The following description outlines the nature of the specimens that are acquisitioned into the MSU Herbarium, and explains why the MSU Herbarium acquisitions world wide collections of the plant families Leguminosae and Poaceae, as well as general floristic collections from just the cool temperate regions of western North America, especially plant collections from Montana and adjacent states. The MSU Herbarium also targets plant collections from the two major National Parks in this region, Glacier National Park and Yellowstone National Park. This information should underscore what other herbaria may begin an exchange program with MONT.
Since the founding of the MSU Herbarium, successive curators have demonstrated a strong interest in maintaining and developing a research oriented herbarium collection dedicated primarily to the floristic regions found in Montana and adjacent states, namely the Rocky Mountain, the Pacific Northwest, the Great Plains, and the Great Basin floras. We have initiated an exchange program with herbaria in the region, particularly the Rocky Mountain herbarium in Laramie and the Snake River Plains herbarium in Boise. In addition, to faciliate the research interests of Matt Lavin on Leguminosae and the teaching and research interests of Jack Rumely on the Poaceae, an exchange program dealing in legumes and grasses has been ongoing with the Andrew C. Moore Herbarium, University of South Carolina in Columbia, and recently with the Bailey Hortorium at Cornell University. Also, Lavin has initiated exchange with Latin American and European herbaria in order to garner tropical collections of legumes that are pertinent to his systematic studies. These herbaria include the National Herbarium in Mexico City (MEXU). Lavin has been increasing the size of the legume collection by receiving gifts for determination from the National Herbarium in Mexico City (MEXU), the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (K), Missouri Botanical Gardens (MO), the New York Botanical Gardens (NY), and Geneve, Switzerland (G - legumes from the Chaco). Also, Lavin is also developing a collection of photos of type specimens from legume taxa.
The MSU Herbarium also serves as a repository for collectors involved with The Montana Natural Heritage Program (Helena, Montana). This agency has employed some very discriminating plant collectors who have been preferentially using the MSU Herbarium as a repository for their collections during the last 6 years. Such collectors include Peter Achuff, Bonnie Heidel, Klaus Lackschewitz, Earl Layser, Peter Lesica, Lisa Schassberger Roe, Steve Shelly, and Jim Vanderhorst. Also, Hollis Marriot, formerly of the Wyoming Natural Heritage Program in Laramie, has sent numerous collections of threatened and endangered Astragalus from Wyoming for study by Lavin. All of these collections are routinely accessioned into the MSU Herbarium.
The Agricultural Extension Service routinely sends plants to the MSU Herbarium for taxonomic identification. These specimens amount to around 500-600 per year and are often accessioned into the herbarium if the represent state or county records. Such collections are almost entirely of exotic species. However, collections of exotic plant species at the MSU Herbarium are serving as the primary basis for the CAPS (Cooperative Agricultural Pest Survey) program in Montana. CAPS is administered by the USDA, Aphis, PPQ, and the State Survey Coordinator for Montana. Diana Cooksey (on the MSU campus, College of Agriculture), estimates that at least 50 new county records of weedy plant species are entered into the national computer data base, National Agriculturual Pest Information System (NAPIS), each year and from just the specimens newly accessioned by MSU Herbarium. In addition, Peter Rice, from the University of Montana, is currently hiring student labor to database the distribution of weedy plant species in Montana. He also utilizes our database records of plant identifications for the Extension Service so that he can be kept abreast of all new county records that arise.
Finally, the MSU Herbarium will accept voucher specimens from ecological studies. Because of limited storage space, we will accept such vouchers only if they come from studies involving the vegetation of the Rocky Mountain region, the Great Plains, the Great Basin, or of the Pacific Northwest.