Sir John St Aubyn’s herbarium in detail

St Aubyn's herbarium gives us a fascinating glimpse into the botanical world in the 18th century. It contains not only plants that have been collected locally, but also specimens which have been collected from early plant nurseries and important gardens.

The herbarium is unusual because the specimens are mounted on gatefold paper, as shown in the example of St Aubyn's herbarium sheets of Salix alba which can be downloaded from the documents table below. Other specimens can be seen on our online database.

Herbarium notes

The notes on the herbarium sheets are exceptionally detailed. Below are some examples of the transcriptions made from Sir John’s annotations:

• Observations and medicinal uses of Salix alba (White Willow): 'Horses, Cows, Sheep and Goats eat it. The Bark is of great efficacy in curing intermitting fevers. It must be gathered in summer when full of Sap and dried by a gentle heat. A Dram of it powdered every 4 hours between the fits is the dose.'
• Culinary uses of Polygonum aviculare (Knot Grass): 'The Seeds furnish a nutritious meal; it is made into thin cakes called Crumpits.'
• Flowering times of Solanum lycopersicum (Tomato): 'Flowers in June and August. Imported from South America in 1596.'
• Common names of Vaccinium oxycoccus (Cranberry): 'Cranberry Whortle, Cranberries, Moss berries, Moor berries, Fen berries, Marsh Whorls, Marsh Whortle berries, Corn berries.'
• General characteristics of Narcissus pseudonarcissus (Wild Daffodil): 'Petals 6, equal. Nectary funnel formed, 1 leaved, Stamens within the Nectary.'

Associated with the specimens are many important collectors during the period who knew St Aubyn through societies.

Other collectors, gardens and nurseries represented in the Sir John St Aubyn collection can be accessed from the documents table below, or from our online database.

You can find out more about Sir John St Aubyn, or return to the natural history collections page for information on the other collections we hold.

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