A herbarium is a collection of pressed and dried plant specimens mounted on sheets for reference and study. Luca Ghini initiated the art of herbarium making in the 1500s by pressing and sewing specimens, which was then disseminated throughout Europe. Herbaria provide optimal conditions for storage, including low temperature, humidity, light and infrequent handling, to serve as repositories for identifying plants, documenting specialists' work, and analyzing rare or extinct species.

2. A herbarium is a
collection of
pressed and dried
plant specimens,
mounted on sheets
bearing a label,
arranged according
to a sequence and
available for
reference or study.

3. It was Luca Ghini who
initiated the art of
herbarium making by pressing
and sewing specimens on
sheets of paper.
This art was disseminated
throughout Europe by his
students who mounted sheets
and bound them into book
volumes.

10. conditions for storage
include low
temperature (from 50–
65ºF), low humidity,
low light, and
infrequent handling.
Any dried plant
material is frozen
before entering the
herbarium, and the
space is periodically
treated with a

11. 1. To discover or confirm the identity of a plant or
determine that it is new to science (taxonomy).
2. Document the concepts of the specialists who have
studied the specimens in the past.
3. Provide material for making morphological
measurements.
4. Verify plant Latin names.
5. Serve as a secure repository for “type” specimens.
6. provide material for DNA analysis.
7. provide information on rare, extirpated, or extinct
species that can no longer be found in nature.