■
student that the plant had five stamens and one style, but nothing more. But what
would be the condition of the student of the natural affinities of plants in a similar
case? It is ti-ue he 'would be obliged to consult more characters than the two
uninilucntial ones of Linnæus: it would be necessary to ascci-tain il’ his subject was
Vascular or CcUulai-; if Vascular, wliether it was Monocotyledonous or Dicotyledonous;
if Dicotyledonous, whether the leaves were opposite or alternate, stipulate or exstipulate,
whether the flowers were monopetalous, polypctalous, or apetalous, the nature and station
of the stamens, the condition of the ovarium, and so on. But when he has ascertained
thus much, only let it be remembered, for a moment, how much he has gained indirectly
as well as directly. Perhaps he has discovered that his plant belongs to iîubiàceæ; he
will then have learned that all vegetables with opposite entire sti])nlatc leaves, and a
monopetalous superior corolla, ai'e also Rubiaceous; and if any plant of the same order
were afterwards submitted to him for examination, he would recognise its affinities,
and remember that it was Rubiaceous; and, being aware of that fact, he would be able
safely to infer that its calyx and corolla wonld be of a particular nature; that if the
roots afforded any colour for dyeing, it would be red ; that the medicimil properties
of the bark, if any, would be tonic, astringent, and fcbrifligal ; and that its seeds would
be of the same nature as those of coffee; and, finally, its geographical position would bo
tolerably certain to him.
C h a r . IV.
O f forming and preserving Herbaria, and o f Methods o f Study.
1026. Dried plants fa r surpass either drawings or descriptions in giving complete ideas
of their appearance. 'Wlicn plants are wcU dried, the original forms and positions of
even their minutest parts, though not their colours, may at any time be restored by
immersion in hot water. By this means the productions of the most distant and various
countries, such as no garden could possibly supply, ai*e brought together at once under
our eyes, at any season of the year.
1027. The mode or state in which plants are preserved, is gcneraliy desiccation, accompanied
by pressing. Some persons. Sir J . E. Smith observes, recommend the preseiwa-
tion of specimens in weak spirits of wine, and this mode is by far- the most eligible for
such as ai*e very juicy; hut it sometimes destroys thefr colours, and renders thcir parts
less fit for examination than by the process of drying. It is, besides, incommodious
for frequent study, and a very expensive and bulky way of making a herbarium.
1028. The greater p a rt o f plants dry with facility between the h aves o f books or other
printed paper, the smoother the better. I f there be plenty of paper, they often dry best
without sliifting; hut if the specimens arc crowded, they must be taken out frequently, and
the paper dried before they are replaced. The gi'cat point to be attended to is, that the
process should meet with no check. Several vegetables are so tenacious of ilicir vital
principle, that they will grow between papers; the consequence of which is, a dcstnic-
tion of their proper habit and colours. I t is necessaiy to de.stroy the life of such, cither
by immersion in boiling water, or by the application of a hot iron, such as is used for
linen, after which they are easily dried. The practice of applying such an iron, as some
persons do, with great labour and perseverance, tiU the plants are quite dry, and all
their parts incorporated into a smooth flat mass is not approved of. This renders them
unfit for subsequent examination, and destroys their natural habit, the most important
thing to be presciwed. Even in spreading plants between papers, we should refrain
from that precise and artificial disposition of thcii* branches, leaves, and other parts,
which takes away from thcir natural aspect, except for the pmposc of displaying the
internal parts of some one or two of their flowers, for ready observation. In Coni-
fcræ, Friceæ, and soine other orders, the leaves are apt to fall off, after drying ; but it is
said that this may be prevented hy plunging the specimen, wlicn newly gathered, for a
minute in boiling water, though this is not always efficacious. The most approved
method of pressing is by a box or frame, with a bottom of cloth or leather, like a square
sieve. In this, coarse sand or smaU shot may be placed, in any quantity. Very little
pressing is required in drying specimens ; what is found necessaiy should be applied
equally to every part of the bundle under the operation, and this can only be done by
the use of an equalising press of granulated matter, of compressed air, or of a bag of
water. Dr. Lindley suggests putting the specimens between cushions in a press resembling
a napkin-prcss, and putting it in the sun, or before a hot fire; and plants have
been occasionally dried .by placing them between layers of cotton wool under a hcarth-
n ig before a fire-placc. A gentleman in the neighbourhood of Bfrmingham has been
vciy successful in drying flowers and preserving their colours, particularly the blue, wliich
is very fugitive, by the following process: he hakes the London clay, and reduces it to
fine powder; he then spreads some of the powder upon writing paper, and on this lays
the flower, after which the fiowcr is completely covered with more of the powder, lightly
sprinkled over it, and the whole is put into the press. He observes, “ I think it stands
to reason that the colour ought to he preserved by this course, for I believe it is the
vegetable acid wliich exudes from the swollen part of the fiowcr (viz. the ovary, &c.)
that decomposes the colour. Now, though blotting paper will receive this acid in drying,
it only aggravates the evil, because it cannot dispose of the acid, but merely spreads it
over a larger surface. Hence, I find that thick paper dries flowers better than blotting
paper. Thus a blue bcU dried on the former retains a tliin line of colour about the
edges of the corolla; but in the latter, loses its colour entirely.” (C. M. I., August
28. 1848.)
1029. Dried specimens are kept in herbaria in various ways; sometimes loose between
leaves of paper; at other times wholly gummed or glued to the leaves of a book; but
most generally attached by one or more transverse slips of paper, glued on one end and
pinned at the other, .so that such specimens can readily be taken out, examined, and
replaced. On account of the aptitude of the leaves and other parts of dried plmits to
drop off, many glue them entirely; and such seems to be the method adopted by Lin-
naius, and recommended by Sir J. E. Smith. “ Dried specimens,” tlie latter obsciwcs,
“ are best preserved by being fiistencd, with weak carpenter’s glue, to paper, so that they
may be turned over without damage. Thick and heavy stalks require the additional
support of a few transverse strips of j)aper, to bind them more firmly down. A half
sheet, of a convenient folio size, should be allotted to each species, and all the species of
a genus may be placed in one or more whole sheets or folios. On tlic outside of tho
latter should be written the name of the genus, while the name of every species, with its
place of growth, time of gathering, tlic finder’s name, or any otlicr concise piece of
information, may be inscribed ou its appropriate paper. This is the plan of the Ijinnscan
herbarium.” A very handsome gai-deiier’s herbarium has been formed by Mr, Toward,
of Bagsliot Park. I t is in four thick folio volumes; the leaves arc of- cartridge-paper,
and each has a leaf of brown blotting-paper pasted to its back. Round the margin of
the cartridge-paper side of the leaf arc pasted strips of the same paper about half an inch
broad. Tlicse strips rather more than compensate for the thickness of the dried
specimens; so that when the leaves arc bound up, thcir edges cut, and the book shut
close, the external air is excluded, and the appearance is as neat as that of any printed
volume. (Gard. Mag. vol. iv. p. 436.)
1030. In arranging dried specimens, the most simple and obvious guide is that of tho
order of thcir flowering, or that in wliich they are gathered, and this may be adopted
during the summer season; but aftenvards they ought to be placed according to some
scientific metliod for the convenience of reference. They may be kept in a cabinet,
consisting of a collection of drawers for each order; and the relative as well as absolute
size of these drawers -will depend on the proposed extent of the collection, as whether of
British plants only, of hardy plants only, or of all plants introduced to this countiy, &c.
The specimens of the deciduous plants used in the Arboretum were kept in deal boxes,
opening on ono side; and fitted up with trays to draw out.
1031. The fu n g i cannot in general be dried so as to retain the habit and character of
the vegetating plant; but this defect is supplied by models, of which cxcellcnfcollections
are prepared for sale by the Sowerby family, well known for thcir botanical works.
1032. The perfect preservation o f a herbarium is much impeded from the attacks of
insects, A little beetle, called Ptinus fur, is more especially tho pest of collectors, laying
its eggs in tho gcrmens or receptacles of flowers, as well as on tlie more solid parts, wliich
arc speedily devoured hy the maggots-whcn hatched; and hy thcir devastations, paper
and plants are alike involved in min. The most hitter and acrid tribes, as Fupliorbi«,
Gcntiana, Prunus, tho Compositse, and especially willows, are prcfciTed by tiiese
vermin. A specimen of the last-mentioned family can scarcely be thoroughly dried
before it is devoured. Ferns arc scarcely ever attacked, and grasses but seldom. To
remedy this inconvenience, a solution of coiTosivc sublimate of mercury in rectified
spirits of wine, about two drachms to a pint, with a little camphor, will be found perfectly
efficacious. It is easily applied with a camel-hair pencil when the specimens arc perfectly
dry, not before; and if they arc not too tender, it is best done before they are
pasted, as the spirit extracts a yellow dye from many plants, and stains tho paper. A
few drops of this solution should be mixed with the glue used for pasting. This application
not only destroys or keeps off all vermin, but it greatly revives the colours of
most plants. After several years’ experience, no inconvenience has been found from it
whatever, nor can any dried plants be long preseiwed witliout it. (Smith.) Dr. Lindley
has found that suspending little open paper bags, filled with camphor, in the inside of
the doors of his cabinets, is a very effectual mode of protection i’rom insects. It will not
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