The Herbarium Technique
CHAPTER ONE
AIM AND OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
AIM: Construction of a herbarium.
OBJECTIVES INCLUDES
- To construct a herbarium.
- To identify plants to their species levels.
- To collect plants of agricultural and medicinal interest within our locality.
CHAPTER TWO
LITERATURE REVIEW
PURPOSE OF A HERBARIUM
The herbarium serves as a record or repository of plant specimens upon which all taxonomic articles or books are usually based. In this way, other botanists can recheck and judged, the validity of the work. Also, because of the wealth of information contained in herbaria, they are essential research tool not only for taxonomists, but also for such diverse fields as ecology, mycology, automology, environmental science, horticulture, spicier research medical botany and palynology (Gill, 1988).
According to Shiner (1965), herbarium. Also provides early documentation of introduction of foreign weed or the previous geographical limit of native plant. These demonstrate the important of herbarium. As a type of museum and is an important store-house of irreplaceable data as a source of primary information about mans exploration and observation of the earth’s vegetation and collection of dried and pressed plant specimens which are arranged in the sequence of accepted system of classification of fresh specimens ad comparism between the plants studied.
Herbarium is useful for research, for identification of material and for comparism of material with previous collection. It may in general by which all families of plant are deposited. The pressed and mounted specimens are storedc in cabinet which are provided with partition in which the families may be arranged in alphabetical order (Olorode, 1983).
THE NATURE OF A HERBARIUM
As the name implies, the word herbarium come from ‘Herb’ which is plant that can be used for many purposes such as folder for farm animals, as ornamentals, of making perfumes and also for medical purposes. As we all know, the earth surfaces such as land, ocean, rivers, mountains etc are covered with vegetation (grasses, herbs, shrubs, trees). They help I one-way or the other, for example in prevention of erosion.
However, herbarium can be defined as a collection of deride and pressed plant specimens systematically arranged an described, serving as taxonomic reference plants. It is also a data bank of the plant taxonomy (Micheal, 1988).
USES OF A HERBARIUM
- They are invaluable reference collections used as a means of identifying specimen of unknown plants.
- Herbaria are used for ecological study of individual species and plant communities.
- it is also useful for the publication of reference books and research papers on the flora of Nigeria.
- It is also preserves as wealth of valuable information i.e. it documents the variation in form and geographical range of species.
CHAPTER THREE
MATERIALS AND METHODS
MATERIALS
- The secateur or pruning knife
- The digger or trowel
- The vasculum or polythene bag
- The tie-on-label
- The plant press
- The field note-book
- Go-to-hell
METHODS
COLLECTION OF PLANTS SAMPLES
Plant samples were collected from various places, like forest, garden, fields with Enugu monopolist. In collection of these samples, a completes plant samples were collected (ie a wholeplant with its leaves, flowers or fruits). Plants samples that were eaten by insects were completely avoided.
However, collections were made either early in the morning or late in the evening. This was done to see the plants In their complete forms. But in the afternoon, the plants or their parts are withered.
Collected specimens were put in a big polythene bag to prevent the loss of moisture, closed tightly and kept flesh. When the plant samples were collected, they were ties with tie-on-label and numbered in order not to mix up or for easy identification. The tie-on-label contained all the information about the collection samples. During the collection, preservation bottle containing formalis or 20% ethans was used to preserve the delicate plant structure such as the flower which may be destroyed at the end of collection.
PROCESSING OF PLANT SAMPLES
After the collections of the plant samples, they were processed whih involved six major ways:
PRESSING – The plant samples were pressed to remove their content , thereby making them dry. This was done with the plant press. Plant samples for pressing were placed in the folders in a manner so as to give maximum possible natural look. After the arrangement of the leaves on the folder, ugly leaves were removed. Then, the folder paper with the plant samples were placed between two sheets of blotting paper which in turn was placed between sheets of corrugated cardboard (called ventilators). All the sheet were placed between two metal frames and pressed tightly together with straps. It was then placed in the sun to dry.
CHAPTER FOUR
RESULTS
Eight families pf plant samples were covered during collection. They were Angiosperm. Among the Angiosperm were dicotyledons and monocotyledons. The dicotyledons includes the families of papilionaceae, while the monocotyledons were the families of Myrlaceae, Gramineae, Euphobiaceae, Cariceae, Meliaceae.
CLASSIFICATION OF PLANT SAMPLES
The classification was done for easy identification of the samples. They were classified under kingdom, division, class, order, family, genus and species.
DISCUSSION
During the collection of the plant specimens, the collectors found out that different families are located in different areas and indifferent types of soil. Papilionaceae (Arachis hypogea, for instance) do well in sandy soil. Compositae grow best in soft and humus soil. Gramineae (poaceae) are everywhere. Some of the plants are planted or cultivated for food and as cash crops. Among these are papilionaceae, and some species of Gramineae. Meliaceae are planted against and effect around homes and also medicinal purposes.
CHAPTER FIVE
CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
CONCLUSION
Herbarium as a place where preserved plant materials are deposited is useful for research, for identification of materials and for comparison of material with previous collections. It is also the collection of dried, preserved and pressed plant specimens which are arrange systematically, serving as a taxomic reference for identification and classification of plant.
If the herbaria all over the country are improved, it can attract foreign exchange in the course of loaning of samples of plant materials. It is therefore, herbarium is an important and interesting work which help people for easy identification and classification of plants specimens.
RECOMMENDATION
Herbarium been the collection of dried, preserved and pressed plant specimens which are arrange systematically, serving as a taxonomic reference for identification and classification pf plants help many people to know plant identification, classification etc from kingdom down to the species level.
It also improve government to know the technique/system of naming plant specimens especially in higher institution.
REFERENCES
- Lambert Culls (1988), Taxonomy of Flowering Plants ; Africana Feb Publisher Ltd, Onitsha, P.55-250.
- Michael Clamberland (1994), Encyclopedia of Science and Technology; Volume 8. p.413-414.
- Omoloya Olorode (1983), Flowering Plants of Nigeria; An Introduction to the Taxonomy of West African Angiosperms, Ibadan University press, Ibadan, p.34-100.
- Sleenfoft Michael (1988), Flowering Plants in West Africa; New York, Cambridge University Press, p.101-111.