[NHCOLL-L:3163] Re: Adhesion of Botany Specimens to Herbarium Sheets

[Tom Wendt]

In teaching our part-time student workers how to mount plants (they 
do almost all of our mounting), I emphasize that we are trying to get 
a balance between the specimens being firmly attached and protected, 
on the one hand, and as useful as possible to researchers, on the 
other.  The former point means securely glued at many points, and 
sewn in a few places on many bulkier specimens, and not 
underestimating the disregard with which the specimens may be teated 
at some point by certain botanists.  The usefulness point means that 
the specimens should not be SO glued down that there is nothing free 
from the sheet (inhibiting the removal of material for boiling up, 
molecular studies, etc.)  This concept is the same that, for me, 
governs herbarium policies in general: striking the balance between 
present utility and use, and preserving the specimens for the future. 
So, my vote would be not to glue "every molecule" of the plant to the 
sheet.  Using the right glue is also important (for instance, a PVA 
like Jade, not Elmers).
Actually, gluing is not in my opinion the best way to mount specimens 
(in a perfect world) as already alluded to by Joanna, but we use it 
partly because it is faster and is easier to learn (for those of us 
who are constantly training part-time mounters) and deals with 
poorly-pressed specimens better.  Pinning and strapping have many 
advantages.

Tom Wendt


>I am working on a in-house grant funded botany re-housing project 
>which includes the stabilization of plants to herbarium sheets. 
>Our botanist requires that the entire plant specimen be firmly 
>mounted onto the herbarium sheet: including the entire stem.  Each 
>plant specimen is tugged at and pulled at to make sure that it is 
>completely and absolutely affixed to the herbarium sheet.  Not being 
>a botanist, but a conservator by training, it seems odd that every 
>molecule of a plant is glued, affixed and completely immobilized to 
>the herbarium sheet, especially since most of the stems were 
>originally fixed on the sheets with straps.
>
>Since the references that I have read do not indicate the degree to 
>which a plant is affixed to a sheet, can my colleagues on NHCOLL-L, 
>please enlighten me as to the accepted standard practice on plant 
>immobilization if there is one?  Your input would be greatly 
>appreciated.
>
>my sincere thanks for your consideration of my request, Chris
>
>Christine Del Re                Voice:  (414) 278-2780
>Senior Conservator              Fax:    (414) 278-6100
>Milwaukee Public Museum e-mail: delre at mpm.edu
>800 W. Wells St.
>Milwaukee, WI  53233-1478


-- 
Tom Wendt, Curator			twendt at mail.utexas.edu
Plant Resources Center		tel. 512-471-5904
The University of Texas at Austin	fax 512-232-3402
1 University Station F0404
Austin, Texas 78712-0471  USA
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