### Mini FAQ for sci.bio.botany # 061 ###

A mini "Frequently Asked Questions" for sci.bio.botany

This is an unmonitored ("feral") NG that is irregular in all other respects
as well, foremost in the frequency of postings. The topic is botany, in all
its aspects, but excluding topics covered in other newsgroups, such as
gardening, cooking with plants, education about plants, etc.

Frequently Asked Questions include:
Can someone ID this flower?
Can someone ID this fruit?
Can someone ID this leaf?
etc

But questions are posed in a very wide range of topics ("Is there such a
thing as a walking palm?", "I am stuck in my lab procedure for a ADP-Glucose
Pyrophosphorylase Assay, please help!", "What is the Classic Greek word for
birch?", etc). Some people think this NG knows everything there is to know
about plants! For an in-depth impression see the archives at
[Only registered users see links. ]
Many questions of a general nature can be answered by consulting the
archives or just a search engine (a frequent question is "I have this school
project. Can someone write my paper for me?" with the standard response:
"try Google" or "DAGS").

Since this is a slow NG (in numbers of postings per week) great tolerance
has been observed when dealing with some fringe figures, who post
anonimously. Over time it has become clear that logic and reason do not help
in dealing with them.

Fortunately this NG is not being hit by 'real trolls': the worst offender
being "Cereus-validus <[Only registered users see links. ]> " (FWIW "Cereus validus"
is Latin for "The Mighty Wax-Candle" which, as self-descriptions go, is
fairly accurate). Things have been getting worse of late things and putting
this address (or whatever address he changes to) into the killfile will
ensure missing out on a lot of garbage. In addition, putting anybody who
cross-posts (to three or more groups) in the killfile will also be helpful
(something that is crossposted will hardly ever be worth reading, and those
who engage in crossposting will hardly ever have something worthwhile to
contribute).

GLOSSARY & WEBDIRECTORY:

BOTANICAL NAMES:
Plantfinder at [Only registered users see links. ]
This is a directory of names of plants offered for sale in the UK. Standards
are pretty high, both as concerns correct spelling and currency of names.

A competing, but as yet small-scale plantfinder
[Only registered users see links. ]

A lively-looking site with a database of cultivated plants is at:
[Only registered users see links. ]
This also offers pictures. It is unclear how good a standard is reached?

GRIN at [Only registered users see links. ]
Well-kept database of economically important plants.

TROPICOS (or W3TROPICOS) at
[Only registered users see links. ]
This is a list of current names maintained at the Missouri Botanical
Gardens. It is to be kept in mind that this is a work in progress, with
quality and coverage varying, being especially good in areas where the
Missouri Botanical Gardens is active.

IPNI at [Only registered users see links. ], [Only registered users see links. ] or [Only registered users see links. ]
Basically this is a list of all scientific names of vascular plants ever
published, in the form they were published. It is not complete (names below
the rank of species were indexed in only one of the component indexes, until
recently) and the names listed are not necessarily spelled correctly by
today's standards.

ING at [Only registered users see links. ]
(genus names only)

Algal names:
[Only registered users see links. ]

Fungal names:
[Only registered users see links. ]

A checklist for US plants:
[Only registered users see links. ]
More US plant data:
[Only registered users see links. ]

Multilingual lists of common names:
[Only registered users see links. ]


SYSTEMATICS
It is in the nature of things that Systems of Taxonomic Classification
change whenever new techniques of research become available, yielding new
information. The APG-system (based on two chloroplast genes, supported by a
gene with a ribosomal function) stepped forward first in 1993 (in modest
form) and was published in full glory in 1998, with APG II being published
in 2003. It made a big impression quickly. APG is an abbreviation
(Angiosperm Phylogeny Group), indicating the group of scientists
collaborating in this venture.
A brief overview of the APG system can be found at
[Only registered users see links. ]
The APG itself has an extensive website at:
[Only registered users see links. ]
There also is a system book, "Plant Systematics, a phylogenetic
approach", now in its second edition (2002).
The previous well-accepted system, now starting to be displaced by
APG but still going strong in many places, is that by Arthur Cronquist
(1919-1992). A popular system book based on the Cronquist System is
"Flowering Plants of the World" by Heywood (latest news is that Heywood is
rewriting to conform to APG). The standard reference on plant taxonomy, The
Plant-book by D.J.Mabberley, now in its second edition (1997, 2002), also
uses a version of Cronquist, but the third edition will use APG II.

The Tree of Life for land plants:
[Only registered users see links. ]

ICBN, the International Code of Botanical Nomenclature at
[Only registered users see links. ]
is the Code regulating scientific plant names.
There will be a new edition in mid-2006.

Many databases of taxonomic data have been brought into DELTA and are at
[Only registered users see links. ]
(previously [Only registered users see links. ]),
such as plant family descriptions at
[Only registered users see links. ]
(previously at [Only registered users see links. ])


PICTURES
Pictures of California wildflowers at
[Only registered users see links. ]

Pictures of plants, by a botanist based on Hawaii:
[Only registered users see links. ]

Just stunning pictures:
[Only registered users see links. ]

Pictures of trees (Northeast of US):
[Only registered users see links. ]

Pictures of trees (Southeast of US):
[Only registered users see links. ]

Pictures of trees (Southwest of US):
[Only registered users see links. ]

More trees:
[Only registered users see links. ]
[Only registered users see links. ]
US State Trees:
[Only registered users see links. ]
Some popular tropical trees:
[Only registered users see links. ]

Brazilian trees:
[Only registered users see links. ]

Amazon fruits:
[Only registered users see links. ]

Gymnosperms:
[Only registered users see links. ]
giving a great deal of detail


KEYS
A simple key for trees is at:
[Only registered users see links. ]


Several keys:
[Only registered users see links. ]


ALIEN INVADERS:
[Only registered users see links. ]

invading Canada :
[Only registered users see links. ]


NG-RELATED SITES
A field trip in West Texas:
[Only registered users see links. ]

Malvales/Malvaceae:
[Only registered users see links. ]
[Only registered users see links. ]

Plant blindness:
[Only registered users see links. ]

Tree ID:
[Only registered users see links. ]
idem for wildflowers:
[Only registered users see links. ]

Fossil Algae:
[Only registered users see links. ]



AN OVERVIEW OF MORE LINKS:
[Only registered users see links. ]

thank you this sites are great and useful.