Workshop Report on Herbarium Methodology and Plant Identification
Two days workshop on ‘Herbarium Methodology and Plant Identification’ was organised by P.G. Dept. of Botany, Ramakrishna Mission Vivekananda Centenary College (RKMVCC), Rahara, Kolkata in collaboration with Central National Herbarium & ENVIS Resource Partner on Biodiversity (Flora), Botanical Survey of India (Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change, Government of India, New Delhi), Howrah on 15th & 16th March, 2022. The resource persons for the workshop were Dr. R.K. Gupta, Scientist ‘E’ & HoO, CNH, BSI, Dr. K. Karthigeyan, Scientist ‘E’, CNH, BSI & In-charge, ENVIS RP on Biodiversity (Flora), BSI, Dr. Avishek Bhattacharjee, Scientist ‘C’, CNH, BSI., Dr. Anand Kumar, Botanist, Hqrs., BSI., Dr. Gopal Krishna, Bot. Asst., Hqrs., BSI, Dr. Anant Kumar, Bot. Asst., Hqrs., BSI, Dr. Shyam Biswa, Bot. Asst., CNH, BSI, Mr. Zeeshan Mazhar, Bot. Asst., CNH, BSI, Mr. Sudipta Sardar, Bot. Asst., CNH, BSI, Ms. Ruma Bhadra, Prev. Asst., CNH, BSI, Sri Aloke Mukherjee, Fieldman, BSI (Retd.) and Sri Tarani Kumar Baidya, Fieldman, BSI (Retd.).
A total of 74 participants including sixty eight P.G. students from West Bengal State University, Bethune College, Lady Brabourne College, Serampore College, Ramakrishna Mission Vivekananda Centenary College along with 6 Faculty members attended the workshop.
On 15th March, 2022, the workshop started with the welcome address from Dr. Biswajit Roy, Asst. Professor, Dept. of Botany, Ramakrishna Mission Vivekananda Centenary College followed by a brief introduction about the workshop by Swami Kamalasthananda, Principal, RKMVCC, Rahara. Dr. R.K. Gupta, Scientist ‘E’ & HoO, CNH, BSI and Dr. K. Karthigeyan, Scientist ‘E’, CNH, BSI & In-charge, ENVIS RP on Biodiversity (Flora), BSI also addressed the participants during this inaugural session. The inaugural session was concluded with vote of thanks by Dr. Biswajit Ghosh, P.G. Coordinator, Dept. of Botany, RKMVC College.
The technical session started after a small tea break with a lecture on ‘Herbarium Methodology’ by Dr. K. Karthigeyan. The lecture covered in detail, history of herbarium, types of herbarium, importance of herbarium in plant identification and documentation and plant collection techniques. The session continued with a practical demonstration regarding collection and processing of plant specimens and the technique of making herbarium sheets by Dr. K. Karthigeyan, Dr. Avishek Bhattacharjee, Dr. Anant Kumar, Dr. Shyam Biswa, Mr. Sudipta Sardar, Mr. Zeeshan Mazhar, Ms. Ruma Bhadra, Mr. Aloke Mukherjee and Mr. T.K. Baidya. After lunch break the practical session on ‘Plant Identification’ was conducted by Dr. Avishek Bhattacharjee, Dr. Anant Kumar and Dr. Shyam Biswa giving special emphasis on the families Amaranthaceae, Apocynaceae, Asteraceae, Cannaceae, Cyperaceae, Euphorbiaceae, Lamiaceae, Leguminosae, Malvaceae, Orchidaceae, Poaceae, Polygonaceae, Ranunculaceae, Solanaceae, Zingiberaceae and Zygophyllaceae. The first day of the workshop ended at 4.30 p.m. with tea and snacks.
Inauguration of workshop at RKMVCC, Rahara, Kolkata
Students participated in the workshop
Dr. K. Karthigeyan, delivered lecture on Herbarium Methodology.
Dr. Anant Kumar and Dr. Shyam Biswa delivered lecture on plant identification
Dr. Avishek Bhattacharjee delivered lecture on ‘Different kinds of names’ of plants
Dr. Gopal Krishna delivered lecture on ‘Origin of Family Names’
Students shared their views
Students shared their views
Distribution of certificate to the students
Distribution of certificate to the students
Distribution of certificate to the students
Distribution of certificate to the students