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For example: RMF 277 refers to a plant or
seeds that were collected or
identified by Roger M. Ferryman, and it was his 277th plant to be
officially identified.
In this sense, subsequent collections of plants supposedly from the same
locality place are assigned a different field number, even if the later
collection was made by the same collectors (s). This concept prevents
the merging of different plant collections and helps to eliminate
geographic mistakes. Each field number is considered to be and
catalogued as a single collection event. This concept of a field number
prevents different collections of plants mistakenly assumed to be from
the same place from being combined under the same previously existing
locality number. If several specimens of the same kind are taken at the
same place and time, these duplicates are given the same number.
The Field number enables to identify the locality of provenience of a
plant by using the collector's field number.
By having plants or seed that are identified with field numbers, a
plants grower can be secure of having an authentic species, and not a
hybrid plant.
The Field Numbers are officially recorded,
and usually carry supplementary information with them:
- The
genus and
species:
of the plant specimen.
- The
locality of collection:
full geographic indication of the city,
county, state, and country. (eventually inclusive of
topographic maps with the locality indicated and latitude and
longitude data)
- The
habitat: Geology,
climate, moisture, soil, sunlight, elevation and any other information
provided by the collector.
- The
Date of collection:
The month day and year the specimens were collected.
- The
name of the collector:
Name of individual (s) who collected the specimens or
name of the collecting group e.g. the name of the institution or
organization which collected the specimens
- The
name of the person who identified the specimen:
if not the collector.
-
Additional descriptions:
the names of associated plants found growing in the immediate
vicinity, the colour of the flowers or other information about flower,
fruit and other parts of the plants, The kind of root system, and the
presence of rhizomes, bulbs, or other below-ground parts, the height
of the plant, the abundance of the plant in the area, field notes, and
any other information provided by the collector.
-
Photography: Locality
images, (landscape, plants, and other aspects provided by the
collector)
For example:
Field number: RMF 277
Species:
Eriosyce napina ssp. lembckei var. duripulpa
(originally collected with the provisional name of
Thelocephala sp)
Collector: Roger M. Ferryman
Locality: Punta Lobos (Road from Vallenar to Huasco), Region III
(Atacama), Chile
Date of collection: December 1985 |
