You will need something for cutting. Large plastic bags, that can be closed, are handy for carrying or storing specimens and then they can be pressed. Flowers and fruits can also be collected. A single, folded sheet of newspaper containing the specimen to be pressed is carefully placed within the blotter paper, and another unit is added. Press one specimen for your herbarium and use the second for dissection to key out and identify your specimen.
Refrigeration keeps plants fresh for days if stored in air-tight bags.
You can also place your press in a heated area. Construct a herbarium, a bound volume of your collection that explains the taxonomy, botanical features, and natural history of each specimen. See Figure 4 for a model written entry. Remember to include one representative species from five of the twelve families listed in Table 1 . Finally, include a dichotomous key to your collection to assist others in identifying all of your specimens.