Requirement:
Collect, identify, press, mount, and label specimens of at least 50 species.
Include their roots, stems, leaves, flowers, and also fruits if possible.

Materials Needed:

• shovel
• small notebook
• vasculum
• plant press - check out from Biology Office Secretary or from R. Nicholson
• old newspapers
• white glue
• glue board
• paint brush
• mounting paper
• gluestick
• labels

• In the summer, very early morning is the best time to collect, as are cool, cloudy days. Hot, sunny days and evenings thereof are the worst times.
• Collect only specimens in flowering or fruiting stage. Collect more than one specimen of each kind if possible, then choose the best specimen after they're pressed and dried. Don't collect more specimens than you have room for in the press.
• Collect the entire plant. Dig the plant out of the soil, so that the specimen will have intact a reasonable representation of its underground parts, too. Shake off excess soil.
• Place the specimen in a vasculum immediately after digging and immediately close the lid to prevent wilting. It is very important to prevent the specimen from wilting before it is placed in the press. A polyethylene food container with a tight-sealing lid makes a good vasculum. Put a wet paper towel in the bottom of the vasculum before going to the field.
• More than one vasculum might be needed, depending on how many specimens are collected at one time. Several specimens may be placed in one vasculum, but be cautious to not damage delicate leaves and flowers.
• In a pinch, a plastic bag can be used as a substitute for a vasculum. Keep vascula out of the sun as much as possible.

• Place lower frame of plant press on table before you. Place a ventilator (cardboard) on frame. This makes a flat surface against which plants will be pressed.
• Place a half-sheet of newspaper (approximately 14" x 23") on the table before you. Fold in half. It is now roughly the same size as the plant press frame and is called a "folder", which will be used to hold the plant specimen.
• Open the folder in front of you and place the folder on the cardboard and bottom frame of the press. Take a fresh plant specimen from the vasculum to be pressed and close the lid.
• Wash roots if necessary to remove any remaining soil. Place specimen on one-half of the folder before you and arrange the stems, roots, leaves, and flowers such that the plant is flat and as natural in appearance as possible. The shape in which the plant is pressed is the way it will remain after it is dried. The more care you take with this step, the better your pressed specimens will look.
• Write the specimen's acquisition number on the folder. If a plant is too tall to fit in the folder, then fold it to form a v or w. Alternatively, cut the specimen into 2 or more parts so that it will fit on the sheet. A complete plant is most desirable.
• In the case of very large plants or shrubs, the leaves, flowers, fruits, and ends of stems or twigs are about all you can use. It is not necessary to collect the roots on woody plants, such as trees.
• You can conserve space in the press by including several small specimens in one folder for drying.
• Straighten and smooth plant so that all parts show natural shape. Carefully fold the other half of the folder on top of the specimen(s) to be pressed. Some parts should be up, other down, so that parts of both sides will be visible on the mounted specimen.
• Place another ventilator on top of the folder. Proceed with another folder and another specimen, placing them alternately in the press with ventilators.
• Place a final piece of cardboard on top of the last folder.
• Place the top frame on the top cardboard. Secure the straps around the press about of the length of the press from each end, stand on the press in the center and tighten the straps.
• Do not pull hard on the straps. Next, stand on first one end of the press and then the other to finish tightening the straps. A lot of pressure is needed to ensure that the specimens dry flat. Furthermore, do not remove specimens until they are completely dry. Otherwise, the plant will wrinkle as it dries, which will produce a poor specimen.
• When plants are thoroughly dry, remove from press and leave specimens in folders until they are ready to be mounted.

Pressing plants in the field is desirable, but often very difficult because of wind and heat, thus it is better to do the pressing operation indoors. If transport time from the field is to be lengthy, put vascula in a cooler with ice. Furthermore, specimens in vascula can be kept refrigerated for an extended period of time until it is convenient to put them in a press.

Quick drying is important to prevent the specimens from molding and discoloring. Opening the plant press daily to check the specimens will help speed the drying process, but isn't required. Most plants will require a week or so depending on where you leave the press for drying, the type of plant, moisture content, and orientation of the press. Sun, wind, fans, heaters, outdoor air conditioning units, etc. can be utilized to speed the process. Keep the press tightly compressed and adjust the orientation of the corrugations in the ventilators in relation to air currents. A loosely bound press will dry more quickly but will produce specimens of poor quality.

• Temporarily position dried, pressed specimens on mounting paper to determine best positioning. Be sure all parts can be clearly seen. Try both sides of specimen. Arrange the plant specimen on the mounting sheet in a revealing and aesthetically pleasing position.
• White glue should be used to fasten specimens to mounting paper. A single specimen may be mounted simply by spreading some glue on the down-side parts of the specimen, then placing it on the mounting paper. But, it is time-saving to glue numerous specimens at one session. Use white glue thinned with a little water.
• Obtain a large piece of flat metal or glass (approximately  15" x 20") to serve as a glueboard, then brush  a layer of glue, fairly evenly over the board.  Lay the plant specimen on the layer of glue for a few seconds, then pick it up and transfer it to the mounting paper.
• Lay the mount aside. To be sure there is good contact between the plant and paper, place some weights (e. g., steel washers or old tire weights) on the mounted specimen until the glue has begun to set.
• Label the mounted specimen.  A label should be completed then glued to the lower right-hand corner of the sheet.  A good quality gluestick works well for this.  White glue will cause the label to wrinkle.
• The mounts may be covered with plastic.  This makes a neat mount and protects the plants from breakage and insect damage.
• Prepare a list of the species mounted, showing common name, scientific name, and other documentation from your field notes.

A good plant press can be built from strips of strong wood such as ash or oak. You may also obtain from a local lumber yard, 48" wood lath. Make the press a standard size of 13" wide and 18" long. Construction of the frames with wood strips is necessary only to make the press light-weight, yet sturdy. Alternatively, you may use " - " plywood sheets, but the press will be heavy. Simply, cut 2 pieces of plywood, 13" x 18".

 Materials and Equipment for Lightweight Frames

• wood strips
• wood glue
• small nails or screws
• saw, hammer or screwdriver, square and pencil
• two web or leather straps
• ventilators (pieces of corrugated cardboard cut the same size as the press frames)
• folders (newspaper)

• Strips labeled a, b, c, and d in Fig. 4 are 18" long and about " thick and 1" wide. Cut 10 of these strips.
• Strips labeled 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 are 13" long by " thick by 1 " wide. Cut 10 of these strips.
• Glue and nail or staple half of the strips together for assembling each of two press frames.
• Cut ventilators such that corrugations run parallel with the short axis. An appliance dealer is good source for large cardboard containers.
• Nylon straps are the best. An equestrian supplier is a good source of nylon strapping and buckles. Rope doesn't work very well.