The Herbarium Technique

THE HERBARIUM TECHNIQUE

ABSTRACT

Collection, processing and classification of plant, leaves specimens covering eight (8) families of plants with eight different species was done. This technique was done to establish a herbanum for the biology laboratory of science laboratory technology, IMT Enugu at its campus III of the eight families coverered, six were monocotyledon and these were families, Enphobiaceae, Myrtaceae, Gramineae, Meliaceae and compositae while two others were of Dicotyledon’s families, Papilionacea and Papilionacea and all these were Angiosperm. The plant specimens were systematically lodged in the herbarium cabinet in which they were appropriately labeled for future use. The procedures and technique involved carefully collection of plant specimens, laying of the specimens, pressing, drying, mounting, identification, documentation and storage of the plant specimens (leaves).

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Content

Title page

Certification

Dedication

Acknowledgement

Abstract

Table of contents

CHAPTER ONE

Introduction

Background Information

Aim and Objectives of the Study

Statement of Problem

Hypothesis

Significance of the Study

Limitation of the Study

CHAPTER TWO

Literature Review

Purpose of  Herbarium

Nature of a Herbarium

Uses of Herbarium

CHAPTER THREE

Materials and Methods

Materials

Methods

Collection of Plant Samples

Processing of Plant Samples

CHAPTER FOUR

Results and Discussion

Classification of Plants Samples

Discussion

CHAPTER FIVE

Conclusion and Recommendation

Conclusion

Recommendation

REFERENCES

CHAPTER ONE

1.0            INTRODUCTION

1.1            BACKGROUND INFORMATION

According to Clamberland (1994), herbarium can simply be defined as a collection of dried, preserved and pressed plant specimens which are arranged systematically, serving as a taxonomic refernce of plants for their identification and classification. He further defines it as a repository of preserved and labeled plant specimen to allow easy access and achival storage. The herbarium is useful for research issdentification of plants and for comparison of materials with precious collection. It is also a growing source of knowledge about th vegetation of an area. Its effectiveness and value depend on the care with which the specimens are preserved, mounted, completeness of identification, labeling, satisfactory arrangement and maintenance of the collection.

          Dried and mounted specimen are stored in cabinets with tiht fitting doors. The storage cabinets is provided with partitions in which the families of plants may be arranged in alphabetical order or (more usually) in some presumed phylogenetic order. The specimens are typically in form of herbarium sheets, pressed and dried plants have been glued to a sheet of heavy paper, together with a labeled data. The label describes information which include the plants Latin names, the origin of the collections, the date of  collection, and the name of the collector. Within the cabinet the specimens are arranged according to the family, genus and species they represent as well as the geographic location from which they were collected.

1.2            AIM AND OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

AIM: Construction of a herbarium.

OBJECTIVES INCLUDES

i.                   To construct a herbarium.