Jan. 28 and Jan. 29, Friday and Saturday -- The public is invited to an open house of the new Center for Plant Diversity at UC Davis. The center is home to the newly relocated UC Davis Herbarium, a collection of about 250,000 dried plant specimens housed in a climate-controlled environment. Herbarium specimens are used in research, teaching and in public service, for example, by helping track the spread of noxious weeds and the demise of rare plant species. The specimens are a historic record of where and when plant species have grown. The UC Davis Herbarium has been called "one of the greatest public services" of UC Davis for its accessibility and impact on scientific research. The Center for Plant Diversity is located in room 1026 in the new Sciences Laboratory Building, between Hutchison Drive and Storer Way. The main doors at the northwest corner of the building will be open. Visiting hours for this event are Friday, Jan. 28, 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday, Jan. 29, 10 a.m. to noon.