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 4 · DO #1687 · 72_Degener_Bx7FF3_r

Collection: Otto Degener (1899–1988) papers
Item/Folder: Articles By Others, 1937–1985
Digital Object: DO #1687, page 4
Collection-level dates: 1915–1985, n.d.

Open PDF at page 4 ↗

Page transcription

40 REVISTA SUDAMERICANA DE BOTANICA. VOL. VI N° 1/2

(Crowfoot) Dactyloctenium aegyptium is not same as Eleusine indica
(Dahlia) Dahlia variabilis
(Dandelion) Taraxacum vulgare
(Dandelion) not very abundant but rare; confused with Hypochaeris or Reichardia
(Euphorbia) Euphorbia loricifolia
(Grapefruit) Citrus grandis
(Grasses) Some 49 species
(Grasses) Bromus unioloides
(Grasses) Digitaria violacea [sic]
(Grasses) Rhaphis aciculata
(Grasses) Tricholaena rosea
(Hala) Pandanus odoratissimus
(Horseradish) Armoracia lapathifolia
(Jack Fruit) Artocarpus integrifolia
(Jesuit Nut) Trapa bicornis
(Kaapi) Feronia limoniata
(Kapok) Ceiba pentandra
(Kola) Sterculia acuminata
(Kumquat, tree with 1 inch fruit) Fortunella japonica
(Lima Bean) Phaseolus lunatus
(Lotus Root) Nelumbo nucifera
(Mahogany) Swietenia mahogani
(Mandarin Orange) Citrus nobilis
Mandarin Orange is different from King Orange (Citrus nobilis) an not the same
(Chinese Preserving Melon) Benincasa cerifera
(Millet) Chaetochloa italica
(Mustard) Sinapis chinensis
(Passion Fruit) Passiflora lingularis
(Passion Fruit) Passiflora lingularis
(Peanut) Arachis hypogaea
(Pepper) Piper nigrum
(Pigeon Pea) Cajanus indicus
(Quince) Cydonia vulgaris
(Rhubarb) Leavese good cooked as greens according to author and no warning they may be deadly poisonous (cf. J.A.M.A. 73 : 928.1919)
(Rubber) Manihot glaziovii
(Rubber) Hevea brasiliensis
(Rutabaga) Brassica campestris napo-Braesica
(Sandalwood) Santalum Freycinetianum only on Oahu and not elsewhere
(Sepia) Achras sapota
(Soybean) Glycine hispida
(Swamp Cabbage) Ipomoea reptans
(Taro) Dryland varieties are extensively made into poi in Kona and in similar regions
(TI) Cordyline terminalis
(Tobacco) Nicotianum Tabaccum
(Tree Fern) Cibotium chamissoi
(Vanilla) Vanilla planifolia
(Vegetable Ivory) Coelococcus carolinensis
(Wampee) Clausena wampi
(Water Chestnut) Eleocharis tuberosus
Trapa according to "Standardized Plant Names" is Water Chestnut
(Watercress) Roripa nasturtium
Nasturtium officinale