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=125237...

[1]https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2017/11/how-a...

The seeds transported on their own would begin to germinate during the long voyage to India. The terrariums allowed the seeds to start sprouting and growing in a healthier environment than in the ships holds.