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:

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 133 · DO #1190 · 39_Burgess_Bx1LectureNotebookr

Collection
Edward Sandford Burgess (1855–1928) papers
Item/Folder
Notebook, "Lectures on Botany", Undated
Digital Object
DO #1190, page 133
Collection-level dates
1889–1895, n.d.
Open PDF at page 133 ↗

Page transcription

BETZNERIA
briefly called for Stew
products of monadophytes
Placebrana 2, (1
Waltzocia 4, (1
Dinamba car, 7
Lasiopteratum Sm

STERCULIA
Botanical or in wooven
Adansonia Z,
w. dundford, to dim
Pale of fruit softly;
putrid s potential
Cum Senegal 2-81p

Bonkax L, CE
but cannot be mas
En pentandry

Salmania &c,
Durio lumphi,

Ochreana swa
of its fruit used;
Chocasia H&K,

Eriodendron,
Exilotheca, Sd
Chevrestonae
horizontally large any
w.s curved style in
Helicteres 4,1
Myrciellam
Sterculia, b
S. Tragacan
S. unens
S. tormento

MALVACEE; coarctiduss, 1789; 39,1600sp; herbstrees shrubs; + in woodeous quals.
Maleye is a link to Haminoe, in large sep carpet over a conical-tunic. Muciferas prop Mistletoe,
Vg + in twigs; diary N° in Sic, hps at dus ples, in Eu 1465, in Sw 1423 in Lappl.
Humboldt computed in Am. They are 1/50 of the flay-pips we eat. 1/200 of twigs. 0 in Arctic.

Malva L. MALLOWS x MARSHMALLOWs; the use in Eue is walking; odd pit of the fig; esp the
root, gives in decoct a plasidial, tasteless, colour sweetly, salutary for feartures; demulcent freely fauce and
with cold; use it mostly in indigestive legumes, etc., and n. of QUILDMANS.
M. ovata, bl. bd by Cauccilles to be terminus late cord.

M. closa, petals are asteriout.
M. cyparissias, bipinnatif. Decisper 9f. Glove III
M. perennifolia, I eat a piece of the young leaves, spuds me in play than bee stapele relish? Aceban, quiting
Then sitting in cabin several days ago. Spontaneous wild of the deep. Rily similares, spetterplase.The crumbled seeds are
called a Cheeks?

Athea, L. (Aloea,4)
Arrecea, HOLLYHUCK, plant of Dioscorides, Ane official in Eur for the use of Scrophullerous. Love me
a blue cologne rat egl to indigo.

Sida C (Abelmoscha, Medick)
S. erodiifolia, used w rice to used to allow bloody flux.
S. incertiana, Hoover des-male complains by it.
S. micrantha, It stot stems used to sub verdet-sticks
S. obtilla, ed tribe culted in China for hemp
S. lauceolata, root vy bitter, that + ol, etumachic,

Abelmoschus A
A sneeching, usually seeds that emolial & stimulabic; by Arabes mixed w coffee. In WI are called Quumbo
musqui reduced to powder's steeped in sugar that potent rem. for sore bites
A. esculentus, & old Oclary, Gomato, Gibbo, Bandidai, oc, fust in snug, sop for mucousus to it.

Sphaceloa (stell)
S. Clavigera plating and in Brazil a decrion, tocuhme & bowels & few Wood.14
S. capnigalda, chewed bris Bees applied to warts
Patenia Lax. & dicatica, in Brazil a domestic (equivalent ?)
Tremia L. O. Usata, decrion of roots. Him in Iraq the windy cities; they expectorant for dry cold coughs.