[NHCOLL-L:1286] Juicy Fruit

[John Nelson]

MON 22 Oct 1047h

Friends:

	We just processed a dried, pressed, unmounted plant specimen of Rhamnus
caroliniana for our herbarium collection. It was noticed that the
newspaper surrounding the specimen was still stuck to the preciously
fleshy ftruits (now squashed). These fruits were quite gummy, and
definitely not absolutely dried out. The thing about it was that this
specimen was collected in 1987!

	Just wondering if anyone has had experience with supposedly dried out
plant material that retains water in the tissues-- one would think
cacti, improperly prepared would be considered here, but there have to
be others. Fruits retaining water after several years...an invitation to
mold, insects, ? Or maybe this gumminess is an effect of water
absorption from the atmosphere?

	thanks JOHN
-- 
John B. Nelson
A. C. Moore Herbarium
Department of Biological Sciences
University of South Carolina
Columbia SC 29208

ph 803-777-8196
fax 803-777-4002
nelson at sc.edu

Non totum difficile est, sed nihil facile.