Page 63 - MNLGA Free State Winter 2023_WEB

Photo 4: Heliotropium ternatum (bushy heliotrope) was
collected by Dr. Thaddaeus Haenke in 1791 and holds the Photos 5 and 6 avove: A sampling of lichen, wood, seed, and pollen images.
distinction of oldest sample in BRIT’s herbarium.

One of the ten largest in the U.S., the major plant type, including access The campus uses sustainable
Herbarium at BRIT consists of nearly to the 4 million samples across landscape design as a “living
1.5 million dried and preserved plant the Texas Oklahoma Regional research lab” related to biodiversity,
specimens from throughout the Consortium of Herbaria (TORCH). including its green roof (with live
world. See photo 3. The collections So many well-known botanical flora, web camera!), prairie, living wall,
include pressed plant specimens field guides, and natural history and pollinator garden, among other
of vascular plants dating back books are a product of the BRIT Press features. See photo 8. Located in
to 1791, See photo 2, as well as including The Flora of Virginia. Many the Blackland Prairie ecoregion of
bryophytes, lichens, fungi, algae, of the publications include works Texas, at the edge of the broader
slime molds, actual wood samples, written by FWBG|BRIT research staff Eastern Temperate Forest ecoregion
and microscope images of plant and associates. that includes Maryland and most
pollen. See photos 5 and 6. Detailing of the eastern U.S., a familiar and
valuable plant information over Laboratory facilities at BRIT include often recognizable plant palette
time and geographic location, these various means to study botany at helps to make the designs featured
specimens are preserved for the the structural and molecular levels, here relatable to those from the east
use of scientists, historians, medical as well as a biobank to preserve and coast.
professionals, law enforcement, house DNA and plant tissues. See The Botanical Research Institute
conservationists, and many others. photo 7. Additionally, there is a seed of Texas, located halfway across
It’s possible to view digitized laboratory with a seed bank focused the country, has a connection to
plant samples, a work in process, on collections of rare and threatened the green industry in Maryland
organized through portals for each native plant species.
and may be of interest to MNLGA
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