HEBERLING LAB

​When in candy cane form, it is easy to forget where the flavor came from.  Peppermint (Mentha x piperita) is actually a hybrid between two other mint species, water mint (Mentha aquatica) and spearmint (Mentha spicata).  It is commonly grown for food or medicinal herb in gardens.  It is also well known to escape garden settings and spread aggressively.  Like other mints, this species is in the plant family Lamiaceae, which includes many strongly scented kitchen herbs.  Members of the mint family are well recognized by their unique flowers and characteristically square stems.
 
This peppermint specimen was collected on August 29, 1965 by Norman R. Farnsworth in an open field at Ranalli’s Drive-In, eight miles north of Etna off Route 8, outside of Pittsburgh, PA.
 
Farnsworth (1930-2011) received his PhD from the University of Pittsburgh, where he researched medicinal plants.  He was an influential professor and researcher in the field of pharmacognosy (study of medicinal drugs derived from plants).  He was a founding member of the American Society of Pharmacognosy.
 
The Carnegie Museum herbarium includes 1,108 specimens collected by Farnsworth.  Each specimen is quickly recognizable, with an envelope attached to each sheet that includes a standard typed description of the results of chemical screenings he did on the specimen.

Hopefully you have some peppermint that is fresher than than this for your recipes this year!

 
‘Tis the season for spices.
 
Nutmeg is well known, but what is it?  Nutmeg (Myristica fragrans) is an evergreen tree native to the Maluku Islands, an archipelago in Indonesia.  In fact, the Maluku Islands were even once known as the “Spice Islands” because nutmeg, mace, and cloves are endemic to the islands (meaning they are native there and nowhere else).  However, the species are now widely cultivated across the world. 


Both nutmeg and mace are made from Myristica fragrans, also known as fragrant or true nutmeg. The spice called nutmeg is made by grinding the seeds of this species, while mace is made from the fleshy seed covering (outgrowth from seed called an aril). 
 
This nutmeg specimen from the Carnegie Museum herbarium was collected in Trinidad on August 17, 1924 by Edward H. Graham.  Graham was an assistant in botany and later assistant curator of botany at the museum (from 1922-1937).
 
This specimen was collected as part of Graham’s research toward his PhD from the University of Pittsburgh.

Specimen image available online:
http://midatlanticherbaria.org/portal/collections/individual/index.php?occid=12088342&clid=0

Did you know that one of the earliest Presidents of the United States lived in southwestern PA?  The American soldier and politician Arthur St. Clair, who lived in the Ligonier Valley near Latrobe, Pennsylvania, was President two years before George Washington was! Well, sort of.  The US Constitution wasn’t drafted until the 1787, over ten years after Independence Day 1776.  Before that, under the Articles of Confederation, there was a Confederation Congress.  Arthur St. Clair was elected President of the Continental Congress in 1787. 
 
These patriotic specimens of American Bugbane (Actaea podocarpa, formerly Cimicifuga americana) were collected on July 9, 1999 in the Loyalhanna Gorge (Rt. 30 aka the Lincoln Highway runs through it between Greensburg and Ligonier, PA), near where Arthur St. Clair owned property and lived the later years of his life (now known as Saint Clair Hollow).  In the buttercup family (Ranunculaceae), American bugbane, also called mountain bugbane, is a forest understory herb similar in appearance to the more common black cohosh (Actaea racemosa).  The species is currently listed as threatened in Pennsylvania.
 
Arthur St. Clair was born in Scotland in 1737 and fought with British troops in the American colonies during the French and Indian War.  After the war, he settled in Ligonier Valley and was the largest landowner in Westmoreland County at the time.  He was later a American colonel in the Revolutionary War.  After America gained its independence, he was elected a delegate to the new Confederation Congress (governing body under the Articles of Confederation that pre-dates the Constitution).  He served a one-year term as President of the Continental Congress in 1787, during which time the Northwest Territory was created.  He later became governor of the Northwest Territory (large area which are now Midwest states).  After retiring, he returned to live out his days in the Loyalhanna Gorge (between present day Ligonier and Greensburg, not far from Idlewild Park).  He died in poverty in 1818.
 
Many towns in Pennsylvania and the Midwest are named after Arthur St. Clair, including Upper St. Clair near Pittsburgh.
 
A lot of history in Western Pennsylvania!
 
Happy 4th of July! 

It is marshmallow peeps and bunnies season! But what exactly is in a marshmallow?  Marshmallows were historically made using the plant from which it gets its name, marsh mallow (Althaea officinalis).  Marsh mallow is a plant species in the mallow family (Malvaceae) found in marshes and wet areas native to parts of Europe, northern Africa, and Asia. The use of this plant to make marshmallows dates back to over 4,000 years ago in ancient Egypt!  Marsh mallows were also valued for medicinal properties. Marsh mallow roots were boiled with honey to make marshmallows.  It is said that in ancient Egypt, the consumption of marshmallows was only for royalty and the gods. The process of making marshmallows have changed quite a bit through time, and no longer contain sap from marsh mallow plants. Today, marshmallows consist of gelatin (thickening agent), sugar (most often from corn syrup), water, and corn starch. 
 
This marsh mallow specimen in the museum’s collection was collected on August 12, 1850 from a salt marsh on the Isle of Wight, England.

 Still have any chocolate or roses from Valentine’s day last month?  The herbarium has both, but from nearly 200 years ago. 

Above: ​Specimen of the cacao tree (Theobroma cacao) from Jacob Wolle’s herbarium, collected in Jamaica around 1840.  Some of the herbarium’s oldest specimens come from Jamaica.  Why?  Jacob Wolle was a botanist and the grandfather of William Holland, one of the first directors of the Carnegie Museum (from 1901-1922). Holland was born in Jamaica, where his father was a Moravian missionary. The CM herbarium has 2,514 specimens from Wolle’s collection, dating as far back as 1819.

Below: Wild field rose (Rosa arvensis) collected in England in 1820.

​Does this heart-shaped leaf look familiar?  22 years ago, this specimen of heartleaf philodendron (Philodendron hederaceum) was collected on Valentine’s Day in Peru.  Almost certainly you have seen this species, but probably not in the wild.  Heart leaf philodendron is a very popular houseplant. This huge leaf on this specimen may look a bit different than those in your home, as the species rarely reaches maturity as a houseplant.  Philodendrons have both juvenile and adult forms of their leaves, changing their form and size as they climb up a tree.   
 
The name Philodendron comes from the Greek philo meaning “love” and dendron meaning “tree.”  The name doesn’t refer to the heart shaped leaves, but rather to its growth habit as a vine that climbs trees.  It is native to tropical Mexico, the Caribbean, and regions in South America.
 
Happy Valentine’s Day from this loving plant!

 Image above:  European mistletoe specimen collected on Christmas Eve, 1883.
Image below: Close up image of specimen label that reads: "a. purchased at Pittsburg market."  It took me a while to decipher this handwriting.  Note that Pittsburgh's official spelling was "Pittsburg" until 1911.  The mistletoe was for sale for the holidays, likely imported from its native range in England.

Well, specimens don’t get much more festive than this!  This mistletoe specimen (Viscum album) was purchased at a Pittsburgh market on Christmas Eve 1883 by John A. Shafer, who would become the museum’s first botany curator 16 years later.  Mistletoes refer to many species in the genus Viscum, but traditionally referred to a species native to Europe, Viscum album.  European mistletoe has a deep rooted cultural history, dating back to as early as ancient Greece, is a part of many legends and stories through human history, and remains a well-known holiday decoration today.
 
Did you know that mistletoes are parasitic plants? Mistletoes grow on the branches of trees (especially oaks), with specialized roots (called “haustorium”) that penetrate the host tree to obtain water and nutrients.  Technically, most mistletoes are hemi-parasites, as they do have green leaves capable of photosynthesizing to some degree.  How do they germinate high up on the branches of trees?  They have evolved to produce berries which birds ingest, fly around, land on another branch, and poop a viable mistletoe seeds.  Without the assistance of birds, the seeds would likely just fall to the ground.
 
Mistletoes are native to the United States, too.  American mistletoe (Phoradendron leucarpum) is native to southeastern US states.  The species has been harvested and sold in the US in Christmas traditions, similar to European mistletoe. The specimen pictured below was collected in South Carolina in 1968, found attached to several oak species.
 

​Are you decking your halls with boughs of holly?  This specimen of American holly (Ilex opaca) was collected by M.L. Bomhard in Mandeville, Louisiana by on December 8, 1928.  The holly revered for its holiday cheer usually refers to a related European species, Ilex aquifolium. But there are native holly species in North America that are equally (if not more) cheerful.  Like most other hollies, American holly is dioecious, meaning it has male and female flowers on separate plants.  Only the female plants have the characteristic bright red berries we all know and love.  American holly stands out as one of the few broadleaved evergreen trees native to the Eastern US (i.e., has green leaves during winter that are not needles). This species is near the northern edge of its range in Pennsylvania and is more common in southern states.  It is listed in PA as a species of “special concern” due to its relative rarity.  

These Pennsylvania specimens shown above were collected sometime in December (exact day unknown):  White Pine (Pinus strobus) in Kittanning in 1926 and Scots Pine (or “Scotch Pine”; Pinus sylvestris) from cultivation in Avalon in 1902.  Both of these species are cultivated and used as decorative trees for the holidays. Many evergreen conifer species are cultivated in the US for decorative use during the holidays.  Needle length, softness, retention, color, and even scent vary by species or variety. Similarly, branching patterns and branch strength differs. Plus, some species grow faster and easier than others, which means some species are cheaper.
 
Did you know that Pennsylvania is one of the top states for Christmas tree farms?  In fact, southwestern PA’s very own Indiana County is known as the “Christmas Tree Capital of the World.”  According to the Indiana County Christmas Tree Growers’ Association, the title arose in 1956, when an estimated 700,000 trees were cut that year in the county. 

Believe it or not, there are no CM specimens from Indiana County collected in the month of December.  This isn't all that surprising, as most specimens aren't collected in the winter.
 
Before farms began cultivating trees for that purpose in the early 20th century, people just went to the woods to cut down their tree for the holidays.   Some of the earliest Christmas tree farms in the US started in Indiana County as early as 1918.  Many farms in the region turned their fields into Christmas tree farms as it became profitable. By 1960, more than 1 million trees were harvested per year in Indiana County alone.  The harvest in Pennsylvania has declined for several reasons, including increased popularity of artificial trees and consumer interest in Frasier fir trees (Abies fraseri; native to the Southern Appalachians and grows slower in PA than farms in North Carolina).  However, Pennsylvania is still among the top five states in terms of both number of working Christmas tree farms and trees harvested. According to the National Christmas Tree Association, 31,577 acres in Pennsylvania are used as Christmas tree plantations. Many of the Christmas tree lots in southwestern PA get their trees from farms in Indiana county.