An Introduction to Herbaria and Herbarium Practices...Oomycota Gabriela Brändle (CC BY-ND 2.0) Myxomycetes Courtesy of George Riner Used with permission ©John Van Der Heul ... Habitat

An Introduction to Herbaria and Herbarium Practices

GenevieveE.Tocci

SeniorCuratorialTechnician

HarvardUniversityHerbaria

Herbarium

•  “Acollectionofdriedplantssystematicallyarranged;ahortus siccus.Also,abookorcasecontrivedforkeepingsuchacollection;theroomorbuildinginwhichitiskept.”–OxfordEnglishDictionary

• Plant:“Alivingorganismotherthanananimal,abletosubsistwhollyoninorganicsubstances,typicallyfixedtoasubstrateandmovingchieflybymeansofgrowth,andlackingspecializedsensoryanddigestiveorgans”–OxfordEnglishDictionary

• Cryptogam:“Originally:aplantoftheformertaxonomicdivisionCryptogamia(Cryptogamian.),comprisingplantsthathavenotrueflowersanddonotproduceseeds,reproducinginsteadbyspores,includingferns,mosses,algae,lichens,andallfungi;frequentlycontrastedwithphanerogam.“–OxfordEnglishDictionary

Image:Madprime[CC0],Wikipedia

Image:Huerta-CepasJ,Marcet-HoubenM,GabaldónT.2014.AnestedphylogeneticreconstructionapproachprovidesscalableresolutionintheeukaryoticTreeOfLife.PeerJPrePrints2:e223v1https://doi.org/10.7287/peerj.preprints.223v1

Fungi

Dictyostelids

BacteriaandEukaryotesmaybepresent.WithinEukaryotesrepresentationfromseveralkingdomsmaybepresent.

Vascular Plants

RyanBrooks(CCBY-NC-ND2.0) CourtesyofWalterT.Kittredge

Vascular Plants

AndrewMalone(CCBY2.0)MattLavin(CCBY-SA2.0)

CourtesyofWalterT.Kittredge

ImagebyGenevieveE.Tocci

Bryophytes

CourtesyofWalterT.KittredgeImagebyGenevieveE.Tocci

Algae

Wipeter(CCBY-SA3.0) RiaTan,WildsingaporePhotoreference:040423sntd0017(CCBY-NC-ND2.0)RiaTan,WildsingaporePhotoreference:060614labd3206(CCBY-NC-ND2.0)


Fungi

CourtesyofWalterT.KittredgeImagebyGenevieveE.Tocci

Lichens

CourtesyofWalterT.Kittredge CourtesyofWalterT.Kittredge

Oomycota

GabrielaBrändle(CCBY-ND2.0)

Myxomycetes

Usedwithpermission©JohnVanDerHeulCourtesyofGeorgeRiner

Bacteria

Publicdomain:BotanicalGazette17(12):389-406(1892).

Dr.ImreOldal(CCBY-SA4.0)

So we’ve got all these organisms, what can we use them for? •  Phylogenetics/Systematicsusingmolecular&morphologicalinformation•  Florasdescribingtheorganismsinanarea,updatingsynonymies•  Treatmentsassessingthestatusofspecieswithinagroup•  Ecologytolookathabitats,growthranges,associatedorganisms•  Evolutionofspecies,families,pollinationmethods,parasitism,etc.•  ClimateChangestudiesbasedonpopulationsovertime•  ChemicalAnalysestolookatchemicalsintheenvironmentovertime•  ReferenceVouchersformedicaldrugstudies•  PublicEducationrelatedtotheabovetopicsandmore

Working In The

Herbarium

©TheBoardofTrusteesoftheRoyalBotanicGardens,Kew.ReproducedwiththeconsentoftheRoyalBotanicGardens,Kew

Archival Practices

• Note:itisconsideredbestpracticetousearchivalqualitymaterialwheneverpossible.Thereisspecialtylabelpaper,herbariumsheets,folders,genuscovers,packets,boxes,glue,bags,tissue,andjustabouteverythingelseyoucouldneed.Notallcollectionscanafford,orobtain,archivalqualitymaterialforeverything.Wealldoourbestwiththeresourceswehaveavailable.

•  Ifyoucannotusearchivalqualitymaterialsforeverything,prioritizewhereyoucan.Anythingthattouchesspecimensthatyoucanhavebeacidfreewillhelpslowspecimendegradation.Havinglabelsonhighqualitypaperwillhelpmakesuredataisavailableinyearstocome.

All Specimens Need A Label

Labels vary but may contain : •  Determination•  Collectors,CollectorNumber•  Dateofcollection•  Localityofcollection•  Coordinates/Elevation•  Habitat•  Description/Associates

A very detailed label

ImagescourtesyoftheFarlowHerbarium(FH),HarvardUniversity

Anatomy of a Label

Container

Collector(s)

CollectorNumber

Date

Location(followedbycoordinates&elevation)

Habitat

Description

Determination

CollectingTrip

AssociatesDetermination

Location Collector(s)Date

Determiner

Labelwithscarcedata Labelwithrichdata

ImagecourtesyoftheHerbariumoftheArnoldArboretum(A),HarvardUniversity

ImagecourtesyofFarlowHerbarium(FH),HarvardUniversity

Common Botanical Preparation Methods

Vascular Plants •  Sheets• Boxes• Bags• Vials/Jars•  Slides•  Self

Cryptogams (non-vascular) • Packets•  Sheets•  Slides• Boxes• Bags• Vials/Jars

Geneticcollections,aseithermaterialdriedinsilicagel,orDNAproducts,mayalsobepresent.Thesehaveseparatechallengeswewillnotcover.CryostorageoffreshtissueandDNAproductsisspecialtystoragewealsowillnotcover.

Vascular Plant vs Cryptogams: Are they really so different to curate?!

Notatall,andabsolutely!

Vascular Plant vs Cryptogam Preparations

Asyouwillsee,inmanycasesvascularplantandcryptogamspecimensarepreparedandcuratedinsimilarways.Thereareafewthingsthataredifferentthatmostlycomesdowntohoweachorganismisstudied.Mostplantfeaturescanbestudiedmacroscopically,orwithadissectingscope,withoutneedingtoremovematerial.Sometimespollenislookedatmicroscopicallyoraflowerisremovedtoberehydratedandstudiedmorecarefully.Almostallcryptogamsneedtobelookedatunderadissectingscope,oralsounderamicroscope.Makingsectionsorremovingpartsisnormal.Physicalpreparationandhandlingisabalanceofspecimenpreservationandaccessibilitytoresearchers.

Vascular Plants: Sheets

•  Themajorityofallvascularplantherbariumspecimensaremountedonsheets.

•  Anatomyofanherbariumsheet:•  Standardsheetsare11.5inchesx16.5inches•  Generallythereis1labeland1purposefullycollectedorganismpersheet

•  Oftenafragmentpacketispresent•  Indicationofownership,oftenastamponthesheet

•  Accessionnumber,barcode,orboth

Label

HerbariumStamp

Packet

Barcode

PlantMaterial


Vascular Plants: Sheets

Image©2012-2018NewEnglandBotanicalClub(CCBY-NC4.0)

•  Sometimes,especiallyinoldercollections,youmayhavemultiplespecimensononesheet.

•  Specimensmaybeacrossmultiplesheetswhentheyarelarge,butthegeneralformatisthesame.

ImagescourtesyoftheGrayHerbarium(GH),HarvardUniversity

Vascular Plants: Boxes

•  Largeboxescanbeusedinsteadofmountingonmultiplesheetsorseparatingbulkypartsofcollections.

•  Smallboxescanbeusedtostorefragileorsharpmaterialsseparately.


ImagecourtesyofHarvardUniversityHerbaria,HarvardUniversity

Vascular Plants: Bags

• Archivalbagscanbeusedtoeitherstorewholespecimensortostoreancillarypartsofspecimens

ImagecourtesyoftheHerbariumPacificum(BISH),BishopMuseum

ImagescourtesyoftheHarvardUniversityHerbaria,HarvardUniversity

Vascular Plants: Jars

• Materialinliquidpreservative,oftenrehydratedflowersormaterialcollectedinthetropicsthatwouldotherwisemoldbeforedryinginthefield.

ImagecourtesyoftheEconomicHerbariumofOakesAmes(ECON),HarvardUniversity

ImagecourtesyoftheOakesAmesOrchidHerbarium(AMES),HarvardUniversity

Vascular Plants: Slides

•  Slidesinasolidmedium,oftensections,pollen,orleaves.Stainingorclearingofpreparationsfirstiscommon.

•  Slidesofobjectssetinglycerinwhoseobjectsneedtobemanipulated,oftenOrchidaceae.Thisismoreofahistoricpractice.

ImagecourtesyoftheOakesAmesOrchidHerbarium(AMES),HarvardUniversity

ImagescourtesyoftheBailey-WetmoreWoodCollection,HarvardUniversityHerbaria,HarvardUniversity

Vascular Plants: Self •  Someobjectsreceivenospecialstoragepreparationandaresingularobjects.Fossilsandwoodsamples,aswellasobjectstoolargetobeotherwiseprepared.

•  Puttingobjectsdirectlyintodrawers,orintraysindrawers,iscommoninthisinstance.

ImagecourtesyofthePaleobotanicalCollection,HarvardUniversityHerbaria,HarvardUniversity

Preparing New Vascular Plant Specimens

•  Mostplantspecimensarriveunmountedandleavedinnewspaperwiththeirlabel.

•  Ancillaryfruit,wood,pickledmaterial,etc.maybepresent.

•  Mountingandpreparingofthesematerialsisconsideredtheresponsibilityofthereceivinginstitution.

•  Asresearchersusematerialsadditionalsubpreparations,suchasslidesorvialsofpickledflowers,maybegenerated.

ImagecourtesyoftheGrayHerbarium(GH),HarvardUniversity

Mounting Vascular Plants

•  Numerousmethodsareused.PleaseseetheresourcesinthehandoutunderPlantMountingaswellasinformationinThe Herbarium Handbook.

•  Itisalmostuniversaltoputthelabelinthebottomrightcornerofthesheet.

•  Manyofthetechniquesusedinmountingareusedtorepairdamagedspecimensaswell.

•  Isuggestconsideringalternatingtheorientationofyourmaterialiftherearethickerpartssuchasroots.Thishelpspreventthecollectionsbeingunevenwhenfiling.(EsepciallyinPoaceae,Cyperaceae,Liliaceae,etc.)

•  Irecommendnotgluingorchidstothesheet,butonlystrappingorsewingthem.

Orchidspecimenmountedwithonlygummedlinentape

ImagescourtesyoftheOakesAmesOrchidHerbarium(AMES),HarvardUniversity

Mounting supplies:

•  Weights•  Foam•  Waxedpaper•  Blotters•  Glues•  Papertowels•  Linenthreadandneedle•  Gummedlinenpaper•  Brushes•  Bonefolder&squeegee•  Scalpel,spatula&

forceps

Mounting is hugely variable by institution, please see the handout for more examples. Budget is a limiting factor for many institutions, but the more archival materials used the longer the specimens will last.

ImagecourtesyoftheHarvardUniversityHerbaria,HarvardUniversity

Cryptogams: Packets

•  Themajorityofcryptogamsarestoredinpackets.Thesearefoldedarchivalpaperwithalabelgluedonandcanhaveanadditionalinnerpackettohelpcontainthematerial.

• Packetskeepspecimenssecurebutallowresearcherstoeasilystudythem.

ImagecourtesyoftheFarlowHerbarium(FH),HarvardUniversity

Cryptogams: Sheets

• Algaearethecryptogamsmostcommonlymountedontosheets.Theyarefloatedontothepaperinwaterandthenpressedwhiletheydry.Naturalgluesintheorganismaffixittothepaper.

•  Largemossesaresometimesmistakenforvascularplantsandaremountedonsheets.


Cryptogams: Slides

•  Mostcryptogamsarenotmountedinasolidmountingmedium,butinliquidsthataremorefragileovertime.Themediumvariesbutusuallycontainssomeglycerin.

•  Yearsagoresearchersstartingpublishingthatnailpolishmakesagoodpermanentsealforwetmountslides.Thisisnottrueandtheywillneedrepairs.

•  ForallnewwetmountslideswearecurrentlyrecommendingeithersealingslideswithParaloidB-72orusingthedoublecoverslipmethod.

• Whiletherecanbemanyslidesmadeassub-preparationsofothermaterials,cryptogamscanalsohavemanyorganismswheretheentirespecimenpreparationIStheslide.


Cryptogams: Boxes

•  Inmanyinstitutionsallfleshyfungiarestoredinboxesduetotheirbulkynature.

•  Largeorheavyitems,suchasrockswithlichensmayalsobestoredinboxes.

•  Fragilespecimensmayhavearchivalpaddingofsomesortaswell.Forspecimenswithprolificsporesitcanbeadvantageoustohavesomethingasabarrierwhentheboxisopenedtopreventacloudofsporesfromcomingout.


Cryptogams: Bags & Jars

Bags • Polypropylenebags,orsleeves,canbeusedtoprotectbulkyspecimens,orspecimensmountedonpaperthatisfragile.

•  Thebagscanhavestaticthatwillcausespecimensandsporestoclingtothem,whichdoesnotworkwellwithallgroups.

Jars •  Somematerialsmaybestoredinjarswithglycerinandotherspiritmediatopreservecomplexstructures,butthisisnotacommonpracticetoday.

• AquaticandothersmallfungiaresometimesstoredinjarsofFAA,formaldehyde,andotherspiritmedia.

Storage & Organization

Sowe’vegotalotofspecimens,

nowwhat?


Storage Big Picture:

•  Thegoalofstoringherbariumspecimensistomakesuretheyareavailableforresearchersinanother50years,150years,andsoon.

• Whiletherearealwaysrecommendationsforcommonbestpractices,budgetconstraintseffectallinstitutions.Wealldoourbesttobalancecareandcost.

•  Forthemajorityofspecimenpreparationtypesthestoragesolutionscanbereducedtocabinets,drawers,andboxes.

• Certaintypesofpreparations,aswellascertainorganisms,mayhaveadditionalspecialrequirementsatalocal,state/province,orfederallevel.

Rough Flowchart of Common Specimen Storage

Specimens

Sheets Packets

Drawers/ Filing Cabinets

Boxes

Bags JarsSlides

Folders

Herbarium Cabinets/ Compactors

OpenShelves

SpiritCabinets

OversizeCabinets

SlideBoxes

SlideTrays/SlideCabinets

Specimen Storage: Sheets

•  Specimensinpacketscanthenbestoredonsheets.Somewaystheymaybeonsheetsinclude:

•  Affixedwithglue,staples,doublesidedstamps,andstraightpins

•  Placedlooseonsheets(thesecanfalloutofopensidesfolders)

•  Youmayneedtoremoveandthenreaffixspecimenstosheetsdependingonresearchneedsandorganizationneeds

•  Sheetscanbelabeledwithtaxonandgeographicinformationfororganization


Specimen Storage: Folders

•  SheetsofspecimensaremostcommonlyputintoheavyarchivalfolderscalledGenusCovers.

•  Insidethegenuscoverstherecanbelighterweightarchivalpaperusedtoseparatedifferentspecies,ortoprotectfragilespecimens.ThesearecalledSpeciesCovers.

•  Ideallyfoldersshouldnotbulgeandlieflat.

•  Genuscoverscanhave1score,2scores(asseenhere),orbemulti-score.Theycanholddifferentnumbersofspecimensdependingonhowflattheyare.

•  Special4-flapfolderssimilartoaboxmaybeusedtostorepacketsloosewithoutaffixingthemtosheetortostorebulkyitemslikepalms.


Specimen Storage: Boxes

•  Specimenscanbestoredentirelyinabox.

• Manyspecimensinsmallerboxesorinbagscanbestoredinboxes.

•  Foldersofspecimenscanbestoredinboxes.



Storage: Herbarium Cabinets •  Theherbariumcabinetisextremelycommonforstoringmaterials.Newcabinetsaremadeofpowdercoatedsteel,andoldercabinetscanbesteelorevenwood.Theycanhavefeltorrubbergasketstohelppreventpests.Theytendtohaveevenlyspaced“cubbies”or“pigeonholes”thataccommodatestandardherbariumsheetsinfolders.

•  Herbariumcabinetscanhavedoors,orbeopenshelfcompactors.


Storage: Herbarium Cabinets •  Therearemanyotherwaysmaterialcanbestoredinanherbariumcabinetbesidesinfolders,largeboxes,smallboxes,andeveninserttrays.Italldependsontheneedsofyourcollectionsandyourresources.


Storage: Open Shelves

•  Insomecollections,forhistoric,space,orbudgetreasons,openshelvingisusedinsteadofcabinets.

•  Openshelvingismostoftenusedforboxes,includingboxesofmicroscopeslides.

•  Openshelvesoffernoprotectionfrompestsorothernaturaldisasters,sotheboxesorothercontainersaretheonlyprotectionforthespecimens.


ImagecourtesySINGHerbarium

Specimen Storage: More Packet Solutions

• Packetscanalsobestoredontheirowninboxesthatfitintoherbariumcabinetcubbies.

•  Filedrawersareacommonwaytofilepacketsofbryophytesandlichensastheyareeasiertokeepinamoreuniformsizepacket.


ImagecourtesyoftheMissouriBotanicalGarden(MO)BryophyteHerbarium

Specimen Storage: Jars & Spirit Collections • Allspritmaterialsmustbestoredaccordingtolocalfirecoderegulationsaswellashealthandsafetyregulations.Thisusuallyneedsspecializedcabinets.


Specimen Storage: Oversize •  Oversizematerialstoolargetofitinanherbariumcubbycanbestoredinavarietyofways.Specializedcabinetsoffermoreprotectionthanjustshelves.

•  Somespecimensmaybetooheavytostorethesamewayasothersimilarspecimens,suchaslichensonlargepiecesofrocks.


ImagescourtesyoftheFarlowHerbarium(FH),HarvardUniversity


Specimen Storage: Slides

•  Microscopeslideshaveanarrayofstoragesolutions,noneofthemsimple.Bestpracticecallsforslidestobestoredflat,andusuallywiththecoversliphangingbelowtheslide.Variousboxes,trays,shelves,andcabinetsmaybeused.Despitebeingcriticalcollections,theseareoftensnuckintoanyavailablecorner.




Imagescou

rtesyofth

eBa

iley-WetmoreWoo

dCo

llection,Harvard

University

Herbaria

,HarvardUniversity

Storage vs Organization

• Whilestoragesolutionsdefinitelyhaveanimpactonorganization,especiallywithancillarycollectionsoranymaterialsthatneedtobestorednotwiththebulkofthecollections,therearemultiplewaystoorganizeanherbariumusingthesamestoragemethods.

•  Organizationofspecimensisabalanceofsizeofcollection,knowledgeofstaff,sizeofstaff,availabilityofliteratureandresources,amountofusebyresearchers,andthephysicalspacesthecollectionsarehousedin.

•  Organizationisaplacethatvascularplantsandcryptogamscanvarywidely.Vascularplantstendtofallintofamiliesmoreeasilyandhavemorepublishedresourcesandtreatments.Cryptogamshavelesscleartreatmentsatahighlevelandstoragecanmakethingsmorecomplicated.

Organization •  Ifthestaffcanfindthespecimens,youwin.Therewillbelotsofargumentsfordifferentsystems,treatments,updates,butultimatelyaslongasthespecimenissafeandcanbelocated,youareok.

•  Nomaterwhatstrategyisbeingusedbyaninstitution,asetofresourcesmustbepicked.Nameschangefrequentlyandonlinewebsitesoftengivethemostrecentacceptedname.Noinstitutionhasthetime,resources,orexpertisetostayontopofeverynamechangeasithappens.

•  Findingatreatment,orsetoftreatments,thatcoverthespecimensrepresentedinyourcollectionsisagoodstrategy.Regionalflorasexistformanypartoftheworldforvascularplants.

•  Therewilllikelybesomeexceptiontoyourorganizationforapartofthecollection,butaslongasitiswelldocumentedsothespecimenscanbefound,itshouldbeok.

•  Pleaseseetheresourcesforinformationonnomenclatureandmajoronlinesourcesfornames.Alistofregionalflorasisnotprovidedonthehandout.

Vascular Organization: 3 Main Strategies

Alphabetic • Organizebyfamily,theninalphabeticorder

•  Thiscanalsobedonealphabeticalbygenusandnotfamily

• Geographycanthenbeused

Numeric • Organizeaccordingtoassigneduniquenumbersandneverchangespecimenorder

• One,orseveral,trackingsystemsareneededtofindspecimens

Phylogenetic •  Organizebyfamilyinphylogeneticorder

•  Generaareofteninalphabeticorder,butcanalsohaveadditionalordering

•  Geographycanthenbeused

Regardless of the organization scheme, skilled, patient staff are necessary to maintain collections, insert new materials, find specimens for researchers, and do day to day work. Clearly marking areas of the collections where specimens may be hazardous to staff is highly recommended.


Vascular Organization: Alphabetic

•  Sortintofamily,thenarranginginalphabeticorder.Withinthefamilyarrangebygenusandspeciesinalphabeticalorder.

•  Moreworkforstaffnotfamiliarwithbotany,buteasierforresearchersworkingwithinagroup.

•  Needtohaveaclearresourcethatisstablefordeterminingfamily.

•  Alphabeticalbygenus,thenspecies.Familiesarenotseparated.

•  Thisiseasierforstaffnotfamiliarwithbotany.

•  Itismoredifficultforresearchersworkingwithinagroup.

•  Separatingbymajorgroupisstilladvantageous(VascularPlants,Bryophytes,Fungi&Lichens,Algae).

Family Alphabetic Strict Alphabetic

Insertingsomesortofgeographycanbeveryhelpfulforyourorganization.Thisiscommonlydoneatthegenuslevelorspecieslevel

Vascular Organization: Phylogenetic

•  Organizespecimensbyfamily,thengenusandspecies.Arrangetheseaccordingtoasystemthatindicatingtheordertheyevolvedin/aremostrelatedto.

•  MostcurrentversionofthisisAPGIV,whichhasalineararrangement.Therearealsopublicationsforarrangementoftheremainingvascularplants.

•  Referencesareneededtomaintainthesystem.

•  Thisrequiresastrongunderstandingofbotany,nomenclature,andsystematicsbystaff.

•  Thisallowsfortheeasiestworkbyresearchers.

•  Withinfamiliesthegeneracanbealphabeticalorhaveadditionalorderingsuchastribes.

Insertingsomesortofgeographycanbeveryhelpfulforyourorganization.Thisiscommonlydoneatthegenuslevelorspecieslevel


Vascular Organization: Numeric

•  Organizingbyanaccessionnumberorotherissuednumber.

•  Someolder/historiccollectionsaremaintainedthisway.

•  Itisveryeasytoaddnewspecimens,andtoputthingsbackwherethey“belong.”

•  Findingspecimens,andtrackingnames,canbechallenging.

•  Itisveryhard,orimpossibleforresearcherstouse.

•  Itdoesnotkeepanythingsimilartogether.

•  Ifthisisthesystemalreadyinplace,anditistoodifficultortimeconsumingtochange,thenleavingitmakessense.

•  Beginningthiswaydoesnotmakesenseformostcollections.

•  Itcanbeveryeffectiveforcollectionsthatyouotherwisedonotwanttorearrange,suchasslidesinboxes.

Vascular Organization: Hybrids

•  Hybridsareplantsthataretheoffspringof2ormorespecies.Theycaneitherbenamedorunnamedhybrids.

•  NamedhybridsarepublishedaccordingtotheICNandhaveamultiplicationsymbolbeforetheepithet.

•  Unnamedhybridsarenotvalidlypublishedandmaylisttwoormoreparentspecies.

=Symphyotrichum×tardiflorum(Linnaeus)Greuter,M.V.Agabajan&Wagenitz

•  Filingoptions:•  Namedhybridsalphabeticallyaccordingtoepithet,unnamedhybridsattheendofthegenus.

•  Allhybridsattheendofthegenus.(Thisisespeciallyusefulifstaffarenotexperiencedinnomenclature)

Image©2012-2018NewEnglandBotanicalClub(CCBY-NC4.0)

Specimen Organization: Geography

• Manyinstitutionsthenaddgeographyasanadditionalwaytoorganizespecimens.Eachinstitutionhastheirownsystem.

•  Considerthestrengthsofyourcollectionsandwhatareastorecognize.

•  Regionalherbariamaybreakdownbystateandcountyformostthings,andthenhavelargegeographiccontainersfortherest.

•  Globalherbariamayhavemoreoverallregionsbutsubdividethoseregionsless.

• Withoutknowingthestrengthsofyourholdingsitishardtodetermineappropriateregions.

• Whateveryoudecide,havelistsandmapstohelppeoplefindwhattheyneed.


Specimen Organization: Types

•  Typespecimensarethebiologicalmaterialforwhichanameisbased.

•  Generallyitisconsideredbestpracticetostorethemundertheirbasionym.

•  TheICNhasdetailsabouttypes,typificationrules,nomenclature,anddefinitionsoftermsrelatedtotypes.

•  Typescanbestored:alltogetherinaseparatesafelocation,allthematerialperfamilytogether,oratthebeginningofeachgenus.

•  Duetothehighimportanceoftypes,inplaceswithlowersecurity,higherriskofdamage,orconcernsrelatedtoaccess,storingtheminaseparatespacemaybeideal.Itislessconvenientforresearchers,orforverylargecollections,butcanbemuchsaferforthecollections.

•  Storingallthetypesforafamilytogethermakesresearcheasierasthingsaregroupedtogether.

•  Keepingtypeswitheachgenusisunusual,andmorecommonwithcryptogams.

Folders color coded for regions organized: Family, Genus, Geography, Species. Type folders are in red at the right at the end of the family.


Specimen Organization: Ancillary Collections

•  Foranywholespecimen,orwhenpartofaspecimen,isnotstoredwiththebulkofthecollections(spiritmaterial,oversize,slides,bags,etc.)thenthereshouldbeannotetolookelsewhereforit.

•  Organizingancillarycollectionsdependswhollyonspaceandresources.Assimpleasystemaspossibleisgood.

•  Ifyoursystemmatchesthemainfilingsystem,rememberyouwillneedtoupdatethestoragelocationanddeterminationofancillarycollections.

•  Sometimeswholegroupsoforganismsarestoredonlyinancillarycollections,andleavingnotesforallofthespeciesisnotgenerallynecessary.

ImagecourtesyoftheEconomicHerbariumofOakesAmes(ECON),HarvardUniversity

Specimen Organization: Mixed Collections

•  Itisexceptionallycommontohavemorethanonebiologicalorganisminaspecimen.Thishasbeenwellknownwithcryptogams,butisalsocommonwithvascularplants.

•  Theorganismsmaybecloselyrelatedorexceptionallydifferent.

•  Youwillwanttothinkabouthowtotrackthisinformation.Thereisnoonerightanswer,butIwouldarguethewrongansweristreatingthe“other”organismlikeitdoesnotreallymatter.


Cryptogamic Organizations

•  Fungi(&allies/formermembers)•  Alphabeticalbygenus•  Dividedintomajorgroups(morphological,asco/basidio,divisionsandsubdivisions,etc.)thenalphabetical

•  Groupsonhostsaresometimesorganizedgenus,host,thenspecies

•  Lichens•  Alphabeticalbygenus

• Algae:•  Alphabeticalbygenus•  Bymajorgroup,thengenus•  Cyanobacteriamayalsobehere

• Bryophytes•  MossesandHepaticsseparate,eachareaalphabeticalbygenus(orbyfamilythengenus).

•  Allbryophytestogetherandalphabeticalbygenus(notideal).

There is no easy guide or resource for organizing cryptogams.

Nomatterwhatyoudo,someonewillbeupsetwithhowyouorganizethings.Solongasstaffcanfindwhatresearchersneed,thatisok.Tryingtoatleastkeepmajorgroupsseparatehelpsspecimencuration,staff,andresearchers.

Specimen Organization: Revisions & Annotations •  Sometimesspecimensaredeterminedincorrectly,andaresearcherwilladdacorrectdetermination.Thespecimenwillneedtobefiledunderthisnewname.Youmaywanttoaddanoteaboutthemoveinthecollection(acrossreference).

•  Sometimespublicationsapplyupdatestolargetaxonomicgroups,foraregionorglobally.Thisisarevision,andifyou/acuratordeemsitstable,thentheentirecollectioncanbeshiftedtoreflectit.Crossreferencesshoulddefinitelybeaddedtoindicatewheretaxaarefiled.

ImagecourtesyoftheGrayHerbarium(GH),HarvardUniversityAnnotationlabelsgluedtotheherbariumsheet

Specimen Organization: Revisions

•  Someinstitutionslistoncrossreferenceswhichrevisionisbeingfollowedtohelpeveryoneunderstandlaterwhythingsmoved.

•  Somegroupsareinfluxandhavemanyshiftsbackandforth,stayingthemostuptodateisnotpracticalforanherbarium.Solongasyoucanfindmaterialunderanoldernamethatisok.

•  Ifyouhaveyourspecimendatacaptureddigitallyyouwillwantawaytotrackupdates.

•  Sometimeseverythingmovestoadifferentname,butothertimeswhatwasonce1taxongetsmovedtomorethan1newtaxon,oriscorrectforspecimensfromoneregionbutnotforanotherarea.

Transactions/Interactions Herbarium Business

Thebusinessofherbaria,inadditiontothepreservationofspecimens,involvestheinteractionwithotherinstitutionsandresearchers.Specimensmaybesentonloan,receivedasaloan,orbeacquiredbytheinstitution.Thereareguidelines,andregulationsthathelpshapethis.

Loans

•  Itisconsideredastandardpracticetoshiploanstoresearchersforstudy,thoughnotallinstitutionscanaffordthisorarewillingtoshipcollections.

•  MostherbariawillonlyloanspecimenstoinstitutionsofficiallyrecognizedonIndexHerbariorum,andrequirealetterfromtheofficialcorrespondent.

• Whetherloaningdomesticallyorinternationally,theremayberegulationstofollowandpermitstohave.Especiallyforinternationalshipments,itisalwaysbesttoconfirmalldetailswiththeotherinstitution.

•  Havingaclearloanpolicy,andpermissionformsforsampling,helpsensurethatyourcollectionsarehandledonlyinawayyouapprove.

• Whenloansarereturnedthespecimensshouldcomebackwithannotations,whichhelpimprovethescientificvalueofthecollection.

•  Ifindoubt,thepriorityispreservingthecollection.Youcanalsoaskapeerinstitutionsquestionsaboutloans.

Loans

•  Trackingloansviaphysicalpaperworkandadigitalrecordallowsforclearmanagementofmaterials.Makinglistsindocumentsorspreadsheetsifacollectionsmanagementsystemisnotavailableisveryhelpful.

•  Havinganofficialformwithaloannumbermakestrackingloanseasierforboththesendingandreceivinginstitutions.

•  Puttingdroptagswithloaninformationinthecollectionshelpsstaffandresearcherswhenmaterialappearstobe“missing.”

ImagecourtesyoftheGrayHerbarium(GH),HarvardUniversity

Loans In or Borrows

•  Researchersatyourinstitutionmaywanttoseespecimensfromotherherbaria.Officialloanrequestsaresentbythecorrespondentforyourinstitution.

•  Trackallincomingmaterialinsomewayandkeepcopiesofpaperwork.

•  Aswithloansyousendout,thesendinginstitutionswouldlikeborrowsbackinatimelymanner.Ifmoretimeisneededtheofficialcorrespondentshouldrequestanextension.

•  Specimensshouldbeinalocationaccessiblebycollectionsstafftoensuretheirsafety.Allrulesofthelendinginstitutionshouldbereviewedwiththeresearcher.

•  Allspecimensshouldbeannotatedbeforereturningthem.Staffshouldcheckthis.

• Whenreturningspecimens,alwayscontactthelenderfirstforanypotentialupdatestoaddressorshippingregulations.

Accessions

•  Takinglegalownershipofmaterialcomingintothecollectionsisaccessioning.Someinstitutionsdothisaslots,somedoitspecimenbyspecimenintheirrecords.

•  Keepingclear,detailedrecordsisimportant.Keepingpapercopies,aswellasdigitalrecordsisnotuncommon.

•  Paperledgersarenotusedasstrictlyastheyareinothermuseumsettings,butarerecommended.

• Makingsurethatcopiesofanyneededforms,permits,lettersofpermission,etc.areprovidedwiththematerialhelpsmakesureyourcollectionsareincompliancewithanyregulations.ThiswillbecomemoreapparentasinstitutionsworktocomplywiththeNagoyaProtocol.

•  Havingaplanforwhatisorisnotwantedforthecollection,andhowtoassessincomingmaterialiscritical.

Institutional Permitting

•  AllInstitutionsGloballyneedtoconsider:•  CITES(theConventiononInternationalTradeinEndangered

SpeciesofWildFaunaandFlora)•  MaterialTransferAgreements(MTA)•  PhytosanitaryCertificates•  CollectingPermits

•  USAspecificexamples(itislikelypermitsareneededinothercountriestoo):

•  USDA/APHIS:•  ControlledImportPermittoImportRestrictedorNotAuthorizedPlantMaterial.

PPQ588.(livingordriedplants,plantparts,tissues…)

•  MoveLivePlants,NoxiousWeeds,andSoil.(Import).PPQ526

•  MoveLivePlants,NoxiousWeeds,andSoil.(InterstateMovement).PPQ526

•  DrugEnforcementAgency(DEA)atalocalandfederallevelmaycareaboutsomeofthebotanicalmaterialinyourcollection.

•  USFWSimport/exportpermit3-177ifanimalmaterialispresent


Digitization & Data • Digitizationmayreferto:

•  Enteringandmaintainingspecimendatainacomputer(collectionsmanagementsystem,database,spreadsheet,onlineportal,etc.)

•  Takingimagesofspecimenspreparationswiththeirlabels.

•  Takingimagesofthebiologicalmaterialataresolutiontocaptureidentifiablecharacters.

•  Thereisalargedesireforspecimendata,andhighqualityspecimenimages,sharedfreelyonlinethoughportalsandwebsites.

•  Itiscommonforresearcherstotakeimagesofspecimenswhiletheystudythemandprovidethembacktoyou.Havingaplantomanagethisisveryhelpful.

Data

•  CollectionManagementSystemsareextremelyhelpfulformanagingspecimendata,loans,accessions,permits,andotherbasicfunctions.Therearemanyoptions,noneareperfect.

•  Capturingdatainaspreadsheetorotherdatabaseisanalternativetoacollectionsmanagementsystem.

•  Symbiotaportalscanhandlespecimendataaswellasloans,butyouwilllikelywanttobackupyourdatalocally.

•  Sharingspecimendataallowsyoutoconnectwithothercollectionsandformnewcollaborations.

•  Somedataismoreusefulthannodataforsharingonportals,trackinginformationaboutyourcollections,andtrackingwhatisonloan.

• Manyherbariausebarcodestheyputonspecimenssheetsandpacketsasanumberfortrackingspecimensdigitally.

Digitization

•  ThereisinformationoniDigBio,theSPNHCwiki,andnumerousotherwebsitesongrants,workflows,andotherdigitizationissues.

•  Eachcollectionadjustsimaging,workflows,anddataentrytotheirneeds.Obtaininggoodqualitystandardsandlistshelpskeepdatacleaner.Manycollectionsandnomenclatureresourceshaveoptionsfordownloadsofdatasets.

•  Imagingspecimensvarieshugelybasedonbudget,space,andneed.Scanners,cameras,photo-stations,microscopeimaging,andTEM/SEMarejustsomepossibilities.


Your Collections are Delicious… to Pests!

IntegratedPestManagement:Protectingyourcollectionsfrommuseumpests


IPM is a Lifestyle

•  Allmuseumcollectionsareatriskfrompests,regardlessoftheageofabuilding,theHVACsystem,andthelocalenvironment.However,thesefactorshaveanimpactonhowmuchriskyouhave.

•  Historicallyspecimensandcollectionsweretreatedwithsubstancessuchasmercuricchloride,methylbromide,PDB,andVapona.Thispracticeisnowdiscouraged.(Butagreatreasontowashhandsoftenandnothavefoodnearspecimens.)

•  Manyherbariaquarantineallincomingmaterialbyfreezing.

•  TheMuseumPests.netwebsitehasalargeamountofinformationandreferencesrelatedtoIPMformuseums.

•  Someplantsandfungiaremoresusceptible(delicious)topeststhanothers,butallmaterialhasrisk,eventhelabelsonmicroscopeslides.Learningyourcollectionsrisks,beitlocationortaxonbased,iskeyfortargetedmonitoringandnotspendingtimeyoudonothave.

•  Iftimeandmoneyresourcesaretight,doorsweepsandstickyblundertrapsareagreatplacetostart.


ThankYou

Documents

An Introduction to Herbaria and Herbarium Practices...Oomycota Gabriela Brändle (CC BY-ND 2.0) Myxomycetes Courtesy of George Riner Used with permission ©John Van Der Heul ... Habitat