The following blog was written by Becky Camfield a digitiser in the Herbarium.

Since 2021 we have increased our digitisation capacity reaching 1 million specimens imaged in August 2024. Each digitiser is assigned a family of plants to work through. This series of blogs will spotlight the families that have been completed by a member of the team.

Cercidiphyllaceae

Cercidiphyllaceae is a monotypic family from Japan and China. It’s only genus Ceridiphyllum has two species both of which get called Katsura trees. C. japonicum is native to Japan and China and grows to 45m. C. magnificum is endemic to Honshu and barely reaches 10m. They have been introduced to the Korean peninsula, Austria, Germany and New York. They are also called caramel or candyfloss trees due to the sweet candyfloss scent they emit during autumn. This is due to a combination of maltol and a sugar compound in the leaves, which is strongest when they turn brown.

They are grown as ornamentals as for their autumn colour and scent. There are now cultivars with a pendulous habit.

Our Collections

We have 59 specimens, including 1 type specimen. Prior to digitisation there were 18 of these specimens online. Our collections can be viewed here.

No. of Specimens	Herbarium Filing Region
33	Japan
19	Cultivated
7	Inner China, Korea and Taiwan

Paeoniaceae

The peony family is monotypic with one genus, Paeonia. It has about 40 species and is native to the Northern hemisphere. It prefers temperate to cold regions and is found mostly in Asia and Southern Europe. There are two species in Western America. It has been introduced to Scandinavia and the UK. It is prized for large showy blooms and is heavily cultivated. Most of them are herbaceous but some are woody and known as tree peonies. The herbaceous type dies back during the winter. In China and Japan Paeonia suffruticosa is called the King of Flowers, with its head sized blooms. Paeonia lactiflora has its roots used in traditional medicine throughout East Asia and its petals are parboiled and sweetened as a seasonal treat.

Our Collections

Prior to digitisation we had 425 specimens available online, following digitisation we now have 660 specimens, 8 of which are types. Our collections can be viewed here.

No. of Specimens	Herbarium Filing Region
154	Inner China, Korea and Taiwan
147	Europe (Excluding Britain and Ireland)
126	Cultivated
110	Western Asia
23	Northern Asia