HERBARIUM SPECIMEN LABELS
A specimen is incomplete without label data. Label data is a form of field data and must be accurate. The following are important elements:
Scientific name: genus, species, authority, infraspecific information
Determiner of the scientific name: the name of the person who identified the plant
Detailed location; the location is used by researchers on several levels:for general mapping to region, county or province;for detailed mapping, as in GIS computer applications;to physically locate the plant(s) in order to obtain further research material. The location should consist of: country, state or province, county or municipality and a description of the location in reference to roads, road junctions, mile markers and distances from cities and/or towns. Latitude and longitude, section, township and range, and elevation may also be helpful. A location taken with a Global Positioning System (GPS) is a desirable complement to the locality description. GPS coordinates MUST include a datum!For more information see: Best Practices for Collecting Geographic Data in the Field
Habitat: the type of algal community where the algae is growing and, if known, other algae and plants growing in association. and importantly marine or freshwater habitat. if marine inland or sea. if fresh what type of water body lentic or lotic.
Plant habit: describes the form of the plant (unicell, colony, filamentous, thaloid, branched or unbranched) and its measurements.
Frequency: is the plant rare, occasional, frequent or common?
Description: describe characteristics of the alga which may be lost upon drying, such as reproductive structures and morphology, colour, motile or non motile
Collector name: it is recommended that the collector be consistent and use their full first name, middle initial (or full name) and full last name.Other collectors present with the collector also written in full name.
Collection number: a sequential straightforward numbering system (1,2, 3, ...) is preferable.
Date of collection: a format with the month spelled out or abbreviated and 4 digit year will prevent confusion. E.g., 3 May 2019, not 3/5/19 or 5/3/19.
The mounted specimen with the aforementioned recorded data is now ready for
identification or authentication of the stated identity.
For more detailed information on herbarium procedures one can go through the
following books:
Bridson, D. & L. Forman. eds. 1998. The Herbarium Handbook. 3rd ed. Royal Botanic
Gardens, Kew (Reprinted 1999).
De Vogel, E.F. 1987. Manual of Herbarium Taxonomy: Theory and Practice. UNESCO,
Jakarta.
Fosberg, F.R. & M.-H. Sachet. 1965. Manual for tropical herbaria. Int. Bur. Pl. Tax. &
Nom., Regnum Vegetabile Vol. 39. Utrecht.
Jain, S.K. & R.R. Rao. 1977. A handbook of field and herbarium methods. Today &
Tomorrow’s Printers and Publishers, New Delhi.
Victor, J.E., M. Koekemoer, L. Fish, S.J. Smithies, M. Mossmer. 2004. Herbarium
essentials: the Southern African Herbarium user manual. Southern African
Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 25. SABONET, Pretoria.
It would be worth mentioning here that the herbarium is a place where the
mounted specimens are kept arranged according to a particular system of classification
and the specimens deposited in the herbarium are referred to as ‘herbarium specimens’.
All herbaria are regularly sanitized for preventing fungal infections and insect
pests.