on a ledge along the river bluffs near Bell’s Landing, Clearfield County, Pennsylvania.

Both of scientific and cultural value, this specimen has a rich history, much more than “just” dried plants on paper.  While we know the history behind this particular one, each specimen has an important scientific and cultural story to tell.

Botanists at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History share digital specimens from the herbarium on dates they were collected. They have embarked on a three-year project to digitize nearly 190,000 plant specimens collected in the region, making images and other data publicly available online. This effort is part of the Mid-Atlantic Megalopolis Project (mamdigitization.org), a network of thirteen herbaria spanning the densely populated urban corridor from Washington, D.C. to New York City to achieve a greater understanding of our urban areas, including the unique industrial and environmental history of the greater Pittsburgh region. This project is made possible by the National Science Foundation under grant no. 1801022.  

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Collected on this day in 1989

by Mason Heberling

You can get see plants from all over the world without ever leaving the herbarium. Herbaria are powerful resources that enable research that would otherwise not be possible, comparing plant species collected from across the world, at different times of year.

Japanese knotweed specimen

This specimen of Japanese knotweed (Fallopia japonica, formerly known as Polygonum cuspidatum) was collected in China on Sept 14, 1989 by Q.X. Wang and J.L. Sun.

Even if you’ve never been to East Asia, this species might be familiar to you.  Although native to China, Japan, and Korea, Japanese knotweed is now common across much of the temperate world, including the United States and Europe. In Pittsburgh, Japanese knotweed (and related introduced knotweed species) form dense stands along rivers, streams, and roadsides.

Japanese knotweed specimens

Specimens collected from both the native and introduced ranges can be compared to better understand plant invasions. For example, do invasive species look the same in their home range?

Although Collected On This Day posts tend to be biased towards specimens collected in Pennsylvania, the Carnegie Museum of Natural History herbarium includes specimens from many countries around the world. In fact, about one-third of the 530,000+ specimens are from outside the United States.

folders filled with Japanese knotweed specimens
47 of the 96 specimens of Japanese knotweed in the Carnegie Museum of Natural History’s herbarium were collected outside of the United States.

How do these species from far away regions end up at the Carnegie Museum?  Many are from expeditions from botanists affiliated with the museum – much in the same way locally collected specimens become part of the collection.  But many others are obtained through exchange with other herbaria.  Many plant collectors often collect duplicate specimens to send to several herbaria.  Most herbaria have exchange programs, where specimens (usually duplicates) are exchanged between institutions.  This practice functions to build the collection to include new species and specimens.  But it also has an important function to safeguard the future of the data.  In the case of damage (such as pest outbreaks or even fire, in the recent devastating case at the Museu Nacional in Brazil), having specimens spread across several institutions helps ensure the future of specimens.

Japanese knotweed

Note the label on this specimen shows this specimen was at one time associated with the herbarium of the Shanghai Museum of Natural History.

Botanists at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History share digital specimens from the herbarium on dates they were collected. They have embarked on a three-year project to digitize nearly 190,000 plant specimens collected in the region, making images and other data publicly available online. This effort is part of the Mid-Atlantic Megalopolis Project (mamdigitization.org), a network of thirteen herbaria spanning the densely populated urban corridor from Washington, D.C. to New York City to achieve a greater understanding of our urban areas, including the unique industrial and environmental history of the greater Pittsburgh region. This project is made possible by the National Science Foundation under grant no. 1801022.

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Collected on This Day in 2016: Japanese Stiltgrass

by Mason Heberling

Japanese Stiltgrass specimen

It is now a common plant in forests across Pennsylvania, but it wasn’t always.  This specimen of Japanese stiltgrass (Microstegium vimineum) was collected on September 7, 2016 by Mason Heberling (me!) at Trillium Trail, Fox Chapel, PA.  Native to East Asia, Japanese stiltgrass is an annual grass that is said to have first been introduced accidentally to Knoxville, Tennessee around 1919, used as packing material for porcelain dishes from China.  It has since become a major invasive species, spreading across forests of Eastern North America.  It is commonly found along trails, forest roads, and floodplains.  It has been shown to be facilitated by deer overabundance.  A recent study of unconventional gas well pads (such as “fracking”) in Pennsylvania by Penn State researchers found that recent hydraulic fracturing activities facilitates stiltgrass invasion (Barlow et al., 2017 Journal of Environmental Management).  Japanese stiltgrass is especially common in disturbed moist forests, where available light in the understory is higher.  Therefore, it often carpets the forest floor in disturbed forests.  High densities of deer have also been shown to facilitate stiltgrass invasions.  In fact, much of this research was done at Trillium Trail by Susan Kalisz (then at University of Pittsburgh, now at University of Tennessee Knoxville).  They used fences to exclude deer and found that stiltgrass was not present in fenced plots, but abundant when deer were allowed access. The Kalisz lab actively remains at Trillium Trail.

Japanese Stiltgrass specimen
Once  you  learn  to  recognize  this  grass,  you  are  likely  to  see  it  everywhere  in  forests  and  forest  edges  in  Western  Pennsylvania.  It  is  especially  obvious  in  the  Fall,  when  it  flowers  and  has  reached  its  peak  growth.  Note  the  faint  white  line  along  the  center  of  the  leaf  blades.

Although collected only two years ago, I was surprised to find that this specimen was the oldest Japanese stiltgrass specimen collected in Allegheny county!  There is a chance it had been collected earlier and exists in another herbarium. It was said to be uncommon (possibly absent) at Trillium Trail until 2002.

Japanese Stiltgrass
Microstegium  vimineum  carpeting  the  forest  floor  outside  deer  fences  at  Trillium  Trail.

What will our forests look like in another 10 years?  Herbarium specimens are important, verifiable sources to document our changing flora.  And ultimately, help conserve our flora.

Mason Heberling is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the Section of Botany at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History. Museum employees are encouraged to blog about their unique experiences working at the museum.

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Collected on This Day: September 6

by Mason Heberling

September 6, 1952: 66 years ago

…and recollected September 6, 2018

These specimens (and more) were collected on September 6, 1952 near Compton’s Mills (near Salisbury, PA, Somerset County) by Leroy Henry and Werner Buker. Henry was a long time Curator of Botany at the museum (1937-1973), and Buker was a math teacher at Perry High School, who was also a very active botanist at the museum.  Collectively, they collected nearly 50,000 specimens in the Carnegie Museum herbarium!

These specimens are part of a larger project ongoing in the Section of Botany at the Carnegie Museum.  Starting last year, we are revisiting historic sites across Western Pennsylvania, where former botanists have collected.  We are revisiting these sites in order to record and monitor biological change in the Anthropocene.  Are the same species present? (local extinction or persistence) Are new species present? (newly introduced invasive species)

We are also recollecting specimens from these historic sites to compare specimens collected decades to a century ago, to those collected today. For example, how are species affected by climate change? Are species flowering earlier? How are plant communities affected by invasive species and introduced pests? These are just a few of the many questions that can be answered.

Compton's Mills

With generous permission of the current landowner, we are able to recollect specimens at Compton’s Mills. Compton’s Mills is a site of a family-run historic grist/flour mill built in 1872 on the foundation of an even earlier mill. We have done some recollections at this site last spring, including specimens of the endemic Appalachian violet (Viola appalachiensis).  Compton’s Mills is also of special importance, as specimens collected from this site were used by Leroy Henry to formally describe species new to science (known as “type” specimens).  Read about our recollection in Spring 2017.

This year we are revisiting in the late summer/early fall.

With data from Compton’s Mills, in addition to repeatedly revisiting other sites across Western Pennsylvania, we will be able to document and understand a century of past, present, and future impacts of humans on the landscape– a hallmark of the Anthropocene.  Some of our first recollections were featured in the We Are Nature exhibition.  Although this exhibition recently ended, specimens from this project will remain on display in the Hall of Botany.

wildflower specimens

The wildflower specimens pictured here are welcomed signs of late summer and fall (left to right): common boneset (Eupatorium perfoliatum), tall ironweed (Vernonia altissima), wreath goldenrod (Solidago caesia).

Mason Heberling is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the Section of Botany at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History. Museum employees are encouraged to blog about their unique experiences working at the museum.

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Collected on This Day: Apocynum cannabinum

Hemp dogbane (Apocynum cannabinum) specimen

Collected on July 7, 1935, this specimen was found by John Robinson near New Castle, PA.  Hemp dogbane (Apocynum cannabinum) are important food plants for moth and butterfly larvae, and like other plants in the milkweed family, this plant is poisonous.  Its milk-like, sticky, latex sap contains cardiac glycosides that causes heart problems, rapid pulse, vomiting, and possible death.  This is especially of concern to pets and livestock, although dogbane is generally avoided. Hemp dogbane has a rich ethnobotanical history by Native Americans – its bark having been used for fiber (hence the “hemp” part of name), and roots, seeds, or leaves used for medicines to treat a wide variety of ailments. Hemp dogbane can be found in sparely wooded areas, ditches, and field edges across United States.

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!

Mason Heberling is Associate Curator of Botany at Carnegie Museum of Natural History.

Carnegie Museum of Natural History Blog Citation Information

Blog author: Heberling, Mason
Publication date: July 6, 2017

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