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An herbarium consist of preserved plant specimen each with a label bearing documentary information.
ROLES OF HERBARIUM
The major roles played by a herbarium include
Repository of plant specimen ; The primary role of the herbarium is to store dry plant specimen ,save guard this against loss and distruction by insects and make them available for study.
Safe custody; Type specimen are the principal proof of existence of a specie or an intra-specific taxon. This are kept in safe custody often in rooms with restricted access in several major herbaria.
Compilation of flora's ; Compilation of flora, manuals and monograph. Herbarium specimens are the original document upon which the knowledge of taxonomy, evolution and plant distribution rest. Flora's manuals and monographs are largely based on herbarium resources.
Training in herbarium ; many herbaria carry facilities for training graduates and undergraduates In herbarium practices ; organizing field trips and even expenditure to remote areas.
Identification of specimen : The majority of herbaria have a wide range connection of specimen and offer facilities on-site identification or having the specimen sent to the herbarium identified by expert researchers can personally identify thier collection by comparison with the newly identified herbarium specimen.
Information on geographical distribution: major herbaria has collections from different parts of the world and thus scrouting of the specimen can provide information on geographical distribution of a taxon.
Preservation of voucher specimen: voucher specimen preserved in various herbarium provide of specimen an index of specimen on which chromosomal, phytochemical, ultrastructural, micro-morphological or any specialized study has been undertaken. in the case of a contradictory or doubtful report, the voucher specimen can be critically examined in order to arrive at a more satisfactory conclusion.
HERBARIUM TECHNIQUES/ PREPARATION OF HERBARIUM SPECIMENS
Field visits
Collection
Drying and poisoning
Mounting
Stiching
Labelling
Deposition/Storage