Mounting Your Plant Collections
Mounting a collection on heavy cardstock provides the plant specimen with the physical support that is required to allow the specimen to be continually handled and stored with a minimum of damage. Use acid-free paper of good quality (100% cotton rag is used in the herbarium). Elmer’s glue works well because it is of near-archival quality. The label is always glued down first in the lower right-hand comer. Determine which side of the dried plant demonstrates the best characteristics and position it on the paper before applying glue. Then, turn it over and outline the edges of all parts with a thin stream of glue. Turn the plant back over and carefully place it on the paper, blotting up excess glue as you gently press it to the paper. Any pieces of plant that become detached should be placed in a paper envelope glued to the sheet (often called a “fragment pack”). Place a sheet of wax paper over the entire specimen, and then place weights or heavy books on top of the specimen until the glue dries.
