Norbert Holstein
@dr-norb.bsky.social
#Iamataxonomist and #IamaBotanist. 🧐🌿Senior Curator-in-Charge (from pines 🌲 to vines 🍇) at NHM London. Views are my own.
The harmonious regularity of the inflorescence of this #Earina valida #orchid from #NewCaledonia is beautiful, even in a #herbarium specimen. The plant must look spectacular in nature. #HerbariumLife #CuratorLife
October 22, 2025 at 3:17 PM
The harmonious regularity of the inflorescence of this #Earina valida #orchid from #NewCaledonia is beautiful, even in a #herbarium specimen. The plant must look spectacular in nature. #HerbariumLife #CuratorLife
The #herbaria at the NHM London are currently busy preparing several large projects that shape the future of the collections. After around 10 years, we have a new physical Index to our General #Herbarium collections reflecting updates from recuration based on research and visitors' annotations.
October 6, 2025 at 10:03 AM
The #herbaria at the NHM London are currently busy preparing several large projects that shape the future of the collections. After around 10 years, we have a new physical Index to our General #Herbarium collections reflecting updates from recuration based on research and visitors' annotations.
This is a #grass‽ From giant bamboos to maize and the common lawn ryegrass, #Poaceae can be quite variable. #Panicum cupressifolium from #Madagascar has minute leaves making it look like a #cypress (hence the name).
#IAmABotanist #HerbariumLife #CuratorLife
#IAmABotanist #HerbariumLife #CuratorLife
April 9, 2025 at 4:31 PM
This is a #grass‽ From giant bamboos to maize and the common lawn ryegrass, #Poaceae can be quite variable. #Panicum cupressifolium from #Madagascar has minute leaves making it look like a #cypress (hence the name).
#IAmABotanist #HerbariumLife #CuratorLife
#IAmABotanist #HerbariumLife #CuratorLife
This cloud oddly looks like #Ukraine. #Pareidolia
March 28, 2025 at 4:30 PM
This cloud oddly looks like #Ukraine. #Pareidolia
Sabbati even noticed that some plants are often found on walls, such as the red valerian (#Centranthus ruber).
February 5, 2025 at 4:07 PM
Sabbati even noticed that some plants are often found on walls, such as the red valerian (#Centranthus ruber).
His plants have drawings of the substrate and underground parts, which is very unusual because often only the upper ground parts of a plant are collected, and the rest is ignored.
February 5, 2025 at 4:07 PM
His plants have drawings of the substrate and underground parts, which is very unusual because often only the upper ground parts of a plant are collected, and the rest is ignored.
In the past, #herbaria were bound volumes. Some had beautiful arrangements and even drawings of vases from which the plants would appear to be in.
At the @nhm-london.bsky.social, we have bound volumes by the Liberato Sabbati, curator of the Rome botanical garden in the mid 1700s. #CuratorLife
At the @nhm-london.bsky.social, we have bound volumes by the Liberato Sabbati, curator of the Rome botanical garden in the mid 1700s. #CuratorLife
February 5, 2025 at 4:07 PM
In the past, #herbaria were bound volumes. Some had beautiful arrangements and even drawings of vases from which the plants would appear to be in.
At the @nhm-london.bsky.social, we have bound volumes by the Liberato Sabbati, curator of the Rome botanical garden in the mid 1700s. #CuratorLife
At the @nhm-london.bsky.social, we have bound volumes by the Liberato Sabbati, curator of the Rome botanical garden in the mid 1700s. #CuratorLife
#Herbarium specimens often lose their colours and turn brownish. But sometimes colours persist, especially when material was dried quickly.
This #Anemone sends a colourful spring greeting from the @nhm-london.bsky.social in a grey February day.
#HerbariumLife #CuratorLife
This #Anemone sends a colourful spring greeting from the @nhm-london.bsky.social in a grey February day.
#HerbariumLife #CuratorLife
February 4, 2025 at 4:38 PM
#Herbarium specimens often lose their colours and turn brownish. But sometimes colours persist, especially when material was dried quickly.
This #Anemone sends a colourful spring greeting from the @nhm-london.bsky.social in a grey February day.
#HerbariumLife #CuratorLife
This #Anemone sends a colourful spring greeting from the @nhm-london.bsky.social in a grey February day.
#HerbariumLife #CuratorLife
The coloured lower frond sides are considered to be an adaptation to dry conditions.
Many of these ferns have their sporangia (dark) on the margin, which creates a wonderful colour contrast.
Many of these ferns have their sporangia (dark) on the margin, which creates a wonderful colour contrast.
January 24, 2025 at 1:15 PM
The coloured lower frond sides are considered to be an adaptation to dry conditions.
Many of these ferns have their sporangia (dark) on the margin, which creates a wonderful colour contrast.
Many of these ferns have their sporangia (dark) on the margin, which creates a wonderful colour contrast.
Most people will know #ferns basically as green leafy things without flowers. And many ferns are just green or brownish, but some ferns have astonishingly white or even yellow fronds (a.k.a. "leaves") like this one from the @nhm-london.bsky.social #herbarium.
#FernFriday
#FernFriday
January 24, 2025 at 12:29 PM
Most people will know #ferns basically as green leafy things without flowers. And many ferns are just green or brownish, but some ferns have astonishingly white or even yellow fronds (a.k.a. "leaves") like this one from the @nhm-london.bsky.social #herbarium.
#FernFriday
#FernFriday