How to
Locate Vascular Plant Specimens at WTU
* The vascular
plant collections are housed in rooms 22 and 26 Hitchcock Hall.
Mosses, liverworts,
lichens, and algae are housed in room 26A. Fungi are in room 28.
* The plant families
are arranged according to the Engler & Prantl system of plant classification, and each family
has been assigned a family number (1 through 280). An index to the familynumbers
is posted on the wall in several places around the Herbarium.
Families 1
(Cycadaceae) to 232 (Lennoaceae) are in room 22, families 233 (Ericaceae)
to 280 (Compositae/Asteraceae)
are in room 26.
* Pteridophytes
(ferns and fern allies) have their own numerical sequence, with each number
precededby a "P".
An index to families and genera of Pteridophytes is posted at the north end
of room 22 ("the
compacter room"), and the numerical sequence begins in the northeast corner
of that room.
* The starting
and ending family number and binomial plant name areposted on the door of
each herbariumcabinet.
For example: 78 Salicornia europaea NW to 80 Boerhaavia f
- q
* Genera are arranged
alphabetically within each family. All Northwest specimens in a genus
are filed alphabetically
by species in folders labeled NORTHWEST, before specimens filed
alphabetically byspecies
in folders from the rest of the world. The Northwest is defined for
filing purposes
as: Washington,Oregon, Idaho, Montana, British Columbia, Yukon Territories,
and Alaska.
For example: Carex aboriginum NORTHWEST to Carex xerantica
NORTHWEST are filed before Carex abacta to Carex xerantica.
This arrangement
makes it easy to consult Northwest specimens, but it is the most common source
of confusion for
finding or refiling specimens. Please use care to determine that you are looking
for or refiling
folders in the correct location. If you run out of time, are in a hurry,
get confused, or are otherwise uncertain where to re-file a folder, please leave it
out on a table. A misfiled folder or specimen is lost indefinitely!
Unidentified
specimens
* Unidentified
specimens are filed at the end of the highest classification known. Unidentified
Northwest Carex are filed following Carex xerantica
NORTHWEST, unidentified Cyperaceae are filed at the end of the Cyperaceae,and specimens
unidentified to family are filed at the end of the vascular plants.
