Destructive Sampling Policy
Permission may be granted to sample material from MICH collections on a case-by-case basis. We recognize the usefulness of selected herbarium specimens as the source of morphological material (pollen, spores, seeds, etc.), for DNA, or other purposes. Because preservation of the value of the specimen for morphological examination is also one of our primary objectives, the following guidelines must be followed when using MICH material for DNA extraction. Destructive sampling will be most favorably considered for recent specimens that have an ample amount of the desired material.
Sampling from type specimens and historical collections is not permitted unless authorized by written permission from a member of the MICH curatorial staff.
Specimens may be sampled only for scientific study, not for commercial purposes.
Permission will not be granted if the collection is rare, or too small to allow the loss of any material.
For specimens mounted on sheets, please use material in the packet on the sheet, if available, and, if taking small samples from intact leaves, please take the material in such a way as to not compromise future leaf shape and size measurements (i.e., do not clip off tips, bases, auricles, etc.).
Specimens used in destructive sampling studies must be annotated. The annotation slip should include the type of material removed, date of removal, and the person responsible for the sampling. For DNA extractions, the GenBank accession number should be provided to MICH and cited in any resulting publication.
Please consult MICH with any questions about this policy or about suitability of individual specimens.
Information Products
While it is our intention to provide accurate information, our data is compiled from the information collectors provide on their labels. The accuracy of label information is a reflection of the knowledge and expertise of the individual collector.
The user agrees to acknowledge the Herbarium whenever its data or images are used.
The Herbarium reserves the right to make changes, corrections, additions, and/or deletions to their data and images and is under no obligation to supply the user with updates, unless an agreement for updates is previously arranged.
The user is solely responsible for all uses of the data or images supplied by the Herbarium. The user further agrees to indemnify and hold the University of Michigan and the Herbarium harmless for any claims, suits, causes of action, judgments, damages, and costs expenses, including court costs and reasonable attorney fees, arising from the use of the data or images, or any actions taken based upon the data or images provided by the Herbarium.
