Question

The standard size of herbarium sheet in
A) 29 $\times$ 42 cms
B) 50 $\times$ 20 cms
C) 49 $\times$ 29 cms
D) Variable size

Answer 1

Hint: Herbarium sheet is repository of preserved and labelled plant specimens that serve easy access and archival storage. The collected specimen is pressed and dried plants and then pasted or seen to a sheet of heavy paper together with a data label. Herbal sheets are all the standard size.

Complete Answer:
- Herbarium in a collection of preserved plants or fungal. Specimens. Many herbaria were established throughout Europe in the 16005, during the age of exploration when botanical gardens could no longer keep a living collection of all the known species and thus preserving and specimens became common practice.
- The largest herbarium in the world at the National Natural History Museum in Paris, France with over 9.5 million specimens. The sheets from herbaria have more than taxonomic importance. Specimens taken from the Cambridge herbarium have been used to examine the stomatal frequency.
- A twig with leaves, inflorescence or flowers is collected from shrubs and trees. They are dried by keeping them between the folds of old newspapers.
- It is necessary to change these papers at regular intervals until the plants are well dried. The plant specimens along with their parts are dried in a plant press. It consists of two boards with straps, which help in lightening the newspapers with specimens between the boards. The dried specimens as posted on the herbarium sheets of standard size 42cm $\times$ 29cm.
- The process of attaching dried and pressed plant specimens on herbarium sheets. Is known as mounting of specimens.

The Correct Answer is – (A) 42cm $\times$ 29cm.

Note: Taxonomists preserve plant specimens in dry state by mounting on a thick sheet of paper 42 $\times$ 29cm. Such a mounted sheet known as a herbarium sheet. The place where herbarium sheets are systematically stored is called herbarium.