Obtain a list of plant species from your instructor, including a lycopod, fern, conifer, monocot, and eudicot. Become familiar with the system of classification of your herbarium (or a
herbarium that you visit). Locate and remove the genus folder for a species. Carefully transfer the genus folder to an openspace table, remove one specimen, and study it. (Be sure to handle the herbarium sheets correctly.) Note how the specimen is attached to the herbarium paper. Also note the label, accession number (possibly on a bar code), and annotation labels (if present). Write down the collector, collection number, date of collection, herbarium acronym (see
Index Herbariorum), and accession number (e.g.,
Smith 762, 23 Oct. 2013; NY 1120387). Do
this for each of the species on the list. When finished with each specimen, replace it in correct order (usually alphabetical by species) within the genus folder. If permitted, refile the genus
folder in its correct location in the herbarium cabinet, both by taxonomy and (if used) color coding by region. [Caution: Be sure to check yourself carefully! If misfiled, specimens could be lost for some time.]