Specimens from the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh

The Palliser expedition (officially known as British North American Exploring Expedition) explored western Canada during the years 1857-1860. Among other things, the expedition led to the identification of "Palliser's Triangle" (in southern Saskatchewan and Alberta), an area that was initially deemed unsuitable for plant-based agriculture due to poor moisture conditions.

Eugène Bourgeau was a French botanist who accompanied the expedition, and who collected plants during their explorations. Some of his plant specimens are held at the Royal Botanic Gardens Edinburgh, who generously provided 12 specimens to the U of R's Ledingham Herbarium in July 2023. These specimens were collected between 1857 and 1858 in Saskatchewan, and now represent the oldest holdings in the Ledingham Herbarium.

 

 An E. Bourgeau specimen of Atriplex canascens (which has several common names, including "wingscale"), an evergreen shrub found in dry areas in southern Saskatchewan.