Make Your Own Herbarium Specimens
Contents
1. In your field note book you should Usea waterproof pen or pencil so your notes are not lost in the rain or mist Write your contact details in the front cover so the book can be returned to you if lost Stick a copy of a herbarium label in the back cover to remind you what information is required Useone page per specimen so you have plenty of space if you need to add information later 2 3 Numbering and tagging Record numbers are used to identify different herbarium specimens to their information in your field notebook The best numbering system is the simplest start from number 1 and continue for the rest of your collecting career Use your initials in front of the number to differentiate your collection from someone else s eg NDM 133 As a general rule the same number is given to parts collected from a single plant on the same day If small herbs or grasses are being collected such that several entire plants can fit onto a single sheet of mounting card these specimens may be given the same collecting number if obtained from the same population on the same day Make Your Own Herbarium Specimens 5 Specimen numbers are recorded in your notebook and on a tag that is attached to the specimen to link the two At the University of Melbourne Herbarium we use small tie on cardboard tags called jeweler s or strung tags pictured 2 4 Specimen preservation in the field Mesophytic plants and those with delicate petal2. Fungi 3 2 1 Preserving succulents Succulent or fleshy plants and fruits are prone to fungal damage and require additional care To prevent mould and aid drying change the paper more regularly or use more absorbent paper such as blotting paper Prior to pressing it may help to immerse or brush the specimen with 4 alcohol to kill fungi RT x If fleshy fruits are separate from the herbarium specimen place them in a labelled paper bag or envelope and leave this next to the plant press rather then in it Check and change the paper bag envelope frequently 3 2 2 Preserving aquatic plants Aquatic plants usually need to be immersed in water to allow full expansion of branches and to show the habit of the plant Within the shallow tray of water mounting card is slipped under the floating specimen and both are slowly dragged out of the water together Use a paint brush to carefully arrange the specimen on the card while it is still wet Marine algae contain sticky alginate in their cell walls so naturally stick to the mounting card Place this card and specimen between newspaper sheets to dry Drying in a press is not necessary 3 2 3 Preserving bryophytes mosses liverworts and hornworts and lichens Generally mosses liverworts hornworts and lichens do not need to be pressed Simply remove as much soil as possible and place the each specimen in a paper bag paper envelope or folded piece of newspaper to dry Oft
3. These aim to make off campus work safe for both the individuals undertaking the collecting and the environment they are working in tren The School of Botany also has a list of guidelines regarding plant collecting and collecting permits 3 0 Preserving and Pressing 3 1 Preserving plants Herbarium specimens are generally preserved by pressing until dry or pickling in a liquid Pressing means to apply enough pressure to hold the plant in a position that best displays the botanical features while drying The keys to achieving well pressed plants are Dry them quickly Attend to the specimens as they dry 3 1 1 Plant press Plant presses come in various forms but usually consist of two wooden boards or lattices 30 x 45 cm cardboard and newspaper arranged like a sandwich pictured below Straps or belts are wrapped around the press to hold it together press cardboard paper ipae iiini poteo iriiri ononon riirii potona torcir pasate iiini anacak To construct a press open a sheet of newspaper Herald Sun or The Age folded in half is the perfect size place your plant amc on one side and fold over the top of the specimen Large sheets of blotting paper can also be used as they absorb moisture from the specimens but these are more expensive m Em You might like to wrap another sheet of newspaper with the spine on the opposite side around the specimen newspaper cardboard ee sandwich to help hold all parts of the sp
4. length flaps on each side Place tape perpendicular to the branch stem or midrib of the leaf Do not tape over important botanical features ie ligules flowers fruits stipules etc Hide tapes under surrounding leaves branches where possible Extra tape may be needed to support delicate specimen parts near edges of the card or heavy parts such as woody fruits Each piece of tape should cover only one branch stem e Do not place tape within 1cm of the end of a branch or near the tip of a leaf because as the specimens are moved around they will jiggle loose Use sufficient tape to secure specimen to the card so that it does not move but not too much as it will destroy the beauty of the specimen This usually equates to Volunteer Novita mounting a specimen approximately 3 4 pieces of mounting tape for each 40 cm long main branch Make Your Own Herbarium Specimens 12 4 4 Fragment bag envelope Any parts of the specimen that break off or seeds that are released during the drying process must be kept When dry place loose parts in a small polyethylene plastic ziplock bag or paper envelope and fasten this to the herbarium card Points to remember regarding the fragment bags include Use the smallest sized bag appropriate to the contents e Place a small label inside the plastic bag or write on the envelope details such as accession number species name collector and date to identify to which specimen the bag belo
5. reference where the specimen was collected They are best obtained by a GPS while out in the field but can be calculated later using maps a gazetteer Australian Place Name Search website or Google Earth In Australia all specimens have a southern latitude and an eastern longitude 5 9 Alt Altitude is the height in metres above sea level where the specimen was collected This can be obtained from a GPS topographic maps or Google Earth For algal specimens the depth below sea level is substituted for altitude eg 10m 10m below sea level EL S EXE 5 10 Habitat habit and other data The bottom part of the label is for additional information about the plant that is not evident from the specimen itself but may be important to botanists entomologists gardeners etc Habitat refers to the vegetation type within which the specimen was growing eg open Eucalyptus obliqua forest while habit refers to the growth form of the plant from which the specimen was taken eg shrub 1 m high x 1 m diameter If the plant was collected from a manmade environment eg garden lawn or gravel roadside state this and note if the plant is cultivated Also include any other information that might be useful eg ecological taxonomic or general botanical information flower colour soil type slope aspect associated species bark colour and type sap eg milky resinous etc distinctive odour dioecy abundance weediness pollina
6. the most recent census flora books Australian Plant Name Index APNI or International Plant Name Index IPNI 5 2 Authority The authority is the person or people who originally described the species They are the authority or author ofthe species Their name s are written after the species name and are usually abbreviated eg L Linnaeus Where the authority includes names in brackets this indicates taxonomic changes to the species and these names are also included when writing the authority Always ensure that you HA use the punctuation that is ascribed in the census APNI or IPNI To find the authority of your species refer to the most recent census floras APNI or IPNI 5 3 Collector The collector is the person or people who picked the specimen Your entry for collector should include the first and last name and the middle initial eg Humphrey B Bear of all collectors 5 4 No Specimens may be allocated a few different reference or accession numbers The collector will asign a different number to each specimen This number correlates to the notes in the collecting book and the number on the specimen tag The collector s number is usually the collector s initials followed by a number eg HBB 54 When a specimen is officially incorporated into a herbarium it is given an accession number A herbarium accession number usually starts with the herbarium code eg MELU 100457 Rebecca Elkington mounting a herb
7. I Rte Dua red eee chasse etes kieres 14 5 0 Bde mec TEE 14 was EET 14 5 8 Latitude and Longitude I 15 E Pl ls E E EE EEEE E A 15 5 10 Habitat habit and Other data aeaa neeesa ee peanae ede aaa 15 6 0 Referentes eso a uo dirus AEE geet a aa a Ka HON a s EUR a RU RUM TEE CE 15 0 1 BOOKS E 15 6 2 WeDSIIOS Ciri denise a kie da ea tonanadnaaatcunavaian Ed T LLL ERE VERTU EM E EY ONT ELM MEE 15 Make Your Own Herbarium Specimens 3 1 0 Introduction A herbarium plural herbaria is a collection of preserved plant specimens The specimens housed at the University of Melbourne Herbarium are predominantly dried and pressed although herbaria also often store wet plant collections preserved in 70 ethanol Herbarium specimens are an important recorded of what plants grew where over time They may have been produced as a voucher for an environmental survey or systematic research and serve as a permanent record allowing anyone to go back and check the identification re sample or repeat research The production of herbarium specimens is therefore an important but often forgotten aspect of botanical studies There are four main aspects to making good herbarium specimens collecting pressing amp preserving es mounting labelling University of Melbourne Herbarium entrance Quality herbarium specimens are an important recourse and require both skill and dedication to
8. Make Your Own Herbarium Specimens 3f University of Melbourne Herbarium School of Botany Nicole Middleton RP WI e Updated Sept 2009 THE UNIVERSITY OF MELBOURNE Bode Make Your Own Herbarium Specimens 2 Contents 1 0 Introd loli cioe aro SIRE ERESY NEN ERSDNEE E anEAR E EUN EEEXRESPIMRENDNARE EA TEREE 3 2 0 Collecting toes tL SD ME DD LU t DAD DLL EE Ed 3 2 1 W att colet icno ET e a a a aa E 3 2 2 Field MOSS y eean a xd SA a EI EE E a A dCi LL MEQUE 4 2 3 Numbering and tagging 4 2 vevew oracle anune aaea een oes 4 2 4 Specimen preservation in the field cccceeeeeeee ence cece nena eee eeeeeeeeeeaeeeeeees 5 2 5 Special collecting requirements ccceceeeecseenceneeececeeeeerseeeseceeaeaneeseeeeaeaes 5 2 5 1 Collecting ferns grasses and herbs ee eeeee eese 5 2 9 2 Collecting shrubs and Irees iiio eene reete soto reae o Ene Ro P Rues 5 2 5 3 Collecting bryophytes and lichens eee 6 2 54 Collecting liso geo 6 2 6 Laws and ethics of collecting eoe ere acera eet eoe Pepe Ere ex 6 AMMESSI EUR 6 2 6 2 Ethics and the environment eeeeee Leere rece eeeeeeee 6 2 0 3 Flealtbyarnd salely uei mi eae tor p dee eecs esi esie von e eEeE REL ations 7 3 0 Preserving and Pressing eee rr e ee eroe rever dp eeu oiv eue sonde vua E ree EE Pee v eu 7 SAM PPSSERVING sD lANNS vac cencter lt T EE 7 2 1 Plant PRESS ciue esas Sien
9. arium specimen 5 5 Collection Date The date on the label refers to when the specimen was collected To avoid confusion deciphering the month from the day traditionally the date was written with the month as a roman numeral eg 3 iv 1854 Today however the month is usually written in text eg 3 April 1854 Always write the year in full eg 2004 not 04 That way in centuries to come it will still be clear when your specimens were collected 5 6 Det Conf Det and Conf are abbreviations for Determinavit and Confirminavit They refer to the person who determined the name or identification of the specimen If these are the same person people as the collector Det Conf can be left blank on the label or just the collector s initials written Also see Annotation slips 5 7 Locality Locality is the place where the specimen was collected When writing the locality start from the largest area and conclude with the details opposite to writing an address on an envelope Include country state region nearest town distance and direction in km from P O or other permanent landmark National Park Road or Street name etc Always use north east south and west when referring to directions not left and right You should include enough detail that someone else could relocate the population or even the exact plant you collected from Make Your Own Herbarium Specimens 15 5 8 Latitude and Longitude Lat and Long refer to the grid
10. cientific name of the plant including the authority Collector s name s Date of collection Locality where the plant was collected If possible also include Collector s specimen record number Name of the person who determined the identification Latitude and longitude altitude slope topography Habit such as plant height width and lifeform Habitat or type of plant community including associated species Environmental or ecological factors such as soil water fire information abundance etc Any other details about the plant that may be important Information on the label is specific to your specimen and may differ from the species description in a book or on the web Also the more information you include the better When complete the herbarium label is attached to the bottom right hand corner of the mounting card 5 1 Nomenclature Nomenclature refers to the name of the specimen On the label nomenclatural information is written at the top in the space directly under the Melbourne University Herbarium MELU title and includes the family and species names on separate lines The family should be in CAPITAL letters and the genus and second part of the species name species epithet should be in italics or underlined Make sure only the genus name starts with a capital letter not the species epithet Make Your Own Herbarium Specimens 14 Only use current plant names Names can be checked by looking in
11. derground organs roots rhizomes tubers etc inflorescences flowers wt d infructescences fruits and other fertile structures le 7T If the plant is small it is a good idea to collect multiple plants as long as they ay all come from the one population These can all be given the same collecting number and put on the same sheet of herbarium card 2 5 2 Collecting shrubs and trees In addition to the general points on collecting it is also a good idea to collect bark either from the trunk or ground but make sure to note where it came from and how far up the tree This is especially important for eucalypts If the plant shows different leaf morphologies due to things like juvenile to adult maturation or coppicing due to fire or draught collect the different types of leaves and note where these leaves came from and why you think they are be present Make Your Own Herbarium Specimens 6 2 5 3 Collecting bryophytes and lichens Collect the entire plant or colony of plants if they are growing close together Include algae holdfasts and bryophyte sporophytes etc These types of plants are dried in paper bags or envelopes not a plant press so can be placed in bags or envelopes straight away when collecting 2 5 4 Collecting fungi Fungi are very fragile so be carefully when collecting transporting and storing them If the fungus is parasitic remember to also collect some of the host speci
12. ecimens together m EL EXCUBHHIESUNDENHEHETISOHIHHETITUEREHTECITICEIENHETUNUS plant paper cardboard paper plant paper plant On top and below this plant newspaper sandwich place a sheet of cardboard Corrugated cardboard is better than solid cardboard as it allows the air to circulate within the press helping to dry the specimens quickly Cardboard is also Simplified diagram of a plant press important within the press as it provides flat surfaces to dry the specimens against aper cardboard press Make Your Own Herbarium Specimens 8 To complete the plant press stack several plant newspaper cardboard sandwiches together and place wooden boards or lattices on top and below pictured Lattice is also preferred to boards as it also helps the specimens to dry faster Around the stack wrap rope leather belts or nylon straps and while applying pressure tie or fasten to hold the press together If you do not have a plant press pressure may be applied by piling telephone or heavy textbooks on top of the stack Either way the pressure should be even across the specimens so they dry flat Specimens with bulky parts e g eucalyptus fruits may require thick folds of newspaper around the bulky parts so that pressure is transferred to the less bulky leaves and flowers Remember the aim is not to squash the water out of the specimens just to hold them flat in position while they dry 3 1 2 Care while drying Once in the pre
13. en the substrate rock bark etc provides useful information about the species so particularly with lichens this can be left attached to the specimen As the specimen dries check it daily for insect or fungal damage and to change the paper Make Your Own Herbarium Specimens 10 3 2 4 Preserving fungi Fungi are not pressed They are dried rapidly in paper bags or cardboard boxes The length of time required for drying varies from a few hours to a few days depending on the fleshiness of the specimen Macrofungal collections of multiple specimens should include one specimen cut in half longitudinally and a spore print A spore print is produced by placing the fungal cap gill side down on a sheet of paper card and leaving it overnight During this time the spores will be released which can be useful for identification Courtesy Rod Jones For further information regarding fungal herbarium specimens see the Fungi Map website 3 3 Spirit collections Spirit collections may also be called wet pickled or alcohol collections All terms refer to preservation of specimens in a solution to maintain their three dimensional structure Spirit collections are predominantly used for preserving succulent or delicate structures eg petalous flowers or fleshy fruits that shrivel upon drying or when the structure or shape of the specimens is required for research e g botanical illustration microscopy etc Until recently specimens were
14. hen dry remembering to leave space in the bottom right hand corner for the label e Keep a picture in your mind of what you want the final herbarium specimen is to look like once the specimen dries you won t be able to move it If your specimen is too big to fit on a single sheet of herbarium card pruning overlapping or folding the specimen when pressing may help If all else fails cut the specimen in half and mount it on two sheets of card If you do this however you will have to put a label on each sheet and note the total number of sheets on each label eg Sheet 1 of 2 Sheet 2 of 2 For long specimens eg grasses sedges daisies fold the flowering stalk into a zigzag when drying to fit it on a single sheet as left Make Your Own Herbarium Specimens 9 3 2 Special preservation requirements Always handle your specimens with care to prevent them from breaking or parts from falling off As they dry some plants unavoidably drop their leaves seeds or flowers If this happens collect these parts and put them into a labelled paper envelope alongside the drying specimens These will be placed in a fragment bag and added to the herbarium specimen at the mounting stage By following the above notes you should create good quality specimens The following plants however require special care when preserving and drying E e Succulent or fleshy plants and fruits Aquatic plants Mosses liverworts lichens and other cryptogams
15. lants are considered rare and endangered and must NEVER be collected as they are legally protected by the Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988 In addition to these species a number of communities are also protected e g alpine bogs snowpatches and many grasslands grassy woodlands and rainforest communities A list of these species communities and more information about protected flora in Victoria can be found at the DSE website 2 9 2 Ethics and the environment Always respect and care for the environment from which you are taking flora No matter where you are collecting always take only the minimum amount of material required and never collect more than 25 of a single population or more than 10 of the reproductive material Avoid translocating pathogens eg Phytophthora cinnamomi and weeds by sterilizing collecting equipment removing seeds from clothing and removing soil from shoes and tires between collecting sites Make Your Own Herbarium Specimens 7 Endeavour to collect away from the public as others seeing you may not realise that you are collecting in the name of science 2 6 3 Health and safety Some fungi are poisonous so be careful when collecting and preserving them Always handle FUNGI as little as possible avoid breathing in spores and wash your hands after handling specimens to reduce the risk of allergies and poisoning Never eat fungal specimens The University of Melbourne has strict guidelines governing fieldwork
16. men When collecting macrofungi the entire specimen including the stipe and root like mycelium are required If there is more than one specimen growing in the area collect two or three showing different stages of development As fungi deteriorate markedly upon drying accurately recorded field notes are essential Photos taken prior to collection can also be invaluable for plant identification For more information on fungi see the FungiMap website 2 6 Laws and ethics of collecting 2 6 1 Laws Prior to collecting it is important to consider the legislation ethics and health and safety aspects associated with plant collecting When taking plants from public or private land including reserves state forest road verges railway lines public gardens cemeteries schools always seek consent of the landowner This may mean contacting the Local Council that looks after the garden speaking to the gardener farmer or caretaker in charge To collect from Victorian National or State Parks you must obtain a permit from Department of Sustainability and Environment DSE Collecting from public parks without an official permit is illegal and can incur large penalties Ignorance is not a defence Permits are generally only given to scientists associated with research institutions who are conducting important research Being a botanist or collecting for your studies will not save you from prosecution Note A number of Victorian native p
17. na Meese teats excuse xen Widder donde ed REUS ANH DEM 7 3 1 2 Care while OrvinG siisii iiini aaa aaa aiad 8 3 1 3 Replacing newspaper and rearranging specimens 8 3 2 Special preservation requirements esee eee eee eene 9 3 2 1 Preserving succulents 5 55 22 De eeepc rsen Eso lRMM E MEE DEI MS Eee EIUS ee 9 3 2 2 Preservingaquauc plantsxszssessiaixkexseapuseenMPEERSEXE RETIA RETI E TerUnXINEIUE 9 3 2 3 Preserving bryophytes and lichens ee ce ee ceres 9 3 2 4 ii i o emi eR E 10 9 9 SpITIEColectlOl s cescusoesuicocqu uou Eel nExM i Dax ehe m S PIE IM NiNRE E NP PuEE RI EE ERR ud 10 4 0 ST rupe tr E 10 4 1 Mounting Card cscseeoe ober es sri epe rape o atero x Irene necne one cR raa SENE aa Rer PRI OE S 10 4 2 Arranging fhie SDecIITIelT uec ce D o ee d deu Sie Hace Ile ee oua aedes unicus ue e Dep Tenis De ei 11 4 3 Attaching the specimen si cereo aee seek nate ener eai pe ee eco teee et eese ee 11 4 4 Fragment bag envelope 6 ener esu eve nep ee uten RM Eu uSKEUxMR ERE d Eu cRE ERES 12 4 5 Atlaching the label ems 12 4 6 Annotation Slips issada cedo aser RE e e EREREIMIRA PPS IN aaa ai 12 DIO Labeling ND RE 13 5 1 Nomenclature crissy isesi ipia a sears i ERSA 13 TZ AUNO ET RE EE Coe EE A eN a KEENE 14 Romero IP es ie cle kitties mi i a e cea le cae at a ae 14 Dd ING sos ieee cee case e esac A e rU dr A EAD ccna T 14 5 5 Collection Dale zu eoss c eio io re ata epo eor I
18. nd are usually placed vertically or diagonally across the sheet Small plants with multiple specimens should be arranged in evenly spaced rows spread over the whole card e Orientation of the plants should represent their habit i e usually flowers to the top and roots towards the bottom Flip the specimens onto the side that displays the most botanical features 1 e flowers fruits both sides of leaves etc and sits flattest on the sheet 4 3 Attaching the specimen Specimens can be attached to the mounting card by gluing sewing or with tape Although gluing is the quickest method it is also the least flexible as glued specimens cannot be removed to expose the underside and cannot be remounted At the University of Melbourne Herbarium archival white gummed tape is used for mounting This is purchased in large rolls from which strips are cut at the desired length and width Gummed tape is like a postage stamp it must be moistened on the shiny side to become sticky Once wet the tape dries quickly particularly on hot days so think about where you re going to place the tapes before you wet them As a rough guide the width of the tape should equal the width of the branch being stuck down The tape should be long enough hang over each side of the branch or leaf by 0 5 1cm Tape does not stick to the plant but merely holds it in place When using gummed tape Tape should be centred over the branch stem leaf with equal
19. ngs Fasten the bag with a plastic or owl type paperclip as these don t have sharp edges Paper envelopes may be stuck to the mounting card with archival glue Place bag envelope in the top left hand corner of the mounting card unless this overlaps with the specimen Do not place parts in a plastic bag until they are completely dry as they will go mouldy 4 5 Attaching the label The label contains information about the specimen that has been copied from the field note book plus additional notes relating to the specimen s name and identification When attaching the label you should always Place it in the lower right hand corner e Place it lcm in from the bottom and righthand edges of the card to allow space for holding and to prevent damaging the label Use archival clear gum glue Glue it down along the top edge only Keep the label free from mounting tape and specimen parts 4 6 Annotation slips Determinavit and confirmavit slips are small pieces of paper used to indicate determination det or confirmation conf of the specimen s nomenclature Det and Conf slips should always include the species name and authority date of identification and signature of the person who did the identification The species name on the det or conf slip always overrides the name on the label if it was written more recently If numerous slips are present the correct name of the species is that with the most rece
20. nt date Annotation slips are used to add any additional information to that already accompanying the specimen This may be a query about the species name identification notes citations of references where the specimen has been used in research GenBank or other accession numbers etc Det Conf and Annotation slips are always Only stuck down along one end This is the end closest to the edge of the mounting card Positioned 1 2 mm above and in line with the herbarium label Additional slips should be placed above and in line with previous slips on the right hand side of the mounting card Place the slip next to the label if there is no room above the label Make Your Own Herbarium Specimens 13 5 0 Labeling MELBOURNE UNIVERSITY HERBARIUM MELU Collector No Collection Date Det Cont Locality lat s S Long i E Alt m Habitat habit and other data Kind of collection Voucher Duplicates Sheet of A sample herbarium label not to scale Without accurate accompanying information a herbarium specimen is almost worthless Traditionally herbarium labels were hand written but today most herbaria use database systems from which labels are printed A printable sample of the University of Melbourne label is available from the MELU website The following list illustrates the type of information and detail required on a herbarium label At a minimum your label should include Family and s
21. pickled in F A A Formaldehyde Acetic Acid Alcohol FAA is no longer used as formalin has been found to be extremely toxic Today solutions such 70 ethanol 70 ethanol 30 water are preferred for wet collections Sometimes 1 glycerol is added to stop the specimens becoming brittle Such solutions are safer but protective clothing should still be worn when using ethanol Ethanol is also highly flammable so precautions need to be taken regarding storage and use 4 0 Mounting To mount a herbarium specimen means to stick it onto a sheet of herbarium card A well mounted specimen should display both artistic and botanical qualities It should be arranged on the card in p a balanced aesthetically pleasing way paying attention to Orientation and type of mounting card e Arranging and attaching the specimen s Position of label and accompanying slips Keeping loose parts in fragment bag 4 1 Mounting card j Official herbarium specimens are mounted on 29 x 43 cm archival i quality acid free white mounting card 250 GSM The direction SN of the card is portrait vertical Make Your Own Herbarium Specimens 11 4 2 Arranging the specimen If pressed correctly the specimen should fit perfectly on the mounting card When arranging the specimen Leave a lcm border around the edge of the card to allow space for holding when picking up Single specimens should be centred on the mounting card a
22. produce They require care when collecting and pressing together with accurate detailed labels Many specimens in the University of Melbourne Herbarium originated from student collections With care and dedication your specimens may too end up as part of this important archival collection to be used by students and scientific researchers for centuries to come 2 0 Collecting 2 1 What to collect basic points to remember foliage etc specimen label pt 1 ow Include detailed notes about the plant and it s surroundings When collecting plants for herbarium or voucher specimens there are two nclude all available parts of the plant i e all reproductive structures such as fruits flowers and buds as well as bark leaves juvenile or coppice When in the field it is a good idea to collect two samples of the plant one for dissection and identification and another for the herbarium specimen While in the field always record details of the plant in your field notebook Do not rely on your memory This information will later be included on the Make Your Own Herbarium Specimens 4 Before venturing out in to the field always consider the laws and ethics governing the collection of plant material Collecting illegally can result in hefty fines and even jail The ideal specimen for identification and research is an entire plant roots and all Leaves alone are virtually
23. s wilt and shrivel quickly once picked This results in poor quality herbarium specimens The best but not necessarily most practical way to produce good quality herbarium specimens of these types of plants is to take your plant press into the field and immediately press specimens as you collect them As this is not always practical or possible labelling specimens with jeweler s tags then storing them in sealed plastic bags out of the sun is ok on cool days To maintain specimen quality especially on hot days Keep inside the plastic bag humidity by spraying a small amount of water inside the bag Dampen some folded handtowel and place this in the bag with the plants e Put the specimen filled plastic bag straight into an iced cooler or eski Once picked most vascular plant specimens will maintain turgor for a few days if kept in a sealed plastic bag in the fridge prior to pressing however specimens such as aquatic plants and delicate flowers deteriorate rapidly These should be kept in extremely humid air or pickled or pressed immediately Fungi sweat and become slimy if kept in plastic bags these need to be dried immediately 2 5 Special collecting requirements 2 5 1 Collecting ferns grasses and herbs E When collecting ferns it is essential to collect fertile fronds or fronds with spores on the undersurface cel 4 v ie p A For small plants such as grasses and herbs collect the entire plant including Ro T un
24. ss it is important that specimens are dried as quickly as possible to prevent them from going mouldy Normally specimens take 7 14 days to dry depending on the air temperature humidity and the dampness and or succulence of the plants The following suggestions will help to dry your specimens quickly Use a lattice press Use cardboard with internal corrugations Use blotting paper to absorb the moisture Stand the press in a warm dry place e g a cabinet type drier set at low heat Be careful not to burn the specimens or press Replace the newspaper frequently to remove moisture and fungal spores Do not place the press near an open fire or against a heater as it is consists of drying plant material paper cardboard and wood so is very flammable 3 1 3 Replacing newspaper and rearranging specimens It is important that specimens are checked regularly while drying to ensure that insect or fungal attack does not occur and to reposition the plants Initially newspaper sheets should be replaced daily to remove moisture and spores After the third day this can be done every 2 3 days until the specimens are dry When changing the newspaper after 24 hours in the press re position the specimens while they are still pliable When rearranging aim to achieve the following Ensure all botanical features are showing including both lower and upper leaf surfaces Make sure the specimens will fit on the mounting card w
25. tors herbivory site history fire draught etc etc Other data can include anything other information that is important to include with the specimen but has not been included under the aforementioned headings eg collection title ownership other accession numbers voucher information citations references etc 6 0 References 6 1 Books Forman L amp Bridson D eds 1991 The Herbarium Handbook Royal Botanic Gardens Kew Victor J et al 2004 Herbarium Essentials The Southern African Herbarium User Manual Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No 25 SABONET Pretoria Walsh N G amp Entwisle T J 1993 1999 Flora of Victoria Volumes 1 4 Inkata Press 6 2 Websites Australian Plant Name Index APNI http www anbg gov au cpbr databases apni search full html FungiMap http www rbg vic gov au fungimap Australian Place Name Search Gazetteer http www ga gov au map names International Plant Name Index IPNI http www us ipni org University of Melbourne Herbarium http www botany unimelb edu au herbarium Victorian Census http www rbg vic gov au research and conservation plant information viclist
26. useless for most plants You should try to collect as much of the plant that is practical and possible given the size of the plant and which parts are most informative In general aim to collect e At least the terminal parts of the aerial shoots including leaves and reproductive parts leaves flowers buds and fruits A representative sample do not simply choose the biggest or prettiest More than one specimen from a single plant if the plant is variable e g coppice leaves at the base adult leaves higher up These will be given the same collecting number Each herbarium specimen consists of samples taken from a single plant unless you are collecting a small plant in which case you can collect many plants from the same location Collect at least a couple of specimens of each plant Put one specimen in a plastic bag and keep it in the fridge for identification press the other There are also specific collecting recommendations for different types of plants Herbaceous angiosperms eg grasses and herbs Woody plants shrubs and trees Ferns Algae lichens mosses and other cryptogams Fungi Refer to the notes further on for these 2 2 Field notes Without detailed accurate information a herbarium specimen is almost useless You should write notes while you are in the field collecting Do not rely on your memory A hard backed exercise book makes a great field notebook E Nph l53 Ns eeAceRE iio CURA
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