Although lacking the freshness and colour of live material, well-collected and prepared specimens with field notes usually provide most of the features needed for identification and systematic research.
Collections must not be made in national or state parks or nature reserves, nor of protected plant species unless a permit has been obtained from the appropriate authority (in NSW it is the Director-General, NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service). Such permits are generally only given for collections made in the course of scientific studies.
For information on identifying plant specimens please see Plant Information and the Botanical Information Service section further below. For information on the collection, preparation and preservation of plant specimens please read the chapter on ‘How to Collect Plants’.