Blomtexemplaren

Blomtexemplaren is a term used in botany to denote individual specimens of flowering plants prepared for scientific study and reference. The word combines Swedish roots, with blom meaning flower and exemplar meaning specimen. In practice, blomtexemplaren form the core of floristic documentation in herbaria, botanical gardens, and research collections.

A blomtexemplar typically refers to a pressed and dried flowering shoot or plant portion mounted on a sheet, accompanied by a label containing essential data. This data usually includes the scientific name (with author citation), collection date, locality, habitat, collector, and notes on morphology or color. Each specimen is assigned an accession number and cataloged in a database, and the term may also apply to specimens that retain supplementary material such as seeds or DNA samples in some collections.

Preservation and storage: specimens are pressed and dried to prevent decay, mounted on acid-free sheets, and stored in climate-controlled cabinets. Preventive care against mold and pests, as well as regular curation, are important. With digitization advances, blomtexemplaren are increasingly represented by high-resolution images and metadata in online herbaria, enabling global access without handling the physical sheet.

Taxonomic relevance: blomtexemplaren include holotypes and isotypes used to define species. Accurate labeling and provenance are critical for taxonomic work. They serve as reference material for species descriptions, biodiversity assessments, and ecological research.

See also: herbarium, plant taxonomy, botanical illustration, type specimen.