228 THE COLLECTION OF BOTANICAL SPECIMENS 



spring flowers, an estimate should be made of the time when the leaves 

 will probably be ready for collection and the number of the plant 

 entered in an engagement calendar under the pro])er date at which the 

 place should be again visited. The same thing is true in case the fruit 

 is not ready at the time of .the collection of the flowers. In these cases 

 it is best to attach a tag to the living plant at the time of the first 

 collection to avoid all possibility of confusing two species in the final 

 complete collections. 



Selecting the Specimens. — This matter of representing all parts of the 

 plant and the same parts at different seasons is of special importance 

 in case of pharmaceutical studies. Even the winter-buds and the 

 underground portions in the winter season should be secured. One of the 

 most important points is to secure the root-leaves of ordinary herbaceous 

 plants, as well as the peculiar leaves of trees and shrubs which often 

 grow upon root-suckers or upon young specimens. It is also wise to 

 cause the germination of seeds and to preserve the seedlings with the 

 remainder of the specimen. Pharmaceutical specimens moreover should 

 represent the bark and the wood and these may with profit be taken 

 separately from root, stem and branch. 



Ordinary herbarium specimens, when finally completed, skould 

 not exceed sixteen inches in extreme length by ten inches in width. 

 Even specimens of three or four feet in length may be easily reduced 

 to this size by kinking and folding them at the proper points without 

 entirely separating any part. Underground port ons, when not too 

 large, should remain attached. Inconveniently thick portions, such 

 as tubers or fruits, may be split and one or both parts preser^'ed, or the 

 centre may be cut out so as to reduce the thickness. In the case of 

 large specimens, it will frequently be found necessary to remove a 

 portion of the leaves. This should be very judiciously done, those 

 retained being left at difi'erent points upon the specimen so as to show 

 the successive modifications, and portions of the petioles should be 

 left so as to indicate their position. In case of large plants, such as 

 shrubs and trees, where only a branch can be preserved, it is impor- 

 tant to select this branch from a part where growth has been free 

 and unrestricted and a natural symmetry attained. With each 

 specimen, a few loose flowers and buds should be preserved for 

 dissection i)urposes. 



Preserving the Specimen. — Specimens thus taken should be at once 

 transferred to a portfolio carried into the field. Various forms of 

 portfolios are for sale by botanical supply houses. They may be 



