Members of the public are welcome to use the facilities of the Intermountain Herbarium for plant identification during normal business hours (Monday to Friday, 8am to 5 pm). You are encouraged to contact the staff prior to arrival, but this is only essential if you wish to be able to work outside these hours.
Facilities available to visitors include dissecting microscopes, floras for most of North America, standard dissecting tools, a plant dryer, and many topographic maps. Press materials are available if requested in advance and not needed by personnel associated with Utah State University.
Guides (How To)
- Herbarium Specimen Flyer (.pdf) - This .pdf file provides general information on making herbarium specimens.
- Learning and Teaching Resources - This site explains how to collect specimens, make field notes, and prepare specimens.
- Collecting plant material for DNA studies - This page provides information on preparing CTAB for preserving plant material and the reasons for using it.
Vouchers and Specimen Preparation
- Vouchers and tissues intended for genomic work:
- Best practices (Smithsonian)
- Video of collecting samples for DNA
- Plant specimens for Herbarium (University of Florida)
Important Dates In Nomenclature
| Date | Article Number(s) | Description |
|---|---|---|
| January 1, 1935 | 36 | Must use Latin for extant vascular plants |
| January 1, 1953 | 30.1, 30.3, 30.4 | Publication in various kinds of ephemeral works is not allowed |
| January 1, 1953 | 32.4, 33.2 | Must provide full and direct citation of basionym |
| January 1, 1953 | 34.2 | If an author publishes two or more names simultaneously for same taxon, all are invalid |
| January 1, 1953 | 35.1, 35.2 | Must provide clear indication of rank; unranked names published earlier are valid but have no standing so far as priority is concerned |
| January 1, 1958 | 36.2 | Names of non-fossil algae must be published in Latin |
| January 1, 1958 | 37.1 | Must indicate the type of a new name or new combination |
| January 1, 1958 | 39.1 | Names of new species or infraspecies of non-fossil algae must include an illustration or figure showing the distinctive features |
| January 1, 1959 | 28, note 2 | Names of cultivars must be fancy names (lovely phrase), not resembling standard Latin epithets |
| January 1, 1973 | 30.3 | Can no longer use seed exchange lists for publication |
| January 1, 1973 | 45.1 | Effective date of publication is the date on which the last of the requirements was satisfied |
| January 1, 1988 | 14.2 | Became possible to conserve names of species in the interests of stability |
| January 1, 1990 | 9.14, 37.4, 37.5 | Must specify the herbarium or institution in which type is conserved and include the word 'type' or 'holotype' in designation of type material |
| January 1, 1996 | 36.3 | Names of fossil plants must have a Latin or English description |
| January 1, 2001 | 7.11 | Must include the phrase "here designated" when designating a lectotype or neotype |
External Resources
These have been divided into Utah, Intermountain Region, North America, Global, and Digital Libraries.
Utah
Intermountain Region
North America (primarily USA)
- National PLANTS Database (USA)
- Flora of North America
- Celebrating Wildflowers (USDA Forest Service)
- Bryophyte Flora of North America
Global
- Global Biodiversity Information Facility | Specimen Database
- International Plant Names Index
- Index Herbariorum
- Tropicos
Botanical Digital Libraries
Annual Reports
Goals, Plans, and Reports
These reports are prepared for the Utah Agricultural Experiment Station each year. They reflect activities from December 1 - November 30 and are developed according to a rather standard format.