Richard Pococke's herbarium and manuscript index

This article examines Richard Pococke's 'lost' herbarium and manuscript index. These items, which have formed part of the Heritage Library Collection of the Qatar National Library since 1993, have escaped the attention of all but one scholar, who published the results of his scientific examination of the medicinal specimens in 1997 and concluded that the index was the work of a professional. This study traces the transmission of the collection, offers an approximate date for its creation, and argues that Pococke had gained sufficient knowledge of botany and plant taxonomy in later life to compile the semi-professional botanical index himself.