The Poland Collection

 

Roberta G. Poland (1899-1989)

Deerfield Area Collections

Roberta Poland taught mathematics and physics at Deerfield Academy, Deerfield MA from 1943 until her retirement 1968. She was an active and dedicated botanist who worked and consulted with other botanists including Harry E. Ahles, Stuart K. Harris, Jerry C. Jenkins, Robert B. Livingston, Frank C. Seymour, Henry Svenson, and Peter F. Zika. She collected extensively, often in conjunction with field trips of regional botanical societies such as the Vermont Bird and Botanical Clubs, and the Josselyn Botanical Society. However, much of her botanical activity was focused on the flora of Deerfield which, accompanied by many friends, she studied, collected, and catalogued for over 40 years. Because she collected in the same area over such a long period of time, she was able to document both stability and changes in the flora. She noted that "Many plants that were here in the 50's have been wiped out by buildings, roads and other improvements.''

This catalogue is based on the specimens from the Deerfield area that were in her house at the time of her death. It includes specimens collected every year from 1944 to 1988; specimens that were to be the basis of a checklist for Deerfield. The numbered specimens were mounted and labeled and represented her best examples. However, she kept meticulous notes either in notebooks or on filing cards. These data along with information written on the newspaper sheets containing the specimens were used to generate labels for almost all the other specimens she had collected. This catalogue includes only specimens that were accessioned and retained at MASS. Duplicates from this collection were sent to BRIDW, CONN, NHA, and NEBC as well as some European herbaria. Names generally follow Gleason, H. A. and A. Cronquist, 1991, "Manual of Vascular Plants of Northeastern United States and Adjacent Canada", 2nd edition. Her original names followed Fernald, M. L. 1950, "Gray's Manual of Botany", 8th edition.

The photograph is from the Deerfield Academy Archives.

Browse by Region

Map of Deerfield

Click on a region to search for specimens in that area.

Use this form to search the collection by Accession Number, Genus, Species, Common Name and/or Town.

Accession Number:
Genus:
Specific Epithet:
Common Name:
Town:
Ignore Case:

---

Browse by Family:

Aceraceae Acoraceae Agavaceae Alismataceae Amaranthaceae Anacardiaceae Apiaceae Apocynaceae Aquifoliaceae Araceae Araliaceae Aristolochiaceae Asclepiadaceae Aspleniaceae Asteraceae Balsaminaceae Berberidaceae Betulaceae Bignoniaceae Blechnaceae Boraginaceae Brassicaceae Cabombaceae Caesalpinaceae Callitrichaceae Campanulaceae Cannabaceae Capparaceae

Caprifoliaceae Caryophyllaceae Celastraceae Ceratophyllaceae Chenopodiaceae Cistaceae Clusiaceae Commelinaceae Convolvulaceae Cornaceae Crassulaceae Cucurbitaceae Cupressaceae Cuscutaceae Cyperaceae Dennstaedtiaceae Dipsacaceae Droseraceae Dryopteridaceae Elaeagnaceae Equisetaceae Ericaceae Euphorbiaceae Fabaceae Fagaceae Fumariaceae Gentianaceae Geraniaceae

Grossulariaceae Haloragaceae Hamamelidaceae Hippocastanaceae Hydrangeaceae Hydrocharitaceae Hydrophyllaceae Iridaceae Isoetaceae Juglandaceae Juncaceae Lamiaceae Lauraceae Lemnaceae Lentibulariaceae Liliaceae Linaceae Lycopodiaceae Lythraceae Malvaceae Melastomataceae Molluginaceae Monotropaceae Moraceae Myricaceae Najadaceae Nyctaginaceae Nymphaeaceae

Nyssaceae Oleaceae Onagraceae Ophioglossaceae Orchidaceae Orobanchaceae Osmundaceae Oxalidaceae Papaveraceae Pedaliaceae Phytolaccaceae Pinaceae Plantaginaceae Platanaceae Poaceae Podostemaceae Polemoniaceae Polygalaceae Polygonaceae Polypodiaceae Pontederiaceae Portulacaceae Potamogetonaceae Primulaceae Pteridaceae Pyrolaceae Ranunculaceae Rhamnaceae

Rosaceae Rubiaceae Salicaceae Santalaceae Saxifragaceae Schizaeaceae Scrophulariaceae Selaginellaceae Simaroubaceae Smilacaceae Solanaceae Sparganiaceae Staphyleaceae Taxaceae Thelypteridaceae Thymelaeaceae Tiliaceae Typhaceae Ulmaceae Urticaceae Verbenaceae Violaceae Vitaceae

Please direct questions or comments to Karen Searcy, Curator: ksearcy@bio.umass.edu