Where applicable, the species or botanical variety selected for collection should be the same as that specified in the national pharmacopoeia or recommended by other authoritative national documents of the end-user's country, as the source for the herbal medicines concerned. In the absence of such national documents, the selection of species or botanical varieties specified in the pharmacopoeia or other authoritative documents of other countries should be considered. In the case of newly introduced medicinal plants, the species or botanical variety selected for collection should be identified and documented as the source material used or described in traditional medicine in original countries.

Collectors of medicinal plants and producers of medicinal plant materials and herbal medicines should prepare botanical specimens for submission to regional or national herbaria for authentication. The voucher specimens should be retained for a sufficient period of time, and should be preserved under proper conditions. The name of the botanist or other experts who provided the botanical identification or authentication should be recorded. If the medicinal plant is not well known to the community, then documentation of the botanical identity should be recorded and maintained.