Alberta Crys

The Use and Methods of Making a Herbarium/Plant Specimens
An Herb Society of America Guide

Revised Edition 2005

The Herb Society of America 9019 Kirtland Chardon Rd. Kirtland, OH 44094

The Use and Methods of Making a Herbarium/Plant Specimens: An HSA Guide CONTRIBUTORS & ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS © 1942, 1950, 1961, 2005 The Herb Society of America First edition 1942 by Francis R. Williams 2005revision by Arthur O. Tucker, Ph.D. and Lou Calabrese with editorial assistance from Michele Meyers, HSA Director of Education, and Susan E. Yost, Ph.D. “Grateful acknowledgement is made to the many friends who have shared their information and experiences.” – Frances R. Williams Special thanks to the Claude E. Phillips Herbarium (DOV) at Delaware State University for the technical standards,methodology and illustrative photos included in this guide. Photos by Lou Calabrese and Susan E. Yost, Ph.D.

Disclaimer: Information is provided as an educational service. Mention of commercial products does not indicate an endorsement by The Herb Society of America.

The Herb Society of America 9019 Kirtland Chardon Rd. Kirtland, OH 44094 (440) 256-0514 http://www.herbsociety.org

The Useand Methods of Making a Herbarium/Plant Specimens: An HSA Guide TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction ………………………………………………………………………………………………… 4 Procedures ………………………………………………………………………………………………… 5 Literature Citations ……………………………………………………………………………………….. 7 Bibliography on Herbaria and Plant Collecting ………………………………………………………… 7 Attachments 1. 2. 3. 4. The Spatula & Needle Method (S&N) Standards for Mounting PlantSpecimens ….. The Dip-Method (D-M) Standards for Mounting Plant Specimens …………………... Photo Sequence of Spatula & Needle Method …………………………………………. Photo Sequence of the Dip-Method ……………………………………………………… 9 12 15 18

The Use and Methods of Making a Herbarium/Plant Specimens: An HSA Guide INTRODUCTION A HERBARIUM is a collection of dried plants systematically named and arranged for ready referenceand study. To make a herbarium specimen, the plant is collected, and notes are made about it. The plant is then pressed until dry between blotters that absorb moisture and mounted onto a herbarium sheet with a suitable label. A garden club should find it of interest and value to make a specialized herbarium of special kinds of plants, such as plantain-lilies, ground covers or herbaceous plants withvariegated foliage. These collections could be made in triplicate, so that sets could be lent to other clubs. Interesting items might even be found that would be of value to large herbaria, such as Harvard’s Gray Herbarium which has over 5,000,000 specimens and the New York Botanical Garden with over 7,000,000 specimens. The procedures outlined in this publication for the preparation of herbariumspecimens are intended for the beginner and the amateur who are just starting the pressing and mounting of plants for a herbarium. “There is special need of [herbarium] material of cultivated plants" (1). "There are few collections of pressed specimens of plants embracing the wide range of horticulture and there should be more of them… [A herbarium] is like a reference library and it enables anurseryman to keep his stock true to name" (2). Collectors should learn to make excellent specimens, and there are reasons why excellent specimens are needed. A herbarium is a "Hortus siccus" or "dry garden" and is used for study by botanists and students; they want as good material as possible to study. Plants are often collected in far-off places and sent thousands of miles away from wherecollected to be studied and correctly named. Such a study may be carried on many years later than when the collection was made so that the best kind of dried plants are necessary. The collector in the field should make note of many details that will be unknown to the botanist who studies the plant, especially describing characteristics that vanish during drying. It will be of great help if the...