Plant specimens require accurate identification of the plant and the provision of collecting information. Each specimen should have intact leaves free from evidence of phytophagy. The specimen should have enough parts of the plant to help with identification. For example, the specimen should show if the leaves are opposite or alternate, simple of compound, the edges of the leaves, the leaf shapes, buds flowers and fruits etc. The specimen should not be dying back, it should represent the color of the plant while it is in good health. An exception to this would be trees that have fall foliage colors. The recording of the date and location is important to collecting plant specimens.
Once a specimen is selected and cut it should be placed in a plant press. Place the labeled specimen onto a sheet of newspaper that can be folded in half over the plant. The sheet should not be larger than the dimensions of the plant press, in other words it should not hang out of the plant press. Open the plant press by loosening the straps, place the folded sheet with the specimen inside in-between the cardboard layers, and then close the plant press tightening it with the straps. It should take at least a week before the plant is dry and is ready.
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