Plant collections can be informative as well as attractive. Simple direc-tions are given on how to collect, preserve and display them for 4-Hprojects or for personal use.

MT198359 AG 4/2001

How to Collect, Pressand Mount Plants

Collecting, pressing andmounting plant specimensis one of the best ways tolearn about plants. Plant mountsmake better study material than anymanual. A properly dried, pressedand mounted plant is attractive,easily displayed and will last a longtime.

Most qualified persons are will-ing to check identifications of yourplants if the specimens are properlypressed and mounted with completeand accurate label information.Eventually you can have a fairlycomplete collection of the plants inyour area.

A plant collection makes for aninteresting conversation piece in thehome and can be used as an exhibitat fairs, schools and other displays.

EquipmentThe following equipment will

help in collecting plants:Digging toola shovel, garden

digger or some other digging tool toremove the plant from the soil.

Trimming toola sharp knife ora pair of scissors to cut off woody

E-1

John Lacey, Sam Short and Jeff Mosley*

specimens, to remove excess or oldplant material and to slice thick roots.

Specimen containerplasticbags are recommended for keepingplants until you can press them.

Notebooka field notebook ortablet and a pencil or pen areneeded to record all important in-

formation about the plant and thelocation where the plant was found.

Plant pressa binder-typepress, 18 inches long by 12 incheswide with alternating cardboard,blotter and folded newspaper isrecommended to dry and press theplant. However, other items suchas magazines will work for press-ing if enough weight is placed ontop.

Collection Procedures1. Since some plants bloom in

early spring and others bloom in thelate fall, you will not be able tocollect all the plants at any one timeof year. Plan several collection tripsthroughout the spring, summer andfall.

2. Choose plant specimens carefully.Select one, or preferably two, of each

*Former range managementspecialist, Montana State UniversityExtension service; former arearange conservationist, NaturalResources Conservation Service;and range management specialist,MSU Extension service.

Figure 1

Figure 2

2plant species to be collected.3. Avoid plants that are off-color,

grazed, over-mature, diseased orotherwise not normal.

4. While at the site, record eachplant in your field notebook or tabletby giving it a number. Record theplant name (if it is known) and theinformation that will be needed whencompleting the plant label for yourmount. An example of the label thatshould be used for plants collected asa 4-H project is shown on page 4 ofthis Montguide. Start a numberingsystem that will work for you. Youmay want to include the year, such as01-1, 01-2. If you use this format, 01refers to the year and each differentplant specimens will be numberedconsecutively (1, 2, 3, etc.)

5. When collecting grasses andgrass-like plants:

Select specimens with seedheadsfully emerged from the sheath.

Select specimens that are stillgreen including the seedhead.

Collect the whole plant, whenpossible, including a goodsample of the roots.

Be sure that rhizomes or stolonsare attached to the plant if theyare typical for that species.

6. When collecting forbs:Select specimens in the flowering

stage.Collect the whole plant if pos-

sible, including a portion of theroot.

Some forbs can be collected withboth flowers and seeds, or seedpods, on the plant at the sametime.

Tap roots or other thick rootsshould be sliced away on theunderside so the plant will befairly flat after pressing.

7. When collecting shrubs andother woody plants:

Select a branch about 12 to 14inches in length and not over 10inches in width.

Collect the plant when it is inbloom.

Many shrubs bloom in earlyspring before they leaf out. Inthese cases, collect two speci-

mens, one in flower and oneafter the plant has leafed out.Mount both specimens on thesame sheet.

It is often useful to include asample of both the current yearsand the older bark of woodyplants.

Roots of large woody plantsshould not be included on theplant mount.

8. To remove a plant from the soil,dig about 6 inches straight downaround the plant about 3 inches outfrom the stem. Carefully lift out thechunk of sod. If the soil is dry, shakethe soil gently from the roots. If thesoil is moist, use water to wash awaythe soil from the roots.

9. Remove all soil particles fromthe roots. Dont be afraid to wash theroots thoroughly on all the plantscollected. In fact, it may take morethan one washing. Excess moistureafter washing the roots can be re-moved by firmly pressing the plantbetween paper towels.

10. Remove the excess plant ma-terial from theroots, stems, leavesand seedheads. Forexample, by re-moving severalstems from a largebunchgrass orshrub, it is easierto dry and mount aspecimen. If plantsare very large andbulky, collect asample of the stem,leaf arrangement,roots and flower orseedhead.

11. Take several plastic bags withyou when collecting plants. Put theplants in the bag with a few drops ofwater (dont overdo it), then seal thebag and the specimens will stayfresh. The bags should be kept out ofdirect sunlight. Another option is tomoisten a paper towel with waterand place it in the sealable plasticbag. If it isnt possible to press allthe plants collected, most plants willstay fresh in the plastic bagif keptcool in a refrigeratorfor a day ortwo. However, only put one kind of

plant in a bag and number the bag tomatch your field notebook.

12. Seeds and/or seed pods arevery helpful in identifying manyplants. A good way to include seedsis to place several seeds in a small,clear plastic, self-sealing envelopeattached to the mount sheet. To pre-vent new weed infestations, it is alsoa good idea to carefully remove andburn all other seeds from any unde-sirable or weedy plant specimens.

Guidelines for PressingPlants

The object is to quickly dry theplants under firm pressure to retainplant colors and the plant arrange-ment.

1. Press the plants as soon as pos-sible after collecting. Once a plantwilts, it will not make an attractivemount.

2. Have your press ready to gobefore you remove a specimen fromthe plastic bag. Have plenty of news-paper pages folded lengthwise with

Figure 3. Your newspaper shouldlook like this when folded.

about a quarter of the upper andlower edges folded toward the cen-ter. This will help keep your speci-mens from sliding out. A supply ofcorrugated cardboard sheets (cut tofit your press) is also needed. As youfill your press, alternate the card-board sheets and folded paper (be-ginning and ending with a sheet ofcardboard) to keep the specimens flatand speed the drying process. Al-

3though it is not necessary, blottersheets can be placed between thenewspaper and cardboard to speedthe drying process.

3. Remove one plant at a timefrom the plastic bag. Check the plantclosely to make sure all soil is re-moved from the roots and removeexcess moisture with a paper towel.

4. If the plant is less than 12inches long, place it in the foldednewspaper. Arrange the stems,leaves, roots and flowers exactly asyou want them to appear on themount. Flowers should be pressedopen. Both the upper and lower sur-faces of flowers and leaves should bedisplayed.

5. If the plant is longer than 12inches, it will be necessary to foldthe plant in the shape of a V, N or W.If the plant is still too large, press asample of each part stem, leaf, rootand flower or seedhead. For hard-to-handle plants, hold at the stem basefirmly and slowly move the plant upand down against the newspaper afew times, stopping with an upwardstroke. (This will help separate andstraighten out the branches andleaves.)

6. Hold the plant in place and foldthe upper and lower parts of thenewspaper over the plant. Whileapplying pressure to keep the plantin position, write the assigned plantnumber from your field notebook onthe newspaper. Then place the plantinto your press (a cardboard sheetshould be below and above thefolded newspaper).

7. Examine the plant afer it hasbeen pressed for 24 hours. This isyour last opportunity to do somerearranging while the plant is stillflexible. Be sure both upper andlower leaf surfaces show. Change thenewspaper or blotter paper every dayuntil the plant is thoroughly dry.Remember that succulent (fleshy)plants will take much longer to press.

8. Plants can be removed from thepress in seven to 10 days. Keep theplants in folded newspaper until youare ready to mount them.

Mounting PlantsAfter the plant specimens have

been pressed and dried, they areready to be mounted.

1. Herbarium sheets, standard(white) tag or poster board are rec-ommended for mounting sheets.Although herbarium sheets usuallyhave to be ordered through biologi-cal supply outlets, poster board canbe purchased at most stores sellingoffice and school supplies. If you usetag board, four mount sheets can becut from one board if each sheet iscut 11 inches by 14 inches. Threesheets can be cut if each sheet is cut11 1/2 inches by 16 1/2 inches.

2. Placement of specimens is easyif plants have been pressed properly.The specimen should be placed up-right with the roots near the bottomand should provide a pleasing ap-pearance. Leave room in the lowerright-hand corner for a 3 x 5mount label.

3. A transparent glue (for instance,Elmers glue) is preferred to spotfasten the specimen to the sheet. Youcan also use small strips of gummedcloth. Scotch tape is not recom-mended. Small weights, such as leadcasts, large nails, heavy washers orlarge nuts will hold the plant to themount sheet while the glueis drying.

4. Each mount requires alabel in the lower right-hand corner. The labelmust be properly filled out.An example of the labelthat should be used on 4-Hmounts (and the instruc-tions on how to fill it out)follows. These labels areavailable at the countyExtension office.

Label CompletionInstructions

Common and scientific names:Use names from 250 Plants forRange Contests in Montana,Montguide 8402. This Montguide isavailable at county Extension of-fices.

Nearest landmark: Example200yards north of Coyote Wells on JoeSmith ranch.

Elevation: Estimate after lookingup the elevation of nearest town orother known elevation.

Aspect: Examplea northeastfacing slope would be entered as NE.

Topography: If collected near astream or other water, circle riparian;other choices are self-explanatory.

Slope: Circle the one that mostclosely fits the slope.

Abundance: Consider about oneacre at the site.

Tree overstory: If the plant col-lected was shaded by trees, circleyes, otherwise, circle no.

Collector: Your name.Plant number: Record your plant

number assigned in your fieldrecord. This is not the page numberfor the collection.

Verified by: If you have the plantmount verified by a qualified bota-nist, have him or her sign as veri-fied by.

Figure 4

The programs of the MSU Extension Service are available to all peopleregardless of race, creed, color, sex, disability or national origin. Issued infurtherance of cooperative extension work in agriculture and homeeconomics, acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, in cooperation with the U.S.Department of Agriculture, David A. Bryant, Vice Provost and Director,Extension Service, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717.

Copyright 2001 MSU Extension ServiceWe encourage the use of this document for nonprofit educational purposes. This document may be reprinted if no endorsement of a commercialproduct, service or company is stated or implied, and if appropriate credit is given to the author and the MSU Extension Service. To use thesedocuments in electronic formats, permission must be sought from the Ag/Extension Communications Coordinator, Communications Services,416 Culbertson Hall, Montana State University-Bozeman, Bozeman, MT 59717; (406) 994-2721; E-mail - publications@montana.edu.To order additional publications call (406) 994-3273 or visit www.montana.edu/publications.

Guidelines for StoringPlants

1. Mounted plants are usuallystored in a cabinet or case to protectthem from dust and insects. Al-though protective material is notrequired, some collectors (espe-cially for 4-H projects) use a pro-tective cover to protect the plantmaterial as it becomes brittle. Use a4 to 5 mil clear plastic Mylar mate-rial and do not use Saran wrap or 1-2 mil clear plastic. Also, yourmounts should not be laminated

RANGE PLANT LABELPlant Common NameScientific Name

Collection Site InformationDate Collected County StateDistance (miles) (direction)from (nearest town/city)Nearest landmarkElevation AspectCircle one for each item:Topography: Mountains Foothills Breaks Plains RiparianSlope: Nearly level Rolling Moderate Very steepAbundance: Abundant Occasional Very fewTree Overstory: Yes NoCollectorPlant No. Verified by

File under: RangeE-1 (Miscellaneous)Revised April 20018220000401 KG

with a clear seal plastic until a bota-nist has verified the specimen andsigned the label.

2. Your plants should be filed ina logical order that makes it easy tofind a specific specimen. By filingall specimens by family, then ar-ranging the family members inalphbetical order by genus and spe-cies, it is easy to find a specificspecimen.

3. It is usually a good idea tostore a few moth balls with yourplants to protect them from insects.