Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 30, 1987)
M_3t l Photo by Itrrrrl Hewitt Herbarium curator and director David Wagner spends much of his time caring for the Univer sity’s collection of rare plants. University's herbarium is home to thousands of plant specimens By Joseph Menzel Of (he Emerald One University library on campus allows its patrons to borrow material for years at a time. They can even withdraw more than 1,000 items at one time. Actually, this library isn’t a library at all but a repository where any number of several thousand plants can be retrieved. This pseudo-library is the University’s herbarium, located just south of University Museum of Natural History near the science library. Herbarium Director and Curator David Wagner’s posi tion is so involved and time consuming, he could easily hire three people just to perform his responsibilities, he says. Still, Wagner is solely respon sible for maintaining what amounts to a room-sized filing cabinet full of flowering plants, ferns, moss and other plant life native to Oregon and the United States. The herbarium loans a signifi cant portion of its specimens to institutions around the country. During any given week, as many as 2,000 to 3.000 specimens may be on loan. What makes the herbarium valuable to botanists and other r= ] Zouch of Class Clothing I We Pay More For Clothes!! Quality Resale for women and children. Specializing in j) natural fibers y for women. L, Mon-Fri. 10:00-5:30 Sat 10:00-5:00 2650 Willamette • 343-0095 Call for appointment scientists is its ability to provide specimens of plants, both com mon and rare, that will enable botanists to make positive iden tifications of specimens they have in their possession. “What makes a specimen valuable is not its rarity, but where it fits into our knowledge of plants,” Wagner says. “Often, it’s difficult to identify plants simply by reading descriptions. A name of a plant is not a verbal description, so original collections are really valuable.” The herbarium holds the col lections of Oregon’s pioneer botanists. The collection in cludes the plants of Thomas Jef ferson Howell, who explored the corners of the state in the mid-1850s looking for specimens. Unfortunately, some of Howell’s specimens have deteriorated, leaving nothing more than twigs. In 1903, Howell gave the University his collection, which initiated the creation of the University’s herbarium that re mains today. The herbarium has grown significantly since Howell made his original contribution. "We have about 1,100 primary specimens, 200 of which are absolutely ir replaceable," Wagner said. The herbarium has specimens from throughout the country, but its focus is on regional material. “We have just about every flowering plant in Oregon. The herbarium itself is a museum used to maintain permanent records of Oregon," Wagner said. The herbarium is now housed in what was once the physical plant’s plumbing shop. As a result, the room has no en vironmental controls, no filter ing system and no temperature controls to maintain the condi tion of the specimens. Still, the plants have been kept virtually intact in their metal cabinets. “For an irreplaceable collec tion housed in a concrete garage, we’ve been lucky,” Wagner said. Wagner said he looks forward to spring when the herbarium will be relocated at the Bio Social building located across Franklin Boulevard. Animals used for scientific experiments once were housed there, so the facility is equipped with en vironmental controls. HALLEY'S COMET PEPSI •m. 12 02.35c mcd. 16 02.45c tfl 24 02. 55c Com«t 32 02.65C CATALYST FILMS PRESENTS SOCIT AIB bdllwiiile CAKTOOI KSTIIA1 Olivet fiom I rokthlte Fall*. Mlnnnoli. an evening of Rocky and Bullwlnkle and all ol their unforgettable- friend* Including Horl* and Nalaaha. Mr Peabody. and of courw. Frar lured Fairy Tale* Jay Ward'* chaiactet* lake cheap *hot» at everything It: the Ametlcan lyitem lor a guaranteed laugh filled evening SATBIBAT JAIDABT SI 7:30 & 9:30 PM 150 Geology ADULTS $2.00/KIDS $1.00 I ! O U P 0 N 1 i ■ ™SY’SNEV^OR^»!zzT FREE delivery and store TAKE OUT COUPON Coupon good Friday-Sunday I Pin Arr ANY LARGE* ME0 yjf I ■ \J\J Urr or small pizza PLUS 2 FREE LARGE SOFT DRINKS STORE HOURS DELIVERY HOURS 11:30 Midnight 5pm Midnight Monday Friday Monday Sunday 3:30pm-Midnlght Saturday and Sunday 1211 Alder on Campus • 680-9598 Coupon good through Feb 1. mwmmmwmmmwmi H 24” X 36” gj 1 COPIES s; " 7 DAYS A WEEK OPEN 24 HOURS aps — Blueprints 8 6 0 E. — Artwork and 1 3 t much more 1—1— 3 4 4 7 8 9 4 EUGENE’S ONLY DISCOUNT PAPER & OFFICE SUPPLY • Stationery and Thesis Papers • Envelopes • Copier Papers • Graphic Arts Supplies • Office Supplies • Plus Computer and D/P Supplies •Computer Paper •Diskettes •Addressing Labels •Ribbons Bapwflu/ “The cash and carry store with warehouse pricing.'* 345-3223 8:00-5:00 Mon-Fri 9:00-1:00 Sat 2641 W. 5th Street r-• j Coupons in the Emerald save you money, f Check every page, every day. It pays. L_ i i i j
