Guidelines for processing old bryological collections

D.G. Long

The purpose of this note is to assist those who wish to 'rescue' old unsorted and/or unlabelled collections of tropical bryophytes held by museums, herbaria or private individuals, in order that the collections may be labelled and packeted and thereby made available for preliminary identification and later specialist study.

1. Preliminary assessment

Much depends on the skill and knowledge of the collector (i.e. previous bryological expertise if any) and competence in recording important data: locality, habitat, altitude, date, etc. A collection with very inadequate data (e.g. 'East Nepal 1979 J. Bloggs') is probably not worth keeping, but should not be thrown out without a second opinion and the owner's permission. However, much can often be done to save sloppy collections by patient dividing of mixtures into separate packets, or by adding data not given on the packets or field- book, through your own research (e.g. adding latitudes and longitudes of localities, or adding province/ district names, or by seeking out further information on the collection from the collector or other members of an expedition). Field note-books or diaries may be hidden away in museum archives and may supply vital missing information.

It is most important that original data are not lost. If field packets have to be discarded (as is usually the case) the collector's scribbles should be cut out and preserved in the new neatly-labelled packet.

2. Arranging and Numbering

Arrange the packets in chronological order of field collection as far as possible. If more than one locality features on a single day, try to find out the route taken, from the collector, notebooks etc, or work it out from a map. Then number the collection in pencil ('field numbers') if they are not already numbered. These numbers can be changed later if collections are mixed (and need splitting) or duplicated (and could be united to give duplicates), or if numbered already they can later be subdivided as 321a, 321b, 321c , etc. after preliminary identification.

Collection number is a very important unique quick reference for a specimen, not often considered important in British bryology, but very useful in tropical bryology where duplicates are often distributed and later included in 'determination lists' or cited in revisions under collector and number.

3. Preliminary sort

Ideally a binocular dissector should be used to check each collection; add a pencil name which may be as vague as 'hepatic' or 'pleurocarp' or a possible genus e.g. ?Tortula. Mixed collections should be split at this stage and the new numbers added. Duplicates should not be split off until identification has been attempted.

4. Listing

Some sort of a list should be attempted preferably in order of collection number. This may already exist in the form of a collector's book with all the field data. If the only data are on the packets, it is a good idea to re- create a field book by noting number, name, locality, habitat, altitude, date, etc. in columns on sheets of paper or in a new notebook which forms a reconstruction of the collector's field work. I find this last approach very useful and keep special hard-backed notebooks for miscellaneous collections given to me. For large or inadequately dated collections such an approach may be impossible or difficult, but at least a list giving collectors number and plant name in columns will be useful for the archives of the herbarium holding the collection.

5. Labelling

A typical label is shown below:

BRYOPHYTE FLORA OF BHUTAN

? Pseudosymblepharis

TONGSA DISTRICT: W slopes below Yuto La, 
east of Tongsa, 27°31'N, 90°34'E.

Mossy Abies densa/Rhododendron forest; 
on log on damp mossy bank.

Alt. c. 3270m                  19 May 1979

D.G. LONG                      No. 8039

Hand-written labels are perfectly adequate if clear but typed or word-processed labels are increasingly used and are preferable. Some collectors use 'blank' labels pre-printed with country, year, collector etc. Data are typed in, then the label is copied for duplicates and glued to folded packets. With word-processing such labels are becoming increasingly redundant as label data can be printed easily on to unfolded packets. Ideally acid-free paper and permanent printing (laser printer) should be used. Make sure to leave at least two lines for the name.

6. Duplicates

An assessment of how many duplicates can be made from the collection should be made and the appropriate number of packets/ labels produced. The actual division of material should ideally be delayed until after identification, but if the specimen is bulky it may have to be split sooner. Take care that duplicates are adequate as specimens in their own right, tiny scraps are almost useless. Remember that an expert may expect a duplicate in exchange for an identification, and get the permission of the owning person/herbarium that duplicates can be given away.

TBG07/process - Issue 2 - 26.03.90 - DGL