Margy King, Paula LaPoint, Rose McAllister, Susan Morgan, Nell R e p o r t f r o m t h e H e r b a r i u m Morton, Charlotte Newby, Nancy Post, Nancy Robinson, Carol S. The Charles T. Mohr Herbarium Internship Rosenberg, Jan Stratton, George & Caroline Unick, By Carol Ann McCormick, Assistant Curator, UNC Herbarium John Viccellio, Lisa K. Wagner & Tim Spira, This last December, the UNC Herbarium became According to Lida B. Robertson, one of Mohr’s Mobile for the Dot Wilbur- the unexpected beneficiary of the Class of 1954’s neighbors, on one occasion, Mohr – with his long hair, Brooks Programs Fund gray whiskers, and his “botanizing box,” which he carried 50th Reunion. Alumna Elizabeth Burch Heston, across his shoulders like a pack – was mistaken for Santa IN MEMORY OF of Hanover, New Hampshire, was inspired to con- Claus by two small children who were so excited that they Joan Chapin—from John & tribute to the University, and since her passion is ran home “as fast as their short limbs could bear them.” Jane Wait gardening—daylilies in particular—she decided that When Mohr stopped at the children’s home a few hours Jane Corey—fromEdward & later, he was invited to supper. Mohr kept up the pretense Helen Ludwig the Botanical Garden was the logi- that he was Santa Claus, and the next Christmas he sent the Martha Decker DeBerry— cal place for her gift. children a “bountiful pack.” from Julianne H. Cross, In discussing her gift, Ms. Heston mentioned designated for Battle Park Not all of his expeditions were so pleasant. In 1849 Emily Exner Chi—from that Dr. Charles T. Mohr was her great-great-grand- Mohr and fifty other members of the Cincinnati Sylvia C. Stanat father. The Herbarium staff was pleased to tell her Mary Felton—from Jim Gold Mining & Trading Company set out for Massey that we have found about 50 of Dr. Mohr’s speci- Californiain mule-drawn wagons. Mohr, of course, Willard T. Hill—from Sara mens in our collection, and as we continue to da- collected and pressed along the way. As ter- Stockton Hill tabase, we will surely find more! In December 2004, Eleanor Hummel—from rain grew rougher, the group was Alan & Allison Weakley Ms. Heston honored her ancestor forced to abandoned equipment Andrew Clark Matthews— by founding and endowing the from Anna M. Sayer, along the trail. Rather than relin- designated for Friends of Charles T. Mohr Herbarium Intern- quish his hard-won collection, the UNC Herbarium ship Fund to be used to support Mohr traded his gun to a Sioux in Janice Dorinne Evans—from student interns working with men- Kurt M. Evans designated exchange for a pack horse. By July, tors at the University of North for the Coker Arboretum however, the situation was dire: Endowment Carolina Herbarium. Kay Mouzon—from Jim Unable to transport his books and plant Massey Charles Mohr was born in Ger- collection, a distraught Mohr dumped Carol Pio—from Rachel S. many on December 28, 1824, and them in the Snake River. As a botanist Hunsinger led a peripatetic life. Interests in friend later described it: “This was a loss Laurie Radford—from geology, botany, chemistry led him which caused the deepest regret to the William R. Burk, George & young collector, and one which can be Ruth Ramseur, George P. to Dutch Guiana (present-day appreciated only by those who have Sawyer Jr., for Friends of the UNC Herbarium Suriname), the California gold known by experience the labor, cost, and John F. Savina—from Mary fields, Indiana, , and fi- delight of collecting unrecognized mate- B. Obenshain nally to Mobile, , in 1857. rial in an unknown region.” Charles Shields—from John & Jane Wait He put his knowledge of chemistry and botany to Mohr is best known as author of “Plant Life of Jean Stewart—from Lara work by opening a pharmacy, which in 1885 Alabama, an Account of the Distributions, Modes Davis, Jim Massey boasted to be “the sole manufacturers of Mohr’s of Association, and Adaptations of the Flora of Thomas Lane Stokes—from Ann Pearce Stokes Emulsion Cod Liver Oil with Hypophosphites, Alabama, Together with a Systematic Catalogue of Mary Strickland—from Mohr’s Syr. Photo-iodide Iron and Manganese, and the Plants Growing in the State,” a 900-page tome Betty S. Eagles Mary Beth Lockwood Elixir Pycnanthemum (new Anti-Dyspepsia published just weeks after his death in 1901. Curry—from Charlotte Remedy).” An ambitious project for our first C. T. Mohr Jones-Roe By 1870 Mohr devoted his studies to botany Intern might be to to catalogue and map all of the IN KIND and formed a close professional and personal Herbarium’s specimens of rare, threatened, and Nicholas Oberlies—reference friendship with Dr. Eugene Allen Smith, director endangered plants of the southeastern United books for the UNC of the Geological Survey of Alabama and profes- States. Included in that list would be the Alabama Herbarium sor at University of Alabama. The two decided to & native wildflower mohrii, MATCHING GIFTS produce a flora for the state, a project that would named for Dr. Mohr! take the rest of Mohr’s life to complete. “To assist The Herbarium is pleased to have Dr. Mohr’s GlaxoSmithKline—Matching the volunteer hours of you in getting up a Catalogue of the plants of our specimens in our collection and Dr. Mohr’s de- Cindy Kaye Cook state will be a labor of love and pleasure to me,” scendents as our friends and supporters. wrote Mohr to Smith. Mohr greatly enjoyed fieldwork, and traveled To make a contribution to or obtain more information by rail, foot, and mule to find plants. L. J. Daven- about the Charles T. Mohr Internship Fund, please contact port, author of a very informative article on Mohr Charlotte Jones-Roe, Associate Director for Development at the Garden: (919) 962-9458 or [email protected] for Alabama Heritage, recounted:

March–April 2005 NCBG Newsletter 9