Plant Pest Diagnostics Center - Botany Laboratory
Quick Links
- Insect Pest Sheets
- California State Collection of Arthropods
- CDFA Herbarium
- CDFA Seed Herbarium
- CDFA Nematode Collection
- CDFA Plant Pathogen Collections
- National Plant Diagnostics Network (NPDN)
- Western Plant Diagnostics Network (WPDN)
Botany Laboratory Overview
The Botany Laboratory provides plant identification services, noxious weed distribution information, and biological support data to the county agricultural Commissioners offices, the general public, CDFA programs and various other State and Federal agencies. These activities function to help prevent the introduction and spread of serious weed pests and to identify host plants of insects, plant diseases, and plant parasitic nematodes. Plant identification is an integral part of weed pest exclusion, detection, control, and eradication. It is also important to other units of the Department, such as the Animal Health & Food Safety Services, Inspection Services and to County departments of agriculture, which require prompt and accurate botanical information in pursuit of their goals.Seventy-five percent of the counties submit 90% or more of their plant specimens to the Botany Laboratory/Herbarium CDA for identification or confirmation. The ability of the laboratory to assist field programs promptly and accurately has aided in pinpointing the distribution of the major weed pests in the State. Between 1997 and the present, the Botany Laboratory averaged approximately 3000 plant identifications per year for CDFA clients and named an additional 700+ specimens per year for other agencies or individuals.
The herbarium (CDA) contains approximately 40,000 specimens and has an active specimen exchange program with State, National and International herbaria. These specimens form the basis for ensuring accurate identification of plants new to or currently growing in California. Field investigations are also an essential part of the program; not only to collect specimens, duplicates of which form the nucleus of the exchange program and populate the collection itself, but also to evaluate such things as the environmental conditions influencing the presence of new or existing plant populations. The Herbarium has accessioned approximately 15,000 specimens since 1997.
Diagnostics Responsibilities:
| Scientist | Diagnostic Responsibilities |
| Dr. Fred Hrusa | General California Floristics, invasive weeds |
| Dr. Dean Kelch | General California Floristics, invasive weeds |