10 Mondav. Mav 4. 1987 / University Dail Kansan Campus/Area Herbarium is museum, lab By MICHAEL CAROLAN Special to the Kansan The dark room is filled with rows of tall metal cabinets. It is deathly silent, like an unused, deserted storage room. But there is life inside. Inside the cabinets are 350,000 plant specimens, 6,500 seed collections, 4,000 moss and fungus species, 12 million rock fragments in rocks that date back 300,000 years. Welcome to the University of Kansa- Herbarium, the largest plant colony found in the United States. "A lot of people get the idea that we have a lot of live plants here — we don't," said Ralph Brooks, assistant director of the herbarium. But serving as a repository for dried plants is only one of the herbalists. "We've done chemical analysis for the Kansas Bureau of Investigation," Brooks said. "Stuff like analyzing blood or seeds in the stomachs of dead people." "In essence, we are a research and service facility. We are used by the faculty of the University, and by grads and undergrads as well." In addition, the herbarium, which was begun in the 1870s, is a reference center for the U.S Fish and Wildlife Service, the KU department of medicinal chemistry and other universities around the world. The herbarium, which is nestled at the far end of West Campus in the Botanical Research Complex, counts among its clients the state Board of Agriculture and Black & Veatch, an engineering firm with offices in Kansas City, Mo. "Black & Veatch use us to find out if there are any valuable, rare and endangered species in the way of their projects, such as long stretches of highway." Brooks said. "There is a mandate for environmental impact statements now. That makes preservation necessary." The department of medicinal chemistry uses the herbarium to find possible antibiotic remedies prophylactic plants. The herbarium collects plants that might be included in the department for antibiotic material that might be contained in them. Les Mitscher, chairman of the department of medicinal chemistry, said medicines for ailments such as rheumatic fever, tuberculosis and skin boils were made from plants. The herbarium has been exceptional. We couldn't do our work without them. Serving agencies around the region as well as the University, Brooks said, is only a small part of the herbarium's function. "We're interested in what kinds of plants we have, where we have them and how abundantly we have them," Brooks said. The herbarium provides researchers with a library, darkroom, seed germination and growth chambers and a chemical analysis laboratory. A major part of the research done in the herbarium is conducting field work. Brooks and a colleague have just published a book they had worked on in 1974. Brooks said, "It's a technical treatment of all of the plants in the Great Plains region, how they flower, where they are, things like that." The value of his study lies in the uniqueness of the region, Brooks Sidney. "The Great Plains is a huge transition zone between the Rockies and the Eastern forests," he said. "The plant life here has a uniqueness with more subtle changes than you'd see in the East or in the mountains. It's a vast and fascinating area as far as plant life goes." Yet, for Brooks, it is the day-to-day activities that keep his work interest in him. "To me, it's all of the little things — from the long-term projects to never knowing whether the Agriculture board from Topeka or the Fish and Wildlife in Denver will call," Brooks said. "It's the variety of questions and the type of work that we get over here that make it all worthwhile." Ralph Brooks, assistant director of the KU Herbarium, examines one of the 350,000 dried plants stored there. The herbarium has the largest collection of plants in the Great Plains region On the Record A typewriter and desk valued together at $350 were taken between 5 p.m. Sept. 9 and 8 a.m. Sept. 30 from the department of anthropology office at Fraser Hall, KU police reported. An AM-FM stereo valued at $1,000 was taken between 12:30 a.m. and 7:30 a.m. Friday from a car parked Drive, Lawrence police reported. A television, AM-FM radio/cassette player and VCR valued together at $549.90 were taken at 7 a.m. Saturday from a business in the 700 block of West 23rd Street, Lawrence police reported. A purse, wallet and currency valued together at $487 were taken between 11:15 p.m. and 12:15 a.m. Saturday from a car parked in the 1100 block of Indiana Street, Lawrence police reported. An AM-FM stereo valued at $900 was taken between midnight and 8 a.m. Friday from a car parked on the Drive. Lawrence police reported Twenty record albums and a wallet valued together at $300 were taken at 4:30 a.m. Saturday from a car on the street where police reported Street, Lawrence police reported A radar detector valued at $190 was taken between 4 p.m. Friday and 9:10 a.m. Saturday from a car on St. Andrews Drive, Lawrence police reported. SINGLES RACQUETBALL TOURNAMENT Novice, intermediate, advanced. Men's/Women's Divisions. Single elimination. - Friday, Oct. 16 - Sunday, Oct. 18. Register in 208 Rob. Deadline: Oct.14, 5 p.m. Entry Fee: $2 Sponsored by Recreation Services. --- BORDER BANDIDO MONDAY MANIA ALL YOU CAN EAT TACO and SALAD 3AR $2.99 reg. 3.69 Mondays 11 a.m.—10 p.m. NEW LOCATION: 1820 W. 6th (just east of Iowa) 749-2770 1528 W. 23rd (across from post office) 842-8861 CAVING IN THE OZARKS WITH IN THE OZARKS October 16-18 Cost : $15 (Camping fee, 3 meals included) Sign-up at SUA office by Oct. 14. 864-3477 UNITED ARTISTS PRESENTS DANIEL KESTON A NANCY MEYERS/CHARLES SHYER PRODUCTION "BABY BOOM" HAROLD RAMIS · SAM WANAMAKER and SAM SHEPARD as JEFF COOPER MUSIC BY BILL CONTI · Director of Photography WILLIAM A. FRAKER, A.S.C. Written by NANCY MEYERS & CHARLES SHYER Produced by NANCY MEYERS Directed by CHARLES SHYER DIANE KEATON In PG PARENTAL SURANCE SUGGESTED *** SOME MATERIAL MAY NOT BE SUFFICIENT FOR CHILDREN. - All Covered Activity Protected on All Rights Reserved TUESDAY, OCTOBER 13th - 8:00 P.M. HOCH AUDITORIUM Sponsored By S.U.A. Films FREE STUDIO LINE SAMPLES K. U. FACULTY/STAFF AND STUDENT QUARTERBACK CLUB Time - 12:00 (Noon) - 1:00 p.m. You are invited to join football coach Bob Valesente for Monday noon Quarterback Club meetings. Date - Mondays during football season Place-Adams Center Summerfield Room *Optional Lunch - $5.00 Soup and Sandwich Buffet Coach Val will review the previous game, show game films and preview the next game.