6 unexpected ways scientists see dried plants helping people and the planet

Just a brown, dried plant of little use? Though it may seem like that at first glance, these specimens can in fact hold a world of secrets and possibilities to help scientists save our planet. 

Herbarium specimens, perhaps sometimes perceived as boring relics of the past, actually play a crucial role in cutting-edge research, impacting our world in ways we might never have imagined.

From helping communities thrive to unlocking potential new medicines and combating climate change, herbarium specimens hold the key to understanding and preserving our planet's biodiversity.  

In light of making our entire collection available online as part of a multi-million pound Digitisation Project, here we delve into specific examples and highlight ‘what a scientist may see’ when looking at a dried plant from a herbarium collection. 

1. A way to help communities thrive 

One fascinating application of herbarium specimens lies in their role in understanding and sustaining communities. Take the case of Dipteryx alata: a large, undomesticated, edible nut-bearing tree that belongs to the legume family and grows in dry tropical lowlands in central South America. 

This tree produces a nut which has gained popularity in North America as a superfood snack. Off the back of this popularity, local communities in this tree’s native region collect and sell the nut for a source of income, allowing them to buy medicines for the old and educational materials for the young. 

2. The source of new pharmaceutical drugs 

Beyond supporting communities, herbarium specimens also offer a glimpse into potential medicinal breakthroughs. Historical notes captured alongside collected specimens that have ended up in our Herbarium have been invaluable in revealing traditional uses of plants for medicinal purposes.  

For instance, one note detailed how a tribe in Ecuador boiled the leaves, bark and flowers from the red-flowered  Brownea grandiceps tree to make a contraceptive (one of the earliest known contraceptives in human history). 

Based on this, a pharmaceutical company screened the plant’s molecules to find that it did in fact contain a flavonoid that, once digested, was converted into estrogen – ultimately having a contraceptive effect. 

Now, for the first time in Kew's history, you can help us unlock similar secrets from nature by donating to our ambitious Digitisation Project. This will help make all 8 million herbarium and fungarium specimens accessible to everyone around the world, accelerating research into pressing global issues. 

4. A way to save crops 

On a similar note, herbarium specimens also hold the key to enhancing agricultural productivity and ensuring global food security. As climate change disrupts traditional agricultural practices, it becomes essential to identify crop varieties that can withstand extreme weather conditions, pests, and diseases. 

Through the study of herbarium specimens, scientists can locate wild relatives of cultivated crops that exhibit traits of interest, such as drought, salt, or disease resistance. 

Vital traits from these wild relatives can then be bred with existing crops to transfer these beneficial traits, creating more resilient and sustainable agricultural systems. 

6. A record to preserve traditional plant knowledge and culture 

The significance of herbarium specimens goes beyond their scientific applications. These dried plants can also serve as a cultural record, capturing the knowledge and practices of indigenous communities and traditional healers. 

This valuable ethnobotanical information provides insights into the historical use of plants for medicinal, spiritual, and cultural purposes. 

By preserving this knowledge through herbarium specimens, we can ensure that the wisdom of ancient traditions is not lost and that future generations can learn from the accumulated wisdom of our ancestors.