The Herbarium Technique – Science Laboratory Technology Project

The Herbarium Technique – Science Laboratory Technology Project

ABSTRACT

Collection, processing and classification of plant, leaves specimens covering eight (8) families of plants with eight different species was done. This technique was done to establish a herbarium for the biology laboratory of science laboratory technology, IMT Enugu at its campus III of the eight families covered, six were monocotyledon and these were families, Euphorbiaceae, Myrtaceae, Gramineae, Meliaceae and Compositae while two others were of Dicotyledon families, Papilionaceae and Papilionacea and all these were Angiosperm. The plant specimens were systematically lodged in the herbarium cabinet in which they were appropriately labelled for future use. The procedures and technique involved carefully collection of plant specimens, laying of the specimens, pressing, drying, mounting, identification, documentation and storage of the plant specimens (leaves).

Table of Content

CHAPTER ONE

Introduction
Background Information
Aim and Objectives of the Study
Statement of Problem
Hypothesis
Significance of the Study
Limitation of the Study

CHAPTER TWO

Literature Review
Purpose of Herbarium
Nature of a Herbarium
Uses of Herbarium

CHAPTER THREE

Materials and Methods
Materials
Methods
Collection of Plant Samples
Processing of Plant Samples

CHAPTER FOUR

Results and Discussion
Classification of Plants Samples
Discussion

CHAPTER FIVE

Conclusion and Recommendation
Conclusion
Recommendation
REFERENCES

CHAPTER ONE

1.0 INTRODUCTION

1.1 BACKGROUND INFORMATION

According to Clamberland (1994), herbarium can simply be defined as a collection of dried, preserved and pressed plant specimens that are arranged systematically, serving as a taxonomic reference of plants for their identification and classification. He further defines it as a repository of preserved and labelled plant specimens to allow easy access and archival storage. The herbarium is useful for research identification of plants and comparison of materials with the precious collection. It is also a growing source of knowledge about the vegetation of an area. Its effectiveness and value depend on the care with which the specimens are preserved, mounted, completeness of identification, labelling, satisfactory arrangement and maintenance of the collection.

Dried and mounted specimen are stored in cabinets with tight-fitting doors. The storage cabinets are provided with partitions in which the families of plants may be arranged in alphabetical order or (more usually) in some presumed phylogenetic order. The specimens are typically in form of herbarium sheets, pressed and dried plants have been glued to a sheet of heavy paper, together with a labelled data. The label describes the information which includes the plants Latin names, the origin of the collections, the date of collection, and the name of the collector. Within the cabinet the specimens are arranged according to the family, genus and species they represent as well as the geographic location from which they were collected.

1.2 AIM AND OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

AIM: Construction of a herbarium.

OBJECTIVES INCLUDES

i. To construct a herbarium.

ii. To identify plants to their species levels.

iii. To collect plants of agricultural and medicinal interest within our locality.

1.3 STATEMENT OF PROBLEM

Since the already constructed herbarium. In the biology laboratory of Science Laboratory Technology, IMT Enugu is old, and the collected plant specimens are destroyed by termites and other pests, therefore there is a need to collect new plants specimens to have an updated collection of plant specimens that are properly classified for further references.

1.4 HYPOTHESIS

H0. – Herbarium construction provides information within our locality.
H1. – Herbarium construction does not provide information within our locality.

1.5 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

The significance of this project study is that this research will provide an up to date herbarium for the biology laboratory of the Science Technology department IMT Enugu.

1.6 LIMITATION OF THE STUDY

Plant collection and identification are limited to agricultural and medicinal plants of local interest.

REFERENCES

Lambert Culls (1988), Taxonomy of Flowering Plants; Africana Feb Publisher Ltd, Onitsha, P.55-250.

Michael Clamberland (1994), Encyclopedia of Science and Technology; Volume 8. p.413-414.

Omoloya Olorode (1983), Flowering Plants of Nigeria; An Introduction to the Taxonomy of West African Angiosperms, Ibadan University Press, Ibadan, p.34-100.

Sleenfoft Michael (1988), Flowering Plants in West Africa; New York, Cambridge University Press, p.101-111.