Plant specimens are best preserved by pressing them flat using a plant press. When dry, pressed specimens can be held in cardboard containers with naphthalene flakes as a preservative. All information relating to locality, date, collector, altitude (if known) should be placed with the specimen and accompanied by a specimen number (See accession register). Flowers, seeds too large to press or other parts of the plant can be preserved in 70% alcohol.

Identification can usually be carried out by botanists attached to a national herbarium but it is sometimes necessary to send specimens overseas to specialists in a particular plant group.

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