Origins of and Key Contributors to the Economic Botany Collection of Meise Botanic Garden

The economic botany collection housed at the Meise Botanic Garden herbarium (BR)
comprises around twenty-five thousand items, encompassing a wide array of materials such as wood
samples, fibres, dyes, tanning agents, exudates (like gums, resins, waxes, latex, and manna), fats and oils,
essential oils, and materia medica (pure and derived substances from plants, animals, and minerals used
for medicinal purposes). Broadly, the collection can be categorized into three subcollections: the von
Martius’ collection spanning 1821 to 1868, the State Botanic Garden collection in Brussels (post-von
Martius) from 1856 to 1958, and the van Heurck collection from the early 1800s to 1876. This paper
provides an extensive overview of the collection, delving into its key contributors, geographical origins,
and historical context. We highlight exemplary specimens, elucidating the understanding of their economic
use during that period. The collection serves as a testament to the intriguing history of collaborations
and interactions between scientists, naturalists, explorers, and various other contributors involved
in assembling economic botany collections. The combined knowledge and dedicated efforts of these
contributors have resulted in a collection that vividly showcases the diverse applications of primarily
plant-based resources during that historical era. Even today, this knowledge has the potential to contribute
to the exploration of novel or rediscovered applications for plants and plant-derived products.