Seeds Collection

Coffea arabica, 1789
Coffea arabica, commonly known as coffee by Icones Plantarum Medicinalium by Joseph Jacob Plenck, 1789, volume 2, 1789, plate 130

Millennium Seed Bank (MSB) at Wakehurst, RBG Kew
The frozen vaults of the Millennium Seed Bank (MSB) at Wakehurst, RBG Kew

Davidia involucrata Plantae Davidianae by Franchet, 1888
Illustration of Davidia involucrata, commonly known as handkerchief tree from Plantae Davidianae: Plantes du Thibet Oriental by M.A Franchet, Part II, t.10. 1888

Millennium Seed Bank (MSB) at Wakehurst, RBG Kew
Staff wearing protective clothing in the frozen vaults of the Millennium Seed Bank (MSB) at Wakehurst, RBG Kew

Elettaria cardamomum, 1887
Illustration of Elettaria cardamomum, commonly known as cardamom, from Köhler's Medizinal-Pflanzen, 1887, volume 1, plate 74

Epidendrum vanille, 1774
Illustration of Epidendrum vanille, currently accepted as Vanilla mexicana. The illustration is from La Botanique mise a la portee de tout le Monde by Nicolas Francois Regnault (1746-c.1810)

Trigonella foenum-graecum, 1887
Illustration of Trigonella foenum-graecum, commonly known as fenugreek, Köhler's Medizinal-Pflanzen by Franz Eugen Köhler, 1887, volume 2, plate 189

Capsicum annuum, 1887
Illustration of Capsicum annuum, commonly known as peppers, from Köhler's Medizinal-Pflanzen, 1887, volume 2, plate 35

Coriandrum sativum, 1887
Illustration of Coriandrum sativum, commonly known as coriander, from Köhler's Medizinal-Pflanzen by Franz Eugen Köhler, 1887, volume 1, plate 45

Sinapis alba, 1887
Sinapis alba, commonly known as white mustard, from Köhler's Medizinal Pflanzen by Franz Eugen Köhler, 1887, vol 3, plate 276

Myristica fragrans, nutmeg, 1887
Illustration of Myristica fragrans, commonly known as nutmeg. from Köhlers Medicinal Plants, 1887, plate 125.

World War II, Kew Gardens: Talk at the Demonstration plot about growing your own food
Sydney Albert Pearce, Assistant Curator of the Decorative Department, gives a talk at the Demonstration Plot in front of Kew Palace, 1940

Poroporo, Bullibulli Solanum laciniatum
SOLANACEAE Poroporo, Bullibulli Solanum laciniatum, 2006-1844 NZSI 192

The Millennium Seedbank
The Millennium Seed Bank, Wakehurst Place. By storing the worlds seeds, the MIllennium Seed Bank (MSB) aims to provide an insurance policy against the extinction of plants in the wild

Cuminum cyminum, 1789
Illustration of Cuminum cyminum, commonly known as cumin, from Icones Plantarum Medicinal by Joseph Jacob Plenck, 1789, volume 2, plate 192

Punica granatum, pomegranate. Joseph Jacob Plenck, Icones Plantarum Medicinal, Vol. 4, 1791, Tab. 376, t. 376

Necklace of spices
Necklace with beads of Coix, Dioclea, Adenanthera, Myristica and Mucuna - cinnamon bark, cloves and nutmeg. Sourced in Grenada, Spain. RBG Kew Economic Botany Collection, Catalogue Number: 78869

Poppy, papaver somniferum
Opium poppy, papaver somniferum. Illustration by J.J Grandville from Les Fleurs Animees, (The Flowers Personified), publ. Paris, 1847. Pavot the poppy sprinkles her seeds, putting the insects to sleep

Potato tuber slices being dried in trays of peat, WWII
Supplies of seed potatoes were insufficient to demand during WWII, so Wiliam Campbell, Curator of Kew Gardens devised a method of growing potatoes using slices from the tuber instead

Necklace made of Abrus precatorius seeds.The plant is best known for its seeds, which are used as beads and in percussion instruments. The seeds are toxic due to the presence of abrin

Good King Henry
Chenopodium bonus Henricus, Good King Henry. REGNAULT Nicolas Francois (1746-c.1810) and Genevive de Nangis REGNAULT (b.1746)

Germination and growth of seeds

Poroporo, Bullibulli Solanum laciniatum
SOLANACEAE Poroporo, Bullibulli Solanum laciniatum, 2006-1844 NZSI 192

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