Unusual Stuff - USF Herbarium

The dictionary defines a herbarium as (1) a collection of dried plants systematically arranged, or (2) a room or building in which such a collection is kept. We also see it as another opportunity to store unusual stuff. We know that high-density mobile shelving is great for storing flat files.  Who knew that it would be a great application for storing flattened plant specimens! The herbarium at the University of South Florida in Tampa, which opened in 1956, stores over 250,000 plant specimens from all over the world. A quarter of a million unique plants – amazing! And they add between 2,000 and 4,000 new specimens each year. Some they find and log themselves from their backyard, while they receive others from one of their over 100 herbaria partners around the world (as a member of an exchange program). As part of the program, they received a rare Rhodesian plant with only two leaves. Now that is unusual! 

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