Collecting Plants
Collecting Plants
- Press and/or day press
- Newsprint
- Field notebook
- String tags for labeling plants not immediately pressed.
- Digging tool and knife/clippers.
- Hand lens
- Collection bottles - fluids for preserving flowers, buds, pollinators, etc. in
alcohols
- Plastic bags
- Coin envelopes - seeds, etc.
- Maps
- Camera
Selection of Material
- Representative of population but include range of variation, i.e. more than one
specimen.
- Vigorous typical specimens unless population sampling.
- Non-insect damaged.
- Both flowering and fruiting material.
- Extra flowers and fruits for dissection.
- Underground parts, wash off dirt before pressing.
- Bark and twigs for woody plants.
- See Smith Table 24 p. 283 for material needed for particular families.
Pressing
- No larger than press since same size as herbarium sheet, also need room for label.
- Bend stems if necessary.
- Trim some material if necessary, e.g some leaves if bushy.
- Turn over a leaf or two.
- Spread out flowers and inflorescences.
- Section very thick parts.
- Record collection number on sheet corresponding to that in collection book.
- Never put more than one specimen per sheet.
- Dry press over heat or put in sun. Open and rearrange plants after a few hours or a
day while still pliable.
Field Notes
- Use pencil or waterproof ink
- Collection number
- Exact locality
- Altitude
- Ecological conditions, e.g. soil, moisture, exposure, associated species, etc.
- Record plant features that will not be evident from the pressed specimen, e.g.
height, branching, odor, pollinators, features lost in drying (colors), etc.
- Do not ask your instructor where you collected a specimen. That information
should be in your field notes. Each time you ask one point (1 pt.) will be
deducted from your collection because you did not take complete field notes.
|