[Plant-education] Re: Dried flowers for Botany class

[Jensen, Douglas]

I use FAA (for 1 liter:  900ml 70% Ethanol; 50ml Glacial Acetic Acid; 50
ml Formalin).  I will either keep the flowers in the FAA or transfer to
70% ethanol after a few weeks.  As the solution evaporates, I always top
off with 95% ethanol.  The flower structure remains pretty well, but the
colors bleach quickly.  If anyone knows better solutions that are safe,
I would appreciate hearing about them.

________________________________
Douglas P. Jensen
Assistant Professor and Chair of Biology
Converse College
Spartanburg, South Carolina, 29302
douglas.jensen at converse.edu
(864)596-9123

-----Original Message-----
From: plant-ed-bounces at oat.bio.indiana.edu
[mailto:plant-ed-bounces at oat.bio.indiana.edu] On Behalf Of Sandra
Johnson
Sent: Thursday, May 11, 2006 9:09 AM
To: bionet-plants-education at magpie.bio.indiana.edu
Subject: [Plant-education] Re: Dried flowers for Botany class

monique & everybody,

have you preserved flowers using ethanol?
could you direct me to a procedure in the lit or tell me how you do it?

thanks
sandra

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