The herbarium at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh (RBGE) is a treasure trove. Home to more than three million specimens of dried plants collected from all over the world, it’s always growing, with new items added at a rate of about 10,000 per year. The information held within these dried plants is startling. Covering 300 years of history, specimens can provide a snapshot of the environment at the time they were picked. Plants absorb pollutants from the air and water that can remain in their tissues even when dried. In addition, by examining herbarium records of the time of first flowering over 200 years, researchers can track plants’ response to changing global temperatures. Photographer Levon Biss was granted access to the RBGE’s carpological collection (seeds and fruits) to create his new book, The Hidden Beauty of Seeds & Fruits. Safely tucked away in folders, boxes and bags, specimens were brought into the light to be immortalised as examples of nature’s remarkable diversity and ingenuity.
YELLOW PIQUIÁ Aspidosperma tomentosum (Apocynaceae) A fruit that has opened to release its seeds and in so doing created a heart shape, this specimen was collected from the yellow piquiá, a semi-deciduous tree from South America that produces yellow, fleshy fruits. The tree’s thick, corky bark is a defence against damage from the fires that are a natural and regular occurrence in its habitat.
The Hidden Beauty of Seeds & Fruits: The Botanical Photography of Levon Biss (Abrams, £30)
RED-FLESHED DURIAN Durio graveolens (Malvaceae) This wild species of durian is a large tree (up to 164 feet/50 metres), typically with steep buttresses, that grows in lowland rainforest, often along riverbanks and in swamps. The spiny fruit contains a glossy brown seed that’s completely enveloped by a pungent, fleshy layer. This is the edible part of the fruit; its sweet, cheesy taste is appreciated not only by humans but also by orangutans, hornbills and sun bears.
RHU BUKIT Gymnostoma sumatranum (Casuarinaceae) Found across South East Asia, the rhu bukit often grows at high altitudes and in dry soils. The fruit isn’t a cone, as it first appears, but a series of compressed, single-seeded samaras (winged fruits that don’t split at maturity) surrounded by woody protective leaves. Upon drying, these leaves separate, releasing the seeds.
THORN APPLE Datura stramonium (Solanaceae) A member of the nightshade family, this species contains tropane alkaloids that are highly toxic and can induce hallucinations. Historically, small doses of this shrub were used by Indigenous peoples of the Americas for medicinal and ceremonial purposes. It’s also known as jimsonweed (a corruption of Jamestown weed). The name is derived from Jamestown, Virginia, the first permanent English settlement in North America and the site of a mass poisoning in 1676.
COCO DE MER Lodoicea maldivica (Arecaceae) This palm is found only on the Seychelles islands of Praslin and Curieuse. It produces the world’s largest fruit from a wild plant and the seed is also the heaviest. The fruits were traded for centuries as ornamental items but their export is now illegal due to the species’ endangered status. Its name (‘coconut of the sea’) arose because the shells of the giant fruits were seen floating offshore. The myth of sea dispersal is disproven, however, by the fact that seawater breaks down the fruit’s outer coating, making the seeds unviable.
ROSARY PEA Abrus precatorius (Fabaceae) The bright-red seeds of this climber are highly toxic and potentially fatal if chewed or eaten raw. However, various health benefits have been ascribed to the species, provided that the plant material is prepared correctly. In Ayurvedic (traditional Indian) medicine, the leaves, roots and seeds are crushed or boiled to reduce their toxicity and then used to treat a wide range of ailments, from fevers to arthritis.