109 



gelatinous forms, all dry fuBgi, if tliej are not too bulky, nnu)y 

 licliens, all mosses and liverworts, ferns and fern-allies a*^nd most 

 flowering plants can be dried witli no more preparation tlian a 

 judicious adjustment of tlieir parts, or an occasional thinning out 

 to avoid too much overlaying, A little padding may be needed in 

 some cases to ensure an even distribution of the pressure, or the 

 halving of a thick stem or branch, and occasionally it may be 

 found necessary to split a thick stem, in order to avoid Jiaviiig too 

 bulky a specimen in the press. Should it be found necessary 

 owing to the delicacy of some parts of a specimen to press them 

 separately, and under different conditions, care must be taken to 

 give them the same number as that belonging to tlie specimen 

 from which they were taken. 



Where the parts of a specimen are too large for tlie drying 

 paper, even if doubled up, they must be cut U]) and dried separ- 

 ately, but as a rule it is not necessary to jjreserve all sections, as 

 long as those selected allow of the reconstruction of the wliole 

 organ with the help of notes and sketches. This applies 

 especially to large leaves and inflorescences. In the case of very 

 large simple leaves it will usually suffice to dry enough to show 

 the characters of the base and the tip, and a section taken fro5n 

 the middle from margin to margin, or from the midrib to one of 

 the margins, noting at the same time the distances between the 

 parts selected. Similarly in pinnate or compound leaves it will 

 suffice to preserve enough of the petiole or rhachis of the leaf to 

 show^ the mode of arrangement of the divisions, and of the latter 

 such as will bring out the transition in shape and size from the 

 base to the ^pex, or from the centre to the sidea. Dimensions 

 and numbers of part« not demonstrable in this way will, of 

 course, have to be noted. The same applies to out -sized 



inflorescences- 

 Greater difficulties arise where the specimens or their parts are 

 too bulky for pressing. Whenever they lend themselves to air- 

 drying they ought to be treated in that Avay, and carefully num- 

 bered; and, where possible, sections should l)e retained in con- 

 nection with the pressed 'specimen. Should air-drying be im- 

 practicable and the specimen not too succulent, sections must be 

 made for pressing, the sections being chosen so as to allow of 

 reconstruction when su})plemented by notes and sketches. As 

 there will be much shrinkage ajid some distortion in sections of 

 succulent specimens, care should be taken to note the dimensions 

 in the fresh state, or prints may be taken from the fresh sections 

 on paper by daubing one side of the section w4th ink or some 

 other staining material and pressing it firmly against a piece of 

 paper. In this way excellent prints can be obtained of cross 

 sections of the stems of cacti or of the leaves of agaves. Succu- 

 lent plants or succulent portions of plants are frequently a cause 

 of great trouble to the collector because they give off their 

 moisture very reluctantly, and if subjected to great pressure, get 

 <:riished. It is best to kill such plants or succulent objects by 

 dipping them either in boiling w^ater or immersing them for some 

 time in spirit, after which the specimens will readily dry in the- 



