Question

Study the following statements regarding the preparation of herbarium sheets:
I. Plants should be collected in the flowering stage.
II. Every detail regarding the plant such as locality, ecological conditions, plants vegetative and floral characters, etc should be noted.
III. Plants are evenly pressed by unfolding a plant part between blotting papers (or newspapers) with the help of a plant presser.
IV. Blotting paper need not be changed until plants get dried.
V. After drying, the plant's specimen is carefully mounted/pasted on the herbarium sheets.
VI. The herbarium sheet is labeled on the lower right hand corner representing the number of plant specimens, date of collection, etc.
Which of the above statement(s) is/are incorrect?

A)Only I
B)Only IV
C)I and IV
D)III and IV

Answer 1

Herbarium is a collection of plant specimens that are preserved and the data associated with the same is used for scientific study. It consists of detailed information about the origin and characteristics of the species. It can be used to describe or confirm the identity of the plant. It provides the data of locality which is useful in planning field trips which is useful in teaching, systematics etc.

Complete answer:
The herbaria are the collection of plant specimens. It documents the flora present around the globe. It provides the constant and permanent record of the diversity of species. Through this the dried specimens of the plants are done on the sheet of paper. The great precision is required in collecting and preserving the specimens.
The specimen is labelled with scientific name, collectors name, location from where it is collected, general observation. It helps in defining genera and families.

Preparation of Herbarium:
1)Field visits are made and specimens are collected.
2)The specimens are dried in the blotting paper.
3)The herbarium sheet is used to mount dry specimens.
4)The specimen is preserved by the fungicide like mercuric chloride.
5)The labelling of the specimens is done properly.

Hence, the correct answer is option (A)

Note: Herberia serves as the library of the biodiversity present throughout the world. The herbaria is important because habitat destruction is increasing at a greater rate which affects biodiversity. Also, the change in the climate is equally responsible for the changes in the species. This affects the ecology.