Introduction to Herbarium:


“It is a collection of plant specimens that are pressed, preserved, dead and dried,also arranged in a sequence of classification for future purpose and study. The specimens\sample may be a complete plant or a part of the plant, specimens should be in dried form on a sheet paper.Almost3000herbariansavailableintheworld,mostly used by mycologists,plant pathologists,taxonomists,and health.

Function of Herbarium:

  • Act as a source of information about plants.
  • Help in research and teaching activities.
  • Help in the accurate identification of plants. Also provide information about the plants that are collected worldwide in oneplace. 
  • The specimens in the herbaria are used as a source of material for chemo-taxonomical and anatomical studies.

 

Importance of Herbarium:

  • It is a source of knowledge of flora of a region or a locality or a country.
  • It is a data store in which the in formation of plants is available.
  • The correct identification of plants is understood by the specimen.
  •  It provides materials for taxonomists and anatomists.
  •  Pollenor microspore is preserved upto nearly 200 years without undergoing any changes in morphological features.
  •  It is very useful to study cytology, structure of DNA, numerical taxonomy chemo-taxonomy etc.
  • It acts as a reservoir of gene pool studies.