The Wardian Case: A Simple Box that Moved Plants and Changed the World
In 1829, the surgeon and amateur naturalist Nathanial Bagshaw Ward accidentally discovered that plants enclosed in airtight glass cases could survive for long periods without watering. The Wardian case, a simple portable greenhouse used for moving plants, revolutionised the movement of plants around the globe. After the first experiment, the cases were used for over a century. In the cases plants had greater chance of survival when in transit. The case facilitated plant movements around the globe with significant commercial, industrial and environmental consequences. Certainly a product of the gardening crazes of the Victorian era, the Wardian case also had major environmental impacts. In this brief lecture, curator and historian, Luke Keogh will discuss the Wardian case, its invention, impacts and a few other untold stories. @linneansociety
Time 12:30 BST
