Numbering and Sorting Specimens

WHERE TO GET SPECIMENS

 

Cabinets in the mounting room

-- If the droptag on any bundle in the cabinets says to return the specimens to an individual, don't number the specimens. Give these specimens and the droptag to Nicole.

-- Put droptags from numbered specimens in the cabinet outside Nicole’s office, in a box labeled “droptags”.

-- Give any specimens without labels or with mounting errors, and the accompanying droptag, to Nicole.

-- Don't forget to look for any separate fruits that may be in these cabinets.

 

NUMBERING, SORTING, AND BUNDLING SPECIMENS

 

Use pencil to write the family number and geographic code above the upper right hand corner of the label on herbarium sheets and boxed specimens. For bagged specimens write the information on the upper right hand corner of the label.

 

Number the specimens according to the most recent determination.  If the family name on the label is incorrect draw a single line through it.  If the genus name is hard to read, or contains errors, pencil the correctly spelled name clearly above the label.

 

Specimens to set aside immediately:

- Types. Give to Nicole. Paratypes are filed in the general herbarium, but any other Type (even if it just says “Type”) should be given to Nicole

 

Family numbers

— To determine the number of a family consult the NY family list, or look up taxa in EMu.

— To determine the family to which a genus belongs consult EMu, as the Genera in the database reflect our filing system in the herbarium (NOT APG III).

— For legumes, to determine the family consult the list “Genera Leguminosae Novoboricensis”, or EMu.

— If the genus name is written unclearly or is possibly spelled incorrectly, but the first few letters are known, try searching for possibilities in EMu or IPNI or TROPICOS.

 

Geographic codes

— If the country in which a specimen was collected is not obvious from the label, try using Webster's Geographical Dictionary, or Google Maps.

— If you do not know the geographical region for a country, look at the posted map.

— For older collections without much geographical information, try consulting the Index Herbariorum publication. It lists countries that historical collectors worked in. You can also search EMu for the collector to see where they have collected.

— If you aren't certain about the geographic region, ask for help; please don't guess.

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US       United States and Canada (includes Greenland)

CA      Mexico and Central America (includes Baja California)

WI       West Indies (includes The Bahamas and Bermuda)

SA       South America (includes Trinidad and Tobago), EXCEPT in the following families, of which the Brazilian specimens should be marked BR

47  Bromeliaceae

51   Juncaceae

56  Velloziaceae

64  Burmanniaceae

71  Chloranthaceae

90  Balanophoraceae

146  Chrysobalanaceae

148  Connaraceae

171.1  Krameriaceae

172  Dichapetalaceae

209  Caryocaraceae

245  Lecythidaceae

269  Sapotaceae

EUR   Europe (includes Iceland, Azores, Canary Islands, and part of the former USSR west of the Ural Mts., Kazakhstan, and the Caspian Sea)

AFR    Africa (includes Madagascar, Seychelles, Kerguelen Islands, Cape Verde Islands)

NAS    Northern Asia (includes part of the former USSR east of the Ural Mts., the western border of Kazakhstan, and the Caspian Sea)

TAS    Tropical Asia (includes Hainan and Tibet)

AUS    Australia (includes New Zealand)

PAC    Pacifica (includes Hawaii & New Caledonia)

 

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Barcoding and Imaging

All specimens are to be barcoded, a skeletal record created, and sent to be imaged. Consult Nicole for where and when to leave specimens for the imagers.

 

Skeletal record includes the filed as name, barcode, and the project name “Vascular Newly Mounted”. Nicole will give you access to the default in EMu to automatically add the project to each record.

 

If a specimen is “1 of 2”, “2 of 2” sheets, or has a separate fruit, please create a record for each sheet and separate fruit. Link them in the database on the Associations tab and also note on the Specimen tab.

 

Once barcoded, bulky fruits and palms should be set aside to be imaged separately from all other sheets. They require special attention when imaged.

 

  

Sorting

—  Specimens that have not been identified to family should be sorted into two groups—those specimens with "file in fam. indets." written above the label and those without such a note. These should be bundled separately.

 

—  Review the list of specimens to be set aside for staff members and check to see if you have any specimens of these groups in the bins. Bundle specimens of each group separately and label them with a droptag marked with the family number and staff member's last name. Use droptag of a color different from that which you use to mark the other bundles.

 

—  All remaining specimens should be sorted by family before they are bundled. Each bundle should be marked with a droptag noting the range of families within.

 

—  Sort any separate fruits into two boxes—one box for fruits going to staff and another for the filer.

 

Bundling

Specimens must be bundled so that, when they come out of the freezer, they

1) will fit into a cubbyhole in a herbarium cabinet and

2) can be delivered to the correct floor in the herbarium.

Therefore, 1) a bundle SHOULD NOT EXCEED 5 inches (13 cm) in height, and 2) no bundle should contain specimens belonging to families filed on different floors (see below).

  

Arrange with Nicole to freeze the specimens.

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Floor               Groups 

5                      all pteridophytes

                        Families 18 to 35 (as far as Carex indet, US)¹

 

3                      Families 35 (from Carex aa, CA & Mex)¹

                                 to 165 (as far as Protium subserratum, SA)²

                        BUT NOT Fam. 36, Arecaceae (see floor 1 below)

 

2                      Families 165 (from Protium suc, SA)²

                                  to 301 (as far as Palicourea rigida, SA)³

 

1                      Families 301 (from Palicourea rigida, SA)³

                                   to 313

                        Family 36, Arecaceae (palms)

                        Family indets (arranged by country)

¹ Because Carex (Fam. 35, Cyperaceae) is split between floors 5 and 3, all specimens of this family from Aa through Carex of US & Can must be bundled separately from those from Carex of CA & Mex to Zz.

² Because Protium (Fam. 165, Burseraceae) is split between floors 3 and 2, all specimens of this family from Aa through Protium subserratum must be bundled separately from those from Protium suc through Zz.

³ Because Palicourea (Fam. 301, Rubiaceae) is split between floors 2 and 1, all specimens of this family from Aa through Palicourea rigida must be bundled separately from those from Palicourea rih through Zz.