In the mid-19th Century it was called a Wardian Case[1], named after the inventor. I recall the issue was with the transported seeds failing to germinate after

In the mid-19th Century it was called a Wardian Case[1], named after the inventor. I recall the issue was with the transported seeds failing to germinate after arrival in India. This NPR article is a review of the book linked to above and has more details, including an excerpt: https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=125237353?storyId=125237353&t=1558366000351 https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=125237... [1]https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2017/11/how-a-glass-terrarium-changed-the-world/545621/ https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2017/11/how-a...