About
    Make a Plant Herbarium

    The Louis-Marie Herbarium offers this guide to anyone who may be interested in making an herbarium.


    Label template (etiquettes_herbier_en.zip)
    Microsoft Excel and Word files

     

    Ethics

    The collection of specimens needs to be done with respect for the private property and for the laws governing the parks, nature reserves and preservation zones. Furthermore, the collector must be aware that in order to protect the biodiversity of Quebec, to date, 78 taxa are protected by the law. The list of species is available on the government of Quebec website:


    www.mddelcc.gouv.qc.ca/biodiversite/especes/index.htm

     

    Harvesting Equipment

     

    • Weed puller
    • Clipper or pocket knife
    • Notebook (waterproof, optional)
    • Shatchel and newspapers or plastic bags
    • Magnifying glass
    • Permanent markers and pencils
    • GPS unit or Maps
    • Rock Pick or hammer (for crustaceous lichens)

     

     

    Harvest

    1. Choice of specimen

    Herbaceous plants

    • Pick a good looking specimen, as complete as possible, with the vegetative and reproductive organs such the roots or other subterreanean organs, stalk, leaves and flowers or fruits to facilitate the identification
    • Pay attention when sampling subterranean organs. Structures such as rhizomes, tubers or turions may be delicate or easy to miss.

     

    Trees and shurbs

    • Pick a branchlet mesuring around 30 cm long and bearing leaves, flowers or fruits
    • For genus Rubus and Rosa : we recommend you pick a current year new growth (sterile) and a flowering or fruiting stalk to help with identification


    Lichens

    • Choose a pure colony with individuals bearing reproductive organs. Pick a sample with a maximum thickness of 2 cm. Wrap the crustaceous samples, especially the crusteacous ground lichens with loose soil, in paper towels to protect them during transport.


    Bryophytes

    • Choose a pure colony with individuals bearing reproductive organs (sporophytes). Pick a sample with a maximum thickness of 2 cm.


    Fungi

    • Pick a good looking mature specimen and immediately note the diagnostic characters that could change or disappear after drying, such as the shape, color and size as well as it's substrat.

    Seaweeds and aquatic plants

    • Pick a complete specimen, including the subterreanean organs.
    • Prioritize specimens bearing reproductive organs.

     

    2. Pressing and Drying

    The pressing and drying method will vary according to the different plant group. The pressing itself consists of placing a specimen in between newspaper sheets, spreading it in its natural standing position, and pressing it flat to dry so it can ultimately be mounted on a cardstock. While spreading the sample, make sure that both sides of the leaves are visible, and turn the flowers or fruits in various directions so that every sides will be visible. On hot and sunny days, it's important to quickly press the specimens or to keep the plastics bags containing the samples in the shade.

    Pressing and Drying Equipment

    • Two polyester straps with sliding buckles, a minimum of 10 corrugated cardboards with flute corrugations running the short dimension, a minimum of 10 1-cm-thick foam sheets mesuring 30 x 45 cm, absorbant paper such as newspaper and 2 hardwood frames mesuring 30 x 45 cm.
    • Rectangular, metallic or wooden dryer box to accomodate a 47 × 40 × 60 cm plant press.
    • Two 60 W porcelain light fixture attached at mid-height inside the dryer box

     

     

    5. Mounting

    Mounting method will vary according to the different plant group. Once mounted, vouchers should be stored in cabinets away from light, and at a constant air humidity ranging from 30 to 50%. Mesures to prevent against insect pests damages should also be taken. In these conditions, the dried plant specimens should keep for centuries.

    Vascular Plants and Seaweeds

    • Specimens are secured to 29 x 42 cm white cardstocks (A3, tabloid or 11 x 17 in format) using archival grade gummed linen tape (available for purchase at the Herbarium).
    • Label in placed at the bottom right corner of the voucher using white craft glue.
    • Avoid masking diagnostic organs
    • Avoid gluing the entire specimen
    • Avoid using adhesive tape such as masking tape or Scotch tape. The glue on these kind of tapes quickly disintegrates
    • Keep any loose pieces in a small envelope secured on the same voucher

     

     

     

    Specimens are secured to 29 x 42 cm white cardstocks (A3, tabloid or 11 x 17 in format) using archival grade gummed linen tape. The label is placed at the bottom right corner.

     

    Herbaceous and woody plants

    • Spread leaves of specimen so that both sides are shown
    • Fold long samples in a V or Z shape to make it fit on a standard herbarium cardstock (29 × 42 cm). Very large samples can be spread on two separate sheets and binded together with staples.

     

    Seaweeds and aquatic plants

    • Colllect specimens in plastic bags
    • Flot plant over a submerged sheet of paper or cardstock in a basin filled with clean water. Gently spread the specimen before bringing the sheet up and out of the water. Once out of water, cover the plant and wet paper sheet with wax paper and dry in a regular press (the wax paper helps to avoid the plant from sticking to the newspaper in the press).


    Ferns

    • Spread the sample in a natural postion. Make sure to show both side of the leaves, especially the underside of fertile leaves.


    Lichens and bryophytes

    • Leave samples to air-dry in brown paper bags on a table or on stacked-wire shelving over a low heat-source


    Fungi

    • Leave samples to air-dry in brown paper bags


    In the field, leave the press in full sun, or on the luggage rack of a car, taking care of aligning corrugation flute to allow maximum air flow through the press.

    In the laboratory, use a low heat-source, such as two 60 W bulbs in a plant drier. The press is built by stacking corrugated cardboards and foam (i.e., cardboard-foam-plant in newspaper-cardboard). Fasten Compress between two hardwood board and fasten with the straps. Drying can take up to 48 hours.
     

    Fleshy plants, seaweeds and aquatic plants take more time to dry. Rotating the press everyday over the dryer should help getting a more uniform drying. Once dry, remove the specimens from the press and store in a dry place, away from direct light and insect predation. A fast and effective drying will help preserve the plants' original colors. It is however preferable to avoid overheating the specimen. Do not exceed a tempertature equivalent to that of two 60 W light bulbs.


    3. Notes

    The following informations noted in the field, in a notebook, will later help to make a label for the herbarium specimen.

    Collection number

    • Give a unique and sequential number to each sample collected.


    Date

    • Date of collection


    Plant name

    • Plant name if known or a temporary name for later identification


    Location

    • Describe the location, beginning with the wider area (county, municipality) and following with a more specific description of the collection site (road name, river), taking care of noting any essential element that would allow to easily find the exact location where the sample was collected.
    • Note the altitude and the precise geographic coordinates if a GPS unit is available


    Habitat

    • Describe the ecology of the collection site : birch-balsam fir forest, peatland, grassland, meadow, field.
    • Abundance of the collected species
    • Sociability of the species: colony or isolated individuals, number of specimen in the colony, list of companion plants
    • Physical environement and soil description: humidity, sol type, slope, drainage, exposition, etc.
    • Characters that will disappear after drying: size, growing habit, plant height (for trees and shrubs), flower color
    • Sketches and photos of the plant or the habitat that could help complet the information later on.


    Collector(s)

    • Name of the person(s) who collected the sample

     

    4. Herbarium Label
    The label should be printed on acid-free paper and contain the following information.

    • Country, province or geographical (Canada, Québec, Laurentides Wildlife Reserve)
    • Identification : Latin name of species with authorities for each taxonomic ranks (i.e., Epilobium ciliatum Rafinesque subsp. watsonii (Barbey) Hoch & P.H. Raven)
    • Exact location: Describe the location from a wide-area to the exact site location, including altitude and coordinates.
    • Habitat : Describe the site ecolgical and physical environement as well as the soil type.
    • Date of collection
    • Collection number
    • Collector(s) name (Leg.)
    • Identificator(s) name (Det.)

    Fungi

    • The specimens are stored in sealed zipper plastic bags.
    • The label can be stored inside the bag with the sample.

     


     

     

    Lichens and bryophytes

    • The bryophyte specimens are stored in 14 x 10 cm white paper envelope. Lichen specimens are placed in the same type of envelope on a small tissu covered cardboard to help protect the sample.
    • The label is affixed on the outside envelope flap using regular craft glue.