Labels

Specimens for deposit at the University of Arizona Herbarium should be accompanied by a label or other description containing the information shown below. If you are submitting only a few specimens, we recommend you use our specimen information form. For larger deposits, we may work with you to create the labels in the online database at SEINet.

The following are standard data fields, most of which are required for any herbarium specimen.

  • Determination (=identification): The scientific name of the plant. If you do not know the species, it is acceptable to include only the genus or family. Please confirm with staff, who may assist with the identification. 
    • If someone besides the collector provides a determination prior to depositing the specimen, their name and the date should be added to the label.
  • Collector: Indicate one and only one (primary) collector. Other people who assisted in collecting the specimen should go under "Other collectors".
  • Collection number: The combination of collector name + collection number uniquely identifies a collection. Once deposited at the herbarium, a specimen becomes public property, and may be cited in taxonomic works, distributional studies, etc. Therefore, it is imperative that each specimen be clearly identifiable by means of a collector and number. Specimens without numbers are ambiguous, easily confused with other specimens, and difficult to manage in databases. While you may use whatever numbering system you wish (as long as each specimen receives a unique number), we strongly recommend you use simple consecutive numbers (e.g., 1, 2, 3. . . and so on, throughout your entire collecting life). Hyphenated numbers (typically, a 2 digit year followed by a hyphen and a second number to indicate sequence; e.g., 97-12, 97-13, 97-14....), while convenient for the collector, cause numerous problems in specimen databases.
  • Other collectors: Individuals other than the primary collector who assisted in collecting the specimen or otherwise wish to be acknowledged. Optional.
  • Collection date: A single date is strongly preferred to a range of dates.
  • Collection locality. We cannot accept specimens without a clear locality description.
    • Political divisions. At a minimum, you should provide three levels: Country, State/Province, County/Municipio, etc. (Example 1: "USA, Arizona, Pima County.". Example 2: "Mexico, Sonora, Municipio de Santa Cruz.")
    • Locality description. Provide specific directions to where the plant was collected. Be brief but accurate. (Example 1: "S of Safford, off Tanque Road, ca. 2.2 road miles E of junction with state highway 191". Example 2: "Coronado National Forest, Catalina District, Mt. Lemmon. Romero Canyon Trail (TR8), 350 m downhill (S) from junction with Sutherland Trail (TR6)."
    • Latitude and longitude: Ideally, these are in decimal format, but can be formatted in degrees, minutes, and seconds, or in UTM. Township and range may be indicated, but only in addition to the previously-mentioned units. Please indicate indicate how you obtained the measurement (GPS, estimated from map, estimated using Google Earth, etc.), and if you know it, the datum used (e.g., WGS84) and some indication of precision.
    • Elevation: Either feet or meters, as long as it is clear. Estimates of precision are welcome but not required; ranges are hard to handle. 
  • Habitat description (optional but recommended): Briefly describe the habitat using standard descriptions if possible (e.g., the US National Vegetation Classification) or generalized vegetation type (e.g., desert, pinyon-juniper woodland, mixed coniferous forest). You may also want to list other taxa present, if these help identify the type of vegetation (e.g., Pinus ponderosa, Quercus hypoleucoides).
  • Specimen description (optional): Note attributes of the plant itself which cannot be observed from the dried specimen. For example, note flower color, odor, size, growth form. Also, attributes of the the species or population (e.g., common; rare; local, in clumps only; diocieous, monoecious; etc.).
  • Additional information (optional): Local names, medicinal uses, voucher information (e.g., "Voucher, Forest plot 99-B; or "Voucher for DNA, "Molecular Systematics of Dalea") are all welcome additions.