Large fruits and seeds

If a plant has very bulky fruits or seeds we pack them in archival boxes for inclusion in the carpological collection.

We can also preserve plant material in three-dimensional form in the spirit preserved collection.

 

Conifers

  • Some conifer species (eg Picea and Abies) quickly lose their needles when dry
  • To preserve them for mounting we soak them in alcohol … then immerse them in 50% aqueous glycerol.

 

Bryophytes (mosses), lichens, and fungi

We preserve small, friable plants like Bryophytes, lichen and fungi by putting them in paper capsules mounted on herbarium sheets.

 

Algae

We mount aquatic plants by floating on to herbarium sheets. For more information see:

SPNHC How to prepare seaweed specimens