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Labels
Currently, all living plants are given an eight-digit accession number. The first four digits indicate the year the material was received and the last four are sequential numbers starting with 0001 for the first plant of the year (for example, 20030001). Prior to the year 2001, all plants received a six-digit accession number. The first two digits indicate the year the material was received and the last four are sequential numbers for that year starting with 0001. Short-lived plants or temporary display plants, such as annuals and tulips, are currently not accessioned. Plants with accession numbers starting with "X" represent plants whose origins are unknown.
When a plant is put on public display, an additional label is created. These labels are engraved on laminated plastic using a computerized engraving machine and are embossed with the accession number, common name (if applicable), scientific name, cultivar or tademark name (if applicable), common family name, scientific family name, and native distribution.
A Typical Public Display Label
- Common name
- Scientific name
- Cultivar
- Family
- Distribution
- Accession #