Hunt Institute for Botanical Documentation
A Research Division of Carnegie Mellon University

Hunt Institute Archives Text Discovery Platform

Search a large and growing portion of our online collections, including handwritten documents.
PROTOTYPE

This prototype uses state-of-the-art artificial intelligence, including a vision-language model (VLM) capable of reading handwritten documents as well as typed and printed text, to create searchable transcriptions of digitized materials in the Hunt Institute Archives. This makes it possible to search the textual contents of individual pages, including material that may not be described in the archival catalog.

Use Keyword search for specific words, names, dates, scientific names, or phrases. Try Semantic search (experimental) to describe a topic, question, or kind of material when you do not know the exact wording used in the documents.

About the AI-generated transcriptions

The transcriptions are generated automatically from page images and may contain errors, especially with difficult handwriting, unusual names, multiple languages, image-quality problems, or complex layouts. They are intended primarily as a discovery aid rather than authoritative transcriptions.

Each result provides the generated transcription and links to the original digitized material and associated archival description so that readings can be checked against the source. The transcription workflow uses AI models run locally by the Hunt Institute.

About Keyword and Semantic search

Keyword search is the default and matches the wording in the transcriptions. Results contain all your terms. Use quotes for an exact phrase. Substring matching is supported, so aceae can find plant-family names ending in -aceae.

Semantic search (experimental) is useful when you know what kind of material you are looking for but do not know the words used in the documents. It ranks transcribed passages by similarity of meaning, so relevant results may not contain the exact words in your query.

Semantic queries can be broad research topics, descriptions of activities or relationships, or natural-language questions. For example:

plant collecting and fieldwork in South America medicinal, culinary, or other traditional uses of plants chromosomes and plant classification early herbals and botanical illustrations botanical institutions exchanging plants, seeds, and specimens microscopy and photomicrography in botanical research How did botanists and gardeners introduce plants from one region to another? grafting, budding, and propagation of tropical fruit crops

Semantic search is not a chatbot: a question is used as a search query, and the system returns archival passages that appear conceptually related to it rather than generating an answer or summary. Short descriptions and ordinary research questions generally work better than lists of disconnected keywords. Quotation marks have no special meaning in Semantic mode. Cross-language matching may work in some cases, but it should not be treated as translation.

Keyword and Semantic search are complementary. Keyword search lets you require particular wording; Semantic search can surface differently worded passages about the same subject. Depending on the research question, trying both can reveal different useful material.

Open a result: use the prominent page-and-transcription link to see the metadata, PDF, and full transcription. Keyword-search terms are highlighted in the transcription.

Archives Collections Database (ArchivesSpace): the Collection, Item/Folder, and Digital Object links open the corresponding archival records. Collection-level dates describe the collection as a whole, not necessarily the specific item or page.

If a PDF does not load: on the detail page, use the Digital Object link, click “Go to file” in ArchivesSpace, and navigate to the page number shown here.

Current limitations
  • Automated transcriptions can contain missing or incorrect text or unintended repetition. Difficult handwriting, image quality, unusual layouts, and multiple languages can reduce accuracy. Always consult the original page image when an exact reading matters.
  • Semantic search remains experimental. Its rankings are an additional discovery aid, not a complete or definitive set of relevant results, and highly ranked pages can sometimes be only broadly related.
  • This is an active prototype. Search coverage, transcriptions, functionality, and the interface may continue to change as additional archival material is processed and the system is improved.

← Back to results

Page 78 · DO #3938 · 296_Lowy_Bx3FF5_r

Collection
Bernard Lowy (1916–1992) papers
Item/Folder
Correspondence Herbaria - 1989-`90-`91; M. Torres, January 1988 – December 1991
Digital Object
DO #3938, page 78
Collection-level dates
1949–1990
Open PDF at page 78 ↗

Page transcription

Armeria vulgaris — Arrowroot, St. Vincent 49
cor juice, brandy, liqueur, cordials. Varieties are: Blenheim, Royal, Moorpark, Tilton. Seeds are source of Apricot Kernel Oil, semi-drying, edible, used in toilet creams, pharmaceutical preparations. Sp. Gr. 0.9158; Sap. Val. 190.2; Iod. No. 108.7 Unsap. 0.7%.
Armeria vulgaris Willd. (syn. Statice Armeria L., A. elongata Koch) Sea Pink, Gilli Flower. (Plumbaginaceae). - Perennial herb. Europe, Asia. var. maritima Willd. the herb, Herba Armeriae maritimae is used for treating excessive fatness.
Armillaria bulbigera (A. and S.) Quél. (Agaricaceae). - Basidiomycete. Fungus. Fruitbodies are consumed as food. Sold in markets of Sweden.
Armillaria gymnopoda Bull. (syn. Clitocybe tabescens (Scop. ex Fr.) Pers., Armillariella tabescens (Scop. ex Fr.) Sing.) (Agaricaceae). - Fungus. Basidiomycete. Fruitbodies are edible, having a mild taste when eaten raw. A. distans Pat. is an edible species from the Congo.
Armillaria mellea (Vahl.) Quél. (Agaricaceae). - Basidiomycete. Fungus. Cosmopolite. Fruitbodies which have, when raw, an unpleasant taste, are eaten after being cooked, pickled or salted. Are consumed in some parts of Austria, Czechoslovakia and of Eastern Europe.
Armillaria ventricosa Peck. (Agaricaceae). - Basidiomycete. Fungus. N. America and Japan. Fruitbodies are consumed as food. Sold in markets.
Armoracia rusticana Gaertn., Mey. and Scherb. → Cochlearia Armoracia L.
Arnebia hispidissima DC. (syn. Lithospermum hispidissimum Lehm.). (Boraginaceae). - Annual. Trop. Africa, Egypt, Arabia, N. India, Roots are source of a red dye.
Arnica → Arnica montana L.
Arnica fulgens Pursh. (syn. A. pedunculata Rydb., A. monocephala Rydb.) (Compositae). - Perennial herb. Colorado to Montana, N. W. of the United States. The properties of this species are found to be better than those of A. montana L. Large quantities were marketed during World War II.
Arnica montana L., Arnica. (Compositae). - Perennial herb. Europe, Asia, Western N. America. Dried flower heads are used medicinally, as vulnerary, irritant, tonic. Contains a bitter compound, arnicin and an ess. oil. Arnica Root is composed of the dried rhizomes and roots; used for the same purpose as the dried flower heads. Used in many home remedies. A tincture is used for sprains and bruises.
Aromadendron elegans Blume, Ki lunglung. (Magnoliaceae). - Tree. Malayan Penins. to Java. Wood light, whitish; used for furniture and construction of houses.
Arracacia xanthorrhiza Bancr., Arracha, Apio Arracacia. (Umbelliferaceae). - Herbaceous perennial. Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador. Cultivated in S. American countries. Important plant food among the peons. Roots resembling parsnip are eaten as vegetable; used in stews and soups, also boiled and fried, has a strong flavor.
Arracache → Oxalis crenata Jacq.
Arracha → Arracacia xanthorrhiza Bancr.
Arrack → Arenga pinnata (Wurmb.) Merr.
Arrayán → Eugenia foliosa DC.
Arrenatherum elatior Beauv. (syn. A. elatior Beauv.), Tall Meadow Oat Grass. (Graminaceae). - Perennial grass. Europe, Cultivated. Valuable pasture grass, produces a heavy yield of hay.
Arrowleaf → Sagittaria latifolia Willd.
Arrowleaf Balsamroot → Balsamorhiza sagittata (Pursh) Nutt.
Arrow Poisons → Adenium, Amorphophallus, Antiaris, Buphane, Callicarpa, Chondodendron, Colocasia, Dioscorea, Diospyros, Epipremnum, Erythrophleum, Euphoria, Hippomane, Indigo, Lophopetalum, Malauetia, Paullinia, Rhaphidophora, Roucheria, Sapium, Sebastiania, Strophanthus, Strychnos, Urechites.
Arrowroot → Maranta arundinacea L.
Arrowroot, African → Canna edulis Ker-Gawl.
Arrowroot, Bermuda → Maranta arundinacea I.
Arrowroot, Brazilian → Ipomoea Batatas Poir.
Arrowroot, Brazilian → Manihot esculenta Crantz.
Arrowroot, Chinese → Nelumboium speciosum Willd.
Arrowroot, East Indian → Curcuma angustifolia Roxb., C. leucorhiza Roxb.
Arrowroot, False → Curcuma Pierreana Gagn.
Arrowroot, Fiji → Tacca pinatifida Forst.
Arrowroot, Florida → Zamia integrifolia Ait.
Arrowroot, Guiana → Dioscorea alata L., Dioscorea Batatas Decne., Musa paradisiaca L.
Arrowroot, Guinea → Calathea Allua (Aubl.) Lindl.
Arrowroot, Hawaiian → Tacca hawaiiensis Limpr. f.
Arrowroot, Japanese → Pueraria Thunbergiana Benth.
Arrowroot, Pará → Manihot esculenta Crantz.
Arrowroot, Portland → Colocasia antiquorum Schott.
Arrowroot, Queensland → Canna edulis Ker-Gawl.
Arrowroot, Sago → Cycas circinalis L.
Arrowroot, Sierra Leone → Canna edulis Ker-Gawl.
Arrowroot, St. Vincent → Maranta arundinacea L.