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Plant Identification and Information Service 1
N.H. Williams2The Herbarium of the University of Florida maintains a plant identification and information service for the use of Extension personnel and the general public. The staff of the Herbarium will assist in providing such types of information as scientific names and authors for cultivated plants, weeds, and native species, their common names, range, dates of flowering, and possible human or animal toxicity.
The facilities of the Herbarium comprise a rather extensive taxonomic and general botanical library and a collection of nearly 400,000 preserved plant specimens, emphasizing the native and naturalized flora of the state and the plant species cultivated here, but also representing the flora of other areas. A large seed collection is maintained, permitting comparison identification of weed seeds and grain contaminants.
The following suggestions are intended to make the process of plant identification more efficient.
IFAS Form 3100/03-2002 (Request for Plant Information) is available through EDIS at http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/pdffiles/sr/sr02400.pdf . For those unable to access the form on EDIS, one copy may be obtained from the Herbarium. This copy may be used as a master in your office for duplication as needed.
- All specimens should be routed through a local county cooperative extension office or another appropriate government agency.
- Unless special arrangement is made, do not send more than 5 specimens at a time, as storage and protection from insects cause problems that we are not equipped to handle.
- Specimens sent in should always be accompanied by IFAS Form 3100/03-2002 .
- Please remove all dirt from roots.
- The best method to ship plants is by placing each specimen between a fold of newsprint and, if available, two pieces of cardboard. Each specimen should consist of a stem with attached leaves (and flowers and/or fruits, if present).
- Never! Never enclose plants in plastic !
- Be sure, if more than one plant is involved, that each specimen is separately numbered. These numbers will then be used for reference in our reply to you.
- Additional information about the plant is often critical in its identification. Include whatever comments or facts as to its source (especially whether it is cultivated), time of flowering, flower and/or fruit color, size, aroma, etc., that you think may be useful.
- Stand by to send additional material or information, should it be needed. Interesting specimens are often used to make permanent herbarium specimens, to ease the task of future identification for other people.
- Please try to collect two of anything you send so that you can keep one for reference. Specimens sent in will not be returned as this is expensive and time-consuming.
For more details and questions about the plant identification and information service provided by the Herbarium, contact:
University of Florida Herbarium
Florida Museum of Natural History
379 Dickinson Hall
P.O. Box 110575
Gainesville, FL 32611-0575
(352) 392-1721 x212
Suncom 622-1721 x212
E-Mail: plantid@flmnh.ufl.eduFootnotes
1. This document is RF-SR013, one of a series of the Extension Administration Office, Florida Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida. Publication date: December 1993. Revised: March 2002. Please visit the EDIS Web site at http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu.2. N.H. Williams, Keeper, University of Florida Herbarium, Florida Museum of Natural History, Dickinson Hall, P.O. Box 117800, Gainesville, FL, 32611-7800, Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, 32611.
The Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS) is an Equal Opportunity Institution authorized to provide research, educational information and other services only to individuals and institutions that function with non-discrimination with respect to race, creed, color, religion, age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, national origin, political opinions or affiliations. For more information on obtaining other extension publications, contact your county Cooperative Extension service.
U.S. Department of Agriculture, Cooperative Extension Service, University of Florida, IFAS, Florida A. & M. University Cooperative Extension Program, and Boards of County Commissioners Cooperating. Larry Arrington, Dean.
Copyright Information
This document is copyrighted by the University of Florida, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) for the people of the State of Florida. UF/IFAS retains all rights under all conventions, but permits free reproduction by all agents and offices of the Cooperative Extension Service and the people of the State of Florida. Permission is granted to others to use these materials in part or in full for educational purposes, provided that full credit is given to the UF/IFAS, citing the publication, its source, and date of publication.