Colecciones De Especimenes

Algae specimens
• Terrestrial algae (such as cyanobacteria) can be prepared as for lichens.
• Aquatic algae can be temporarily stored in water from the collecting site for a couple days.
•Dried herbarium specimens of algae can be prepared by 'floating out', followed by pressing. With the specimen in a shallow dish of water, place a piece of stiff white paper under the specimens and thencarefully lift out the paper with the specimen on top. Press between newspaper.
• Marine algae must be covered by waxed paper or muslin before pressing between newspaper (which otherwise adheres tothe specimen).
• Spirit herbarium material is useful for all algae and essential for some. Fresh specimens should be fixed before being pressed or transferred to spirit. Commercial formalin (asolution of 40 per cent formaldehyde) diluted between 1/10 and 1/20 with the collecting solution, is the most commonly used fixative

MACROALGAE COLLECTION FIXED ON FORMALDEHIDE AT 30%, WITH A PROPER LABELSUCH AS A HERBARIUM SPECIMENS
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What makes a good herbarium specimen?

There are two main elements to a herbarium specimen: the label and the specimen itself. Different methods ofpreparation are used for specimens of plants, fungi, lichens, bryophytes and algae. Information required on the label is similar for all groups.

TWO HERBARIUM SPECIMENS AS AN EXAMPLE WITH DIFFERENT LABELS[pic]

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THE LABEL

The information recorded on the label is as important as the specimen. Even though a specimen may have been well collected and carefully prepared, it will be ofnegligible scientific value, and in some cases impossible to confidently identify, unless accompanied by basic collecting data and field notes. In addition, legible handwriting on the label makes databasingmuch easier.

ESSENTIAL LABEL INFORMATION
• Collector(s) name.
• A unique collecting number. The simplest system is for each collector to commence their numbering sequence with the number 1,...