Herbarium Project

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Herbarium Project

• Collecting and Arranging Plant Specimens

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Project Objectives

• Be able to identify 10 - 15 of the common trees
  of our area.
• Document a record of the trees investigated.

• Create a Herbarium that includes a sample of the
  plant and the plant record.

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Project Schedule
Don't Delay!

• The entire project is due October 27th.
• Leaf collection will need to be done sooner to
  ensure a variety of whole leaves.
• Think about it 2 weeks and 14 trees one tree
  identification per day.

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What is a Herbarium?

• A herbarium is a collection of dried, pressed,
  mounted and identified specimens, carefully
  arranged in a particular sequence.

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Getting Ready

• Materials you will need for this project
• In the field bring a small notebook and pen,
  camera (optional), scissors, plastic bags.
• For your press you need corrugated cardboard (cut
  apart boxes), newspaper, boards stretch belts
  OR boards and weights.
• For mounting specimens you need unlined paper,
  pen, white glue or tape.

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Procedures Step 1. Collect Specimens

• Take a walk alongside the road or on a natural
  trail. Select leaves that are whole.
• Collect your specimens in triplicate.  Press at
  least two of each type of leaf so both the bottom
  top side of the leaf can be shown in your
  collection. Use a third for dissection to key out
  and identify your specimen. 

More detailed instructions in slide notes
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• Hints
• Pine needles are leaves!
• Some trees have compound leaves (sumac, ash,
  walnut)
• Trees planted in yards may be ornamental imported
  species and may be difficult to identify.

Compound leaves
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• Field Collection To keep collected plants fresh
  in the field, put them in sealed plastic bags out
  of the sun. You'll want to get plants in the
  press as soon as possible. If you need to keep
  them overnight, place the bag in the refrigerator.

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• IMPORTANT Keep Field Notes!
• For each specimen you collect, make a note on the
  date, location, environment (e.g., amount of sun,
  water, soil), type of growth, description of
  seeds and/or fruits, and collector's name.
• You might tuck your notes in the bag with the
  leaf. Or keep a separate mini-notebook.

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• Other field notes information that may not be
  apparent once the plant is dried, such as
  original color or aroma.
• All trees have fruits. Fruits may be berries,
  pine cones, nuts, etc. Note the fruit!

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• Photographs of the tree in its habitat, or
  sketches, are a good idea. Tree shape, bark, and
  budding are all useful in identification. DO NOT
  REMOVE BARK FROM LIVE TREES.

• If you photograph, keep a log of which photo goes
  with which specimen. (You might think you will
  remember, but youll be surprised at how easy it
  is to get photos mixed up!)

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ProceduresStep 2. Tree Identification

• How do you tell one tree from another?
• The leaves can be very helpful in identification.
  
• Tree shape and habitat are also useful, as is
  bark and budding patterns.

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Procedures Step 3. Preserving Specimen

• To preserve the form and color of leaves and
  flowers, spread your specimens flat on sheets of
  newsprint and dry them in a plant press.

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• The Plant Press A plant press is made of
  blotting paper (e.g., felt or newspaper),
  corrugated cardboards, end boards, and tightening
  ropes, straps, or weights (such as books). 

More detailed instructions in slide notes
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• Make a sandwich Corrugated cardboard, blotter
  paper, newspaper, specimen, newspaper, blotter
  paper, corrugated cardboard. Repeat for 5
  specimens. Then add weights or sandwich with
  boards and strapping material.

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• Tip  Your 'plant press' should be placed in
  front of a fan to speed dry, caused by air moving
  through the corrugates of the press. You can also
  place your press in a heated area. Generally, the
  quicker a plant is dried more color will be
  preserved.

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Step 4. Assemble your Herbarium

• Mount the specimens on stiff white paper.
• For each mounted specimen provide a written or
  typed label that explains the taxonomy, botanical
  features, and natural history of each specimen.
• Organize pages in a logical sequence.
• Must be a bound volume of your collection.

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Mounting the Specimens

• Adhere two leaves to each page --- one showing
  the upper surface of the leaf and the other
  showing the underside of the leaf.
• Each page should have only one type of leaf on
  it.
• Arrange the leaves so they do not overlap each
  other and so there is room to glue the label in
  the lower right hand corner.  The leaves should
  look nice on the page.
• On compound leaves, mount the topside of the
  complete leaf and then mount the underside of a
  single leaflet. Make sure the leaflet comes from
  another leaf to receive credit!

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Mounting the Specimens

• Use a thinned white glue to attach specimens to
  heavy paper. If a specimen seems breakable, put
  the glue on the paper and let it sit until it
  dries a bit. Next, pick up the leaf with a damp
  fingertip and press it gently onto the glue. LET
  IT DRY COMPLETELY.
• Scotch tape may also be used but be careful what
  gets covered over.

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Labeling the Specimens

• You may either enter all label information
  directly onto the specimen page or create a label
  to stick on it.
• Use a small amount of white glue to adhere the
  completed label in the lower right hand corner of
  the page.

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Required Label Information

• Your name
• Date collected
• Location collected (city, county, state)
• Common name (Scientific name Genus species)
• Complexity of the leaf (simple or compound)
• Venation pattern (palmate net, pinnate net, or
  parallel)
• Type of margins (entire, serrated, pinnately
  lobed, palmately lobed, undulated)
• Arrangement of leaves on the stem (alternate,
  opposite, whorled)
• Tree silhouette sketch
• Description of fruit and bark (photos acceptable)
• Information about the trees natural history
  (keep brief)

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Organizing your Collection

• Plan the layout. Consider the order you would
  like to present your collection in. Consider a
  Contents page at the beginning, or an Index page
  at the end.
• Once dry, you may want to cover your herbarium
  with clear contact paper or slip them into clear
  sleeves.
• Once the pages are dry, lay them in the correct
  order, and then number the pages (LEAF ) in the
  lower right corner with black ink.

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Your Title Page

• Title (for example Tree Leaf Herbaria)
• Your complete name
• Class period
• Subject
• Teacher's name

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Understanding Tree Identification
Reseach Leaf Types Now!

• Before you head out collecting, review these
  identification procedures. It will help you in
  the field focus on key characteristics.

• Web Guides
• Tree Identification Guide
• Tree Finder and Identification Key
• What Tree is That?
• Michigan Upper Peninsula Tree ID

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Herbaria Museums

• http//www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/collections/otherboth
  erb.html
• http//www.huh.harvard.edu/collections/gray.html
• http//www.museum.state.il.us/ismdepts/botany/herb
  arium/
• http//www.nhm.ac.uk/research-curation/research/pr
  ojects/clayton-herbarium/index.html

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Grading Criteria

• Two complete specimens of 15 different tree
  species are neatly displayed.
• Labels are complete and neat.
• Trees are accurately identified.
• Herbarium has a professional-looking appearance.
• Comprehensive rubric will be provided.

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Image Credits

• z.about.com/d/forestry/1/0/p/3/tree_fruit.jpg
• http//www.usbg.gov/your-visit/images/PlantPress_
  lg.jpg
• http//www.state.sc.us/forest/plant20press.jpg
• http//www.trellisearth.com/images/products/WFB-04
  -600.jpg