Botany Specimens

Quick Answer: Botany specimens are preserved plant materials, such as whole plants, reproductive structures or fruits kept in fluid, pressed on herbarium sheets or embedded in resin, that serve as permanent teaching references. Biology classes study them to recognise plant groups and the external features used in classification.

Preserved Plants for the Teaching Lab

Living plants are seasonal and many groups are hard to obtain fresh, so teaching laboratories keep preserved material as a year-round reference. Three forms are common: wet specimens in sealed jars of preserving fluid, which keep their three-dimensional shape; dried and pressed herbarium sheets, which show leaves and flowers flat beside a label; and specimens set in clear resin blocks, which can be handled freely.

A typical teaching series follows the plant kingdom: an alga such as Chara or a seaweed; a moss with its capsule-bearing sporophyte; a fern showing sori under the frond; a gymnosperm such as a pine cone; and flowering plant structures such as flowers, fruits and seeds. Many botany courses add fungi and lichens. Laid out in order, the series shows the move from simple thalloid bodies to plants with true roots, stems, leaves and seeds.

The title does not state which form, which species or how many botany specimens this listing includes. Sets are usually ordered to match a practical syllabus, so the list of groups required is the most useful thing to share when enquiring.

Applications

• Plant kingdom and classification practicals, arranging material from algae to flowering plants
• Spotting examinations where students identify a specimen and give two distinguishing features
• Studying alternation of generations with moss and fern material
• Museum-style displays in school biology laboratories

Care & Handling

• Keep jars of fluid-preserved botany specimens sealed; opening them lets the preservative evaporate and exposes staff to vapour.
• Store herbarium sheets flat in folders, away from damp and insects, and handle them by the sheet, not the plant.
• Place jars and resin blocks out of sunlight, which bleaches plant colours over time.

Specifications

Why Choose LabEquip

Botany teachers usually build a preserved series gradually, adding groups as the syllabus changes. LabEquip lists this item in its biology lab products, and the classification of living beings chart sets out the groups it illustrates. Share the plant groups you need through the contact page.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between a wet specimen and a herbarium specimen?

A wet specimen is kept whole in preserving fluid and holds its shape, which suits fleshy structures such as fruits, fungi or seaweeds. A herbarium specimen is pressed flat, dried and mounted on a sheet with a label, which suits leaves, ferns and flowering shoots.

Which plant groups are usually included in a teaching series?

A series normally runs from algae through mosses, ferns and gymnosperms to flowering plants. Many school botany courses also include fungi and lichens, even though they are no longer classed as plants.

How do moss and fern specimens show alternation of generations?

In a moss the green leafy plant is the gametophyte and the stalked capsule on top is the sporophyte. In a fern the large frond is the sporophyte, with spore clusters called sori underneath, while the gametophyte is a tiny separate prothallus.

What care is needed when a specimen jar has to be opened?

Open it only in a well-ventilated area or fume cupboard, wearing gloves and eye protection, and follow the safety data sheet for the preserving fluid. Reseal the jar promptly and top up the fluid if the material is exposed.

Why do preserved plants lose their colour?

Chlorophyll and many flower pigments break down in light and in preserving fluids, so green material fades towards brown or yellow. Keeping specimens in the dark slows the change, and colour photographs can be used alongside them.

Can students draw from preserved specimens in exams?

Yes. Spotting and drawing from specimens is a standard practical exercise: students name the specimen, state its group and draw it with labels showing the features that place it there.

Last Updated: September 2026