BRIT
Some numbers are just numbers. Others? They tell a story. At the Botanical Research Institute of Texas (BRIT), the addition of its 1.5 millionth plant specimen is more than just a statistic — it’s a testament to centuries of discovery, dedication, and the urgent need for conservation. The latest addition, a Texas sandmint (Rhododon ciliatus), might seem like just another pressed plant, but it carries with it the weight of history and the promise of future scientific breakthroughs.
“This achievement represents thousands of people studying plants over hundreds of years,” says herbarium director Tiana Rehman, reflecting on the milestone. The BRIT Herbarium, now the ninth largest in the United States, is more than a collection — it’s a living history book, a scientific time capsule, and, in many ways, a plant detective’s dream.
Herbaria has been around since at least the 1500s, back when explorers first started pressing plants between the pages of heavy books. The process itself hasn’t changed much: collect, dry, press, mount, and label. What has changed? Technology. These days, specimens are digitized, uploaded to global databases, and made accessible to researchers worldwide. But while digital archives are invaluable, there’s nothing quite like the real thing.
“Digital herbaria are fantastic, because they allow scientists anywhere to study our collection,” says Rehman. “But the actual, physical specimens remain essential. They represent a primary source of information that can be studied in many ways.”
BRIT
Each specimen is a snapshot of a moment in time — a record of a plant existing in a specific place, under specific conditions, at a specific moment in history. And that, as Rehman puts it, makes every single specimen irreplaceable.
The 1.5 millionth specimen, Rhododon ciliatus, hails from an ecosystem with a story to tell — the xeric sandylands. This narrow, 400-mile-long strip of sandy soil stretching from Canton to the outskirts of San Antonio is more than just tough terrain. It’s the ghost of an ancient coastline, a relic from a time when Texas was partially submerged beneath a prehistoric sea some 50 million years ago, according to a release.
Now, that lost shoreline is home to plants that exist nowhere else on Earth. But as cities sprawl and farmland expands, habitats like the Xeric sandy lands face increasing pressure. And that’s where BRIT’s work becomes more than just research — it’s a mission.
Sure, 1.5 million is a big number. But it’s not just about statistics — it’s about knowledge, discovery, and the race to protect what’s still left. Every pressed leaf, every delicate flower mounted on cardstock, every handwritten note on a specimen label is part of a much bigger picture. A picture of a world that’s always changing, and of the people working tirelessly to understand and preserve it.
“The BRIT Herbarium contains many plants like Rhododon ciliatus, plants unique to one place in the world,” says Rehman. “Some we know about, but others might be hiding in the herbarium because they look like a closely related species. That’s another wonderful thing about herbaria — they hold undiscovered treasures!”
