Biology · The Living World · NEET
A herbarium is a store house of collected plant specimens. The plants are first dried, then pressed flat, and then fixed on sheets of paper. So a herbarium is not a garden of living plants — it is a collection of dead, dried plants kept as records. It is used as a taxonomic aid, which means it helps scientists study and identify plants.
The plant is collected from the field, dried, and pressed flat so it does not rot. It is then mounted (fixed) on a stiff sheet of paper. Each mounted sheet carries a label. The sheets are then stored in a set order. They are arranged according to a universally accepted system of classification, so any related plants are kept together and are easy to find.
The label on a herbarium sheet gives: the date and place of collection, the plant's scientific (botanical) name and its local name, and the name of the collector. This is a very common NEET point. Remember what the label does NOT carry — it does not carry the height of the plant. NEET has asked exactly this.
A herbarium stores dried and pressed plants on sheets — the plants are dead and flat. A botanical garden grows living plants in the soil, and each plant has a label with its scientific name and family. So: herbarium = dried record on paper; botanical garden = living plant collection. Both are taxonomic aids, but one is dead and one is alive.
No. A herbarium is only for plant specimens that are dried and pressed on sheets. A biological museum keeps preserved specimens of animals and plants, often stored in jars with preservative or as stuffed/dried forms and insect boxes. A herbarium is one specific type of collection, mainly for plants.
A herbarium is a taxonomical aid. It gives scientists a permanent, dated record of a plant from a known place. This helps in identification, naming, and classification. For NEET, you mainly need the definition, the label details, and the trap that the label does not record plant height.
The label of a herbarium sheet does not carry information on:
Try the real previous-year questions from this chapter — each with the answer and a full solution.
A herbarium is a store of plant specimens that have been dried, pressed, and mounted on labelled sheets, arranged by an accepted system of classification.
The height of the plant is not on the label. The label carries date and place of collection, scientific name, local name, and the collector's name.
Yes. A herbarium is one of the taxonomical aids used for identification, naming, and classification of plants.
They are arranged according to a universally accepted system of classification, so related plants are kept together and are easy to locate.
