Herbarium specimen of potato infested with 'blight'. |
I'm Frank McDonough, Botanical Information Consultant here at the Los Angeles County Arboretum & Botanic Garden. My job is to answer your questions about plants and just about everything related to them.
Tuesday, May 21, 2013
Herbariums Still Needed; Irish Potato Famine Forensics Example
Herbariums, those seemingly archaic storage rooms loaded with old pressed plant specimens are still proving their usefulness. Here's a story of herbarium specimens being used to track down the culprit in one of the greatest agricultural tragedies of all time; the Irish potato famine.
Labels:
Botany,
Frank McDonough,
Herbarium,
Historical,
Horticulture,
L.A. Arboretum,
Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Garden,
Phytophthora,
Plant Information,
Potato Famine,
Pressed Plants
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