The genera of South African plants : arranged according to the natural system / by William Henry Harvey.
- William H. Harvey
- Date:
- 1868
Licence: Public Domain Mark
Credit: The genera of South African plants : arranged according to the natural system / by William Henry Harvey. Source: Wellcome Collection.
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![and of specimens, till yon have cither placed in paper all tho specimens collected, or made a sufficiently thick pile. Cover the pile with one of the flat hoards, and place upon it a heavy weight,—large stones or hags of sand answer perfectly. If travelling, leather straps and buckles, dravm tightly across the bundle, are used instead of weights. 194. After the specimens have lain a day imder pressure, the paper about them must be removed, and diy papers substituted; and this process should bo repeated at intem'als of a day or two till tho plants are perfectly dry. If mamj sheets of paper be placed between each layer of specimens, or if open frames be used instead of boards, the changes need not be so frequent. In chan^ng it is not necessary to lift every specimen from tho sheet on which it lies; but if a dry sheet bo placed over tho specimens, tho latter, vdth the moist sheet, may be tilted over to tho dry, and tho moist sheet then removed, and this process repeated thi-ough tho bimdlo. hluch time and trouble may thus be saved. 195. On tho flint day of shifting a sharp look-out should bo kept for caterpillars, which are apt to secrete themselves in flowers, and, if not at once removed, will quickly destroy tlio siiocimens under pressure. 196. In lino weather tho bundles of specimens, weighted or strapped, may bo c.vposod to tlio strongest heat of tho sun; but as this causes a rajjid extraction of moisture, in order to ensure its passing away, tho ])lants must, on bringing in, and while still warm, be shifted into fresh jiapors; otherwise mouldiness and decay, and not exsiccation, will ensue. Artificial licat, not greater than 140°, may bo substituted in wot weather. 197. In drying plants within tlio tropics, and in all damp and hot climates, frcHjuont sliifting of papers is necessary; if neglected, tho specimens will either fall to pieces, or become mouldy and rotten. 198. Fle.shy fruits should bo ])resorved in spirits; or carefully stretched, and tho seeds or hard parts diiod. 199. Succulent plants, Heaths, and plants with compound leaves (such as Mimose<e), should be dipped (all but tho flowers) for a few seconds into boiling water, before being placed in the drying-papers. This avill Jcill them, promote the drying of succulents, and prevent tho Heaths, etc., from shedding their leaves. 200. I’lants with delicate corollas [Iridew, Oxalidece, etc.), should be jdaced between single leaves of very thin and soft, unglaKod paper (filtering or tissue-paper). In shifting to chy papers tho tissue-])apor is not to bo removed, but lifted with its contents to tho dry layer. This will ])revont tho flowers from curling up or perishing. 201. When the specimens are quite dry and stiff, a single sheet of paper is sufficient between each layer ; they may be placed still more closely on the sheets, but not piled one’on another; and, finally, in sending specimens from a distance, groat care must bo taken to protect the bundles, by sufficient covering, from tho effects of external moisture, or from the attacks of insects. 202. Having dried his plants, tho student begins to form his Herba- rium, or Hortus Hiccus. The first step is to assort tho speemaons, first into theii' classes; then into subclasses, Orders, genera, and species. ^ When this is done, ho selects such specimens of such species as he wishes to retain for future reference, consigning the remainder to separate bundles labelled “ duplicates,” and keeping them for exchange with other botanists. 203. Tho specimens selected, having first been examined and named, are either fastened with thin glue to pieces of stiff white or cream-coloured cartridge-paper of a uniform size, or placed loosely, or secured by cross- bands or i)ins, in double shoots of soft paper. In either case tho species belonging to each genus ai-e placed witliin a common wi'appcr of strong](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b28117347_0046.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
