Loans

Loans of specimens are made to botanists at recognized scientific institutions for use in taxonomic/systematic studies. Requests for materials should be directed to the herbarium curators or collection manager. Loans are normally granted for a period of one year, but may be extended when circumstances warrant.

Destructive Sampling

As a rule, the removal of plant parts from the herbarium collections is not permitted without prior written consent from a curator. The use of herbarium specimens for extraction of DNA or other molecular compounds should be considered only when other sources of plant material, including live collections, are not available for study. The decision to allow for the destructive sampling of herbarium collections for scientific research rests with a curator who will consider written requests on a case-by-case basis. If permission is granted, adherence to the Herbarium Destructive Sampling Policy is required.

 

Exchanges

The herbarium participates in specimen exchange agreements with several institutions. Duplicate specimens, typically representative of the desert southwest, may be available on a one-to-one basis to interested herbaria or research institutions.