Using the Website

Search for Plants

• by family, genus, species or any one of these
  
  
• by location from the drop-down list, the list to the right of the map, or by clicking on the map (zoom in for clarity)
  
  
• by date, or look at all the plants that are undated

Please note that MODERN place names are used in the search options but the database also stores the location names used by Darwin.

The plants from the Galapagos Islands were particularly important for Darwin and Henslow. Sometimes Henslow wrote only 'Galapagos' on the herbarium sheet but usually he noted the particular island, so to find all of these plants you will need to check not only Archiepelago de Colon (Galapagos Islands) but also each of the 4 islands Darwin visited.

Similarly, searching on ‘South America’ will produce sheets where Henslow has given only South America as a broad location and not a specific area. To find plants from particular areas search on those specific locations.

Understanding the Plant Details Pages

Plant Details Pages display information from the database record. In addition to the search fields, the details include:

• The location where the plant was collected by Darwin, both current place-name and the name used by Darwin.
  
  
• Information about the herbarium sheet paper used by Henslow and what is printed on it.
  
  
• Everything that has been written on the sheet by Henslow.
  
  
• Numbers identifying the folders in which the sheets are stored at Cambridge Herbarium.
  
  
• Details about any illustrations on the sheet.
  
  
• Dates are displayed as YYYY.MM, e.g. 1832.10 for October 1832. Sometimes Henslow assigned plants a date range e.g. Feb/Mar 1834, in which case the later date will be noted in ‘Plant date to’.
  
  
• Henslow wrote numbers on the sheets. Sometimes these are Darwin’s collection or field notebook numbers. The written number in the bottom left-hand corner of the sheet is usually Henslow’s own plant order reference number.
  
  
• IPNI name. Each plant is assigned an ‘International Plant Names Index’ name which gives the current taxonomy and nomenclature (classification and name) of the plant. Please note names are under constant review from the international botanical community.
  
  
• Latitude and longitude. Please note that these are approximate to island or region only and further research is required to identify the exact collection location.