A rich botanical collection... revealing a fraud
At the Naturéum, in Lausanne, a digitization project has led to two surprising discoveries. The herbarium collection of Philippe Jacques Müller, crucial for the taxonomy of the Rubus plant genus (brambles), turned out to be wealthier than expected. However, the project also brought to light the actions of botanist Henri Sudre, who manipulated Müller's herbarium for personal gain.
The genus Rubus, to which the raspberry belongs, is recognized in botany as a complex genus. The reason for this? A relatively recent diversification on the evolutionary timescale (around 20 million years ago) and lineages that have each developed a unique combination of traits. This diversity is reflected in the herbarium of Philippe-Jacques Müller (1832-1889), housed in the botany department of the Naturéum, Lausanne. The collection of this influential 19th-century French botanist includes a large number of types (reference specimens for the description and the name of a species).
An herbarium even richer than expected
Known for being the first to describe hundreds of Rubus species, Müller collaborated with numerous European botanists, receiving thousands of specimens in exchange. His large collection had already been extensively studied prior to the SwissCollNet digitisation and revision project led by the Naturéum, with 257 type specimens identified. However, the richness of this collection proved to be far greater than previously thought. The project has indeed revealed 562 additional reference specimens !
This remarkable discovery highlights Müller's collection as a valuable resource for taxonomic research, offering new insights into the understanding of European brambles. This breakthrough also underlines the importance of the digitization and revision work carried out by institutions housing natural history collections. Their work reveals the full potential of collections that have sometimes long been overlooked.
Sudre, a fraudulent botanist
In the course of the project, the Naturéum also discovered the unscrupulous actions of Henri Sudre (1862-1918). This prominent botanist, known for his monographic work Rubi europaea, was entrusted with the revision of certain parts of the Müller herbarium. While Sudre did contribute valuable work, the examination of his herbarium revealed troubling evidence of fraudulent activity.
In his ambition to create the most exhaustive collection of brambles, Sudre secretly transferred large portions of Müller's specimens into his own collection. Worse, he often omitted or falsified collection details, including omitting Müller's name or altering collection dates, thereby making it appear as if these specimens were not part of his counterpart’s herbarium. By cross-referencing Sudre’s collection with Müller's, the Naturéum uncovered numerous cases of such falsification.
With this digitization project, the Naturéum team underlines the key role of transparency in the study and preservation of scientific collections. It also shows that a leap into the past can reveal many surprises, sometimes fascinating, sometimes disconcerting.
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SwissCollNet
The Swiss Natural History Collections Network (SwissCollNet) is an initiative from the Swiss Academy of Sciences (SCNAT), dedicated to the digitization and long-term management of Swiss natural science collections. SwissCollNet has supported 68 projects conducted in Switzerland’s museums, universities, and botanical gardens, covering extensive collections of animals, plants, fungi, rocks, fossils, and DNA samples. It aims is to improve their accessibility for research, education and the wider public.
Contatto
Patrice Descombes
Naturéum
Département de botanique
Avenue de Cour 14bis
1007 Losanna