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GPI: Resources for Digitising Herbarium Specimens

(Source: LAPI databasing manual.doc)

A different barcode should be added for each specimen. If you are in doubt if the specimen is one or two then always put two barcodes. For example there are many herbarium sheets which have Drege specimens on them with very little information, often just the Taxon is given. In this case for each collector label a barcode should be placed, as the plant parts could be different collections. Often there are plant parts on a sheet with the same collector and collector number etc. but that originate from different Herbaria, in this case a barcode is placed for each part for each Herbaria. The barcodes should however be linked if they have the same collector and collector number.

There are some cases where a collection has been determined as a mixed collection at a later point after collection. In these cases some parts have been determined as different species and have different determinations. In these cases each species should have it’s own barcode with its own set of determinations. However if the specimens have the same collector and collector number they should be linked. For instructions on how to link see below.

(Source: LAPI databasing manual.doc)

We transcribe the data as written on sheets, labels, folders

Exceptions:

  • We will correct the data when the species epithet is written with a capital letter
  • We will correct the abbreviation of authors, if we are certain.

 

If we are interpreting handwriting and are unsure what is written, entries can be written in square brackets i.e. [rocky ground]

 

“Quotation marks” indicate information that has been transcribed from the sheet, especially used when

a) a single word is transcribed i.e. “vix”

b) there is information from both the sheet and comments from the data-baser. i.e. “Purple flowers” – crossed out.

 

We only use ? and ( ) if transcribed from the sheet.

(e.g. "In sylvis")

Forest

Foot/feet (')

also pes, pedali

Hort. Bot. Calcutta

Francis Kingdon-Ward, Collector.

to give, offer, convey, donate, furnish

(e.g. "In collibus")

Frémont did three exploring expeditions. During each expedition he gathered plant material which he sent to John Torrey who identified and potentially described the plants (see e.g. The expeditions of John Charles Frémont).

There are Kew specimens which have a label from one of Frémont's expeditions and next to it in Hooker's handwriting "Torrey". According to the mentioned bibliography these specimens have not been collected by Torrey but by Frémont himself.

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