During the course of the quarter you will collect, properly preserve, mount, label and submit ten herbarium specimens. These must not, of course, ever be collected from a preserved area (or from a garden!). You may use non-native plants for this assignment, since they will be much more accessible to you than the native plants, which are generally protected.

Herbarium specimens are preserved by pressing them for several days between flat surfaces, either in a press or under heavy weights. The plant should be carefully identified before it is collected, or certainly before it is pressed.

The major materials required for this activity will be provided. These include:

1. A plant press
2. Corrugated cardboard spacers and felt blotters
3. Standard herbarium mounting paper (you may not mount your specimens on any other medium)
4. Standardized label for the mounted specimen

You will need to provide a few materials yourself:

1. A "collections book" to keep track of the specimens you collect and to record the details of the locations from which they came
2. Newspaper
3. A good white craft glue to mount your specimen. The best I've found is Sobo glue, but there are other useful glues.

From collection to mount, this will take you some time--at least a week--so plan ahead!

Herbarium specimens are due Friday of the week before the final week in the quarter. If they come in Monday, they will be late, and you will lose points. 5 points per specimen.