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Choose Taxonomy in the main Menu to open the List Species window:
The List Species window is used to search for taxa. You can search for a given Family, a Genus or Species by using the corresponding fields, whilst for other taxonomic levels (e. g. tribe, subspecies) the relevant category needs to be selected from the drop-down list under Rank. You can also limit the search results to accepted names, synonyms, illegitimate names and a variety of other taxonomic status with the drop-down list under Status.
By combining search terms with wildcards, it is possible to generate taxon lists. For instance, to search for all species of Jurinea, type Jurinea in Genus and the wildcard % in Species or, alternatively, choose “everything” in Status. Note that by just leaving Species and Status blank, only the entry containing genus Jurinea will be returned in the search. To search for all accepted names by Boissier at the species level in the genus Carduus, type Carduus in Genus, the wildcard % in Species, select acc. in Status, species in Rank and type Boiss. in Author.
Further combinations are possible. For instance, you can search for all Carduus species starting or ending in “s” by typing s% or %s, in Species.
Note: Searches producing more than 1000 hits cannot be displayed.
By clicking a taxon in a search the edit Species window is accessed. Here the different attributes of the selected taxon (status, literature citation, synonyms, etc.) can be entered or modified. In the following section we will review the possibilities of edit Species using Pinus abies L. as an example.
By clicking Pinus abies in the list Species search page, we access the edit Species window for that entry.
After a brief look at the Plant List, we discover that Pinus abies L. is a synonym of Picea abies (L.) H. Karst., so some editing is needed. To enter the editing mode, press the Edit button at the bottom of the page. As a result, the taxonID field is displayed in light green.
Click the drop-down list tax. Status and select syn.
Input Picea abies (L.) H. Karst. in the field accepted Taxon. This field is auto-completing and typing “pic ab” automatically displays the option Picea abies (L.) H. Karst. on your screen. You just need to click it to fill in the box. If no suggestions are displayed, the taxon is not yet in the database and you will need to enter it (see next section).
Now you need to input the reference for the accepted taxon. Click accepted Taxon and the window list Synonyms will open.
Click add new Line and the window edit Synonymy opens.
Input the available information. In field acc. taxon type Picea abies and in source, select service and then the name of the online database where you checked, for instance The Plant List (K and MO) and the date in Ref Date.
Note: The Plant List is a compilation of several data sets, such as ILDIS (Leguminosae), WCSP (World Checklist of Selected Plant Species), TICA (Global Compositae Checklist) or TROPICOS. The source of any entered taxon is given in The Plant List. Usually such taxonomic data lists should be entered in the field source (service) but you should check if the status is still correct (e.g. search for a taxon of Leguminosae in ILDIS). In special cases, status information is given in The Plant List before the original data set is officially online (e.g. “WCSP (in review)”). As a result, you will not find such a taxon name in WSCP and this taxon should be linked to The Plant List in the field source. Additionally the short information “WCSP (in review)” can be copied in the field annotations.
Alternatively, you can use person, if the synonymy is unpublished and for instance provided by a reviser on a herbarium label. If a literature reference is available, then select literature and type the name of the author and also e.g. the year to reduce the provided list of references. If you cannot find your reference among them, you will need to input the reference (see the Literature section for further details).
Once finished, click the button Update to save changes.
Note: You can add multiple synonymys to show the revision history of the taxa, making sure the most recent one is selected in the edit Species window.
Back in the edit Species page you can add literature references by clicking edit Index which opens the list Index window.
Then click add new Line (for further details refer to Literature).
Note: In some cases it might be necessary to enter two literature references.
Example 1: A name is validly published on a herbarium label (see “schedae-publications” in structure of literature) and later published in a journal; add both the label and the journal, as journals tend to be more widely accessible than the label.
Example 2: A name is published in 2 different publications and it is impossible to know which came first i.e. both were published the same year but the month is not specified. If the 2 articles are found in the same journal, assume that the one that comes first is published earlier.
Back to the edit Species window, it is also possible to include types and protologues. Clicking edit Type, opens the window list Type.
By clicking add new Line you open the edit Type window, which should be filled in with the information extracted from the original publication (protologue). The field annotations should contain the indicatio locotypica. Use quotation marks for the original text of the protologue. You can use square brackets to add relevant information (like [nom. nud.]; or to add the collector, collection date etc. if it is not mentioned in the protologue but elsewhere in the text) or to omit irrelevant parts (for instance morphological descriptions […]).
You can check the changes in the edit Species form, after clicking Reload.
Combinations and new names should always be linked with their basionyms. In the preceding example, Picea abies (L.) H. Karst. needs to be linked to its basionym, Pinus abies L. To access the edit Species form of Picea abies, click the Link button under its name in accepted Taxon. You can access the edit Species form of any taxon by filling the desired name in the accepted Taxon or Basionym fields (making sure you are not in editing mode). This will display a drop-down list where you can select the targeted name. Then by clicking enter on your keyboard the Link button will appear below the field. Click on it and the desired edit Species window will open.
Now enter the editing mode and type the basionym name Pinus abies L. in the field basionym.
In order to check if the synonyms are correctly linked enter e. g. Ranunculus ficaria subsp. bulbifer (Marsden-J.) Lawalrée Willd. It is synonym of the accepted name Ficaria verna Huds. Now click on list synonyms and this window will open, where all the linked synonyms are listed below the accepted name: heterotypic synonyms – preceded by ”=” – and homotypic ones – preceded by “≡”.
Recommendation:
If your specimen is the type for a later synonymized name, and the accepted name does not appear on the herbarium sheet, you will need to add an annotation label. Here you should include: (1) the information source (e.g. “fide TROPICOS” or “fide R. Govaerts & al. 2008. World checklist of Myrtaceae”); (2) the accepted name (e.g. ≡ Picea abies or = Picea abies, depending on whether the names are homotypic or heterotypic synonyms, respectively); and (3) the name and affiliation of the reviser, and the revision date (e. g. “annot. P. Escobar García (W) 2013-06”).
Note: Only add an annotation label for information that is completely different to that given on the herbarium sheet such as: type status, basionym, accepted name, author(s). If there is only a slight divergence i.e. a missing “ex …” in the authorship there is no need for a new label).
Before entering a new species, make sure the name is not yet in the database. Please note that there may already be homonyms with different authors in the database!
We will use the name Phonus rhiphaeus (Font Quer & Pau) G. López as an example.
From the main list Species window click on new entry, to open a blank data entry form. Check to see if the name has already been entered by typing it in the fields accepted Taxon or Basionym. A drop-down list will appear showing the most similar names to your input, in alphabetical order.
As you can see, Phonus rhiphaeus is not yet in the database. Start by typing Phonus in the field Genus, and selecting the appropriate name from the drop-down list.
Then type rhiphaeus in the Species field. As you can see from the drop-down list, the epithet rhiphaeus is not yet in the database.
To enter a new epithet, click on the Species field and the window edit Epithet will open. Type the new epithet and click Insert. Now you can select your new epithet from the drop-down list in the Species field. Please be very careful with the spelling and always check new epithets in a standard work. Take care not to introduce blank spaces after the last letter if you copy and paste!
Start typing the author “Font Quer &…”; the desired combination (Font Quer & Pau) G. López does not appear in the drop-down list so you need to input the new author combination in the database.
To add a new authorship click on the field Author to open th edit Author window. Type the new authorship in Author and click Insert. Now you can select it from the drop-down list. Abbreviations of author names generally follow Brummit & Powell (1992), and are available at the online database ipni.org. Note that only the clickable, underlined author names follow the standardized form. You can include them in our database after adding blank spaces after the initials (e. g. „B.Bremer“ should become „B. Bremer“). Before entering a new complex authorship check separately for the correct standard form of each author’s name. The field Author can be filled either with a complex authorship or a single author’s name. In the latter case, you have to fill the Brummit field with the complete name and further relevant information such as dates of birth and death.
Finish by adding other information, such as the Basionym, accepted Taxon, etc. Link the names to their basionyms as explained here.
If your specimen does not include the accepted name on the herbarium sheet, you will need to add it on a label. (see Taxonomy - Adding Annotations).
New entries can also be added by copying an existing one and then editing it. This option is useful when entering homonyms or infraspecific taxa that share some fields with entries already present in the database. In the following example we will input the name Eurybia rudis Benth. var. arguta Benth. using the existing entry Eurybia rudis Benth. as a template.
First, enter the Pinus abies L. edit Species form by searching in list Species or as already explained in the previous section.
Then click New & Copy at the bottom of the edit Species form. Edit the required fields, in our case Author and accepted Taxon.
Click Insert.
Note: New epithets and author’s names can only be added in blank fields, as existing ones cannot be overwritten. If you need to add a new epithet or author’s name, you can do it using any empty field of the infraspecific ranks.
Follow the previous steps and continue adding the relevant information in the suitable fields (Subspecies, Variety etc.).
Start by selecting Taxonomy in the main menu and then clicking new entry in the list Species form.
This opens a new edit Species form.
Make sure that the genus is not yet entered in the database, paying special attention to the existence of possible orthographic variants. Write the new genus (e. g. Razafimandimbisonia) in the Genus field and a drop-down list will display the genera already present in the database with their corresponding authors, families and identity numbers. Please note the possible existence of homonymous genera in the database. Always ay attention the author and family!
In our example Razafimandimbisonia is not yet entered in the database.
Open the edit Genera window by clicking Genus in the new edit Species window.
Start by entering Razafimandimbisonia in the Genus field (there is no drop-down list here), then the author in the Author field. Choose family using the Family field. Check always for the genus name in Index Nominum Genericorum ING. If the genus you want to enter is not there this should be noted in the Remarks field. Add a type species if known.
Click Insert when you are ready, making sure that everything is correct as the fields will no longer be editable after. The edit Genera window will close.
Now back in the edit Species form enter the author(s) in the Author field and choose genus in Rank. Then press the Insert button.
There are two possibilities for entering hybrids.
Open a new edit Species form, enter the genus name (for example Potamogeton) and choose Genus in the Rank field. Then choose x in the tax. Status field. Then click Insert. This makes the field tax. Status change into parents. By clicking on the parents button, you can enter the parental species. Save changes by clicking Insert when finished. The hybrid formula will appear on top line of the edit Species page, besides the taxonID and change the Rank field to species.
Hybrid formulas appear only as a genus name in the drop-down lists of the accepted Taxon or Basionym fields (each with its own ID number). To search for hybrid formulas go to the list Species form, input the relevant genus name and select x in Status.
Enter the epithet in the corresponding rank (Species, Subspecies, Variety etc.) and proceed as explained above.
Information regarding types and typification should be entered in the database at two levels: Specimens and Taxonomy. In the edit Specimens form the T field allows you to choose the kind of type from a drop-down list (holo-, isolecto-, syn-, etc.). The field typified by should be filled in with the information available on the researcher who typified the voucher. Enter the researcher´s name, their herbarium or institutional acronym in brackets [e.g. (M) for Munich] and the date of the typification [e.g. S. Zarre (M) 1994].
Clicking on T opens the list Specimens Types window. Here, you should enter the names a given specimen is the type for. Click add new line to start inputting information and a second window edit Specimens Types will open. Enter the basionym in taxon (here only basionyms are correct), the kind of type in type, the reviser with institution acronym in typified by and date if available in date. Any further information can be added in annotations [e. g. information about lectotypification (please add the reference), divergent opinions about the typifications, etc.]. Click Insert to save and close the list Specimens Types window.
Note that a given specimen can be the type of more than one name, or that different revisers may hold conflicting or complementary opinions. In this case, use add new line to enter further typifications as explained before. If a certain species is type for a genus, you need to add this information to the type specimen.
Above the Genus field there is the type specimens button, which allows you to check the typification entries for the relevant taxon. This opens the list Specimens window, which displays the typified name (basionym) on the top with all the entered specimens listed under their accepted names. The specimens button takes you to the main list Specimens window where you will see all the specimens entered under the name, including those that are not types for that name. The number in brackets next to each button indicates the number of entries in each case.
Pedro's diagram (Google docs) type categories.
Karen´s diagram (Google docs)specimen typification.
Name categories diagram (Google docs) Name categories diagram.
Captures of name categories diagram (Google docs) Captures of name categories diagram.
Case 1
Dealing with a lectotypified taxon consisting of several syntypes which are recently linked to different accepted taxa, you may have problems to print labels for the syntypes. The accepted taxon on the printed labels will always be that of the lectotypified specimen independent of the syntypes.
In such a case you have to temporarily change the accepted taxon on the edit species page in accepted taxon to the name which you need to appear on the label. After saving your changes, you can print the labels.
Remember to change the accepted taxon back to that of the lectotypified syntype.
### mit Beispiel und vermutlich auch screenshots ######
A click on the Chorology button opens a search form for chorological information of taxa.
Clicking on the Literature button opens a search window for literature references. As an example, open the record “Flora Orientalis” by Boissier. by typing „fl. orient“ in the field Periodical. You get a list of all the volumes under this title (in this case all the volumes are already entered into the database). There are seven volumes (1, 2, 3, 4(1), 4(2), 5(1), 5(2) and Supplement) published between 1867 and 1888, furthermore the volumes 1-5 were published by Boissier, the Supplement by Buser.
Click on the first volume to enter the record.
Going through the data fields from left to right, top to bottom:
CITATION ID | Every literature record has its own ID number. |
< > | The two arrows allow you to scroll through your search results. |
DATE* | Date of publication. Written as: YYYY-MM-DD (or just YYYY-MM, YYYY). For references published over a period of time, the start and end date are entered in the 2 fields, respectively. |
CATEGORIES* | Indication of the kind of literature (e.g. biography). Chosen from the drop-down menu. Most literature is listed as “floras, systematics” (in rare cases “biography”, “history”, “herbaria” etc. are used). |
EDIT INDEX | List of newly described taxa. |
CITED TAXA | List of mentioned taxa of special interest. |
CITED PERSONS | List of mentioned persons of special interest. |
LIST CONTAINER | Shows structure within complex literature (e.g. chapters). |
EDIT CONTAINER | Enables to edit this structure. |
URL | Link to publication online. Insert the web link or, if available, the DOI number (note 1). |
TITLE* | Full title. This can be the title of a chapter, volume, monograph, etc. It is free text and ended with a full stop [.]. Do not abbreviate. |
KEYWORDS | Describing the publication. |
SUPTITLE | “super title” Cannot be inserted/edited any more; will be removed shortly. |
ANNOTATION | Further annotations. Free text on anything to be noted. |
AUTHOR{S}* | Chosen from the drop-down list. All (!) authors should be added in the order given in the literature itself or in a database. e.g. The “Flora of China”: each volume is edited by an editorial committee and composed of several chapters, written by different authors. Thus, the volumes themselves are inserted with the editors as AUTHORS, whereas the single chapters (genera or families) are entered as separate records with the respective authors. The chapter records can then be linked to the volume records by means of Edit Container. You can choose “unclear” if the authorship of the publication isn't evident or “Anonymous” if no name(s) are given. In the database, authors are given as: “Boissier, P. E.” for Pierre Edmond Boissier. If the forenames are unknown or unclear, only the name is listed. Names with “MC” or “Mac” are written as “McNeill, J.” Titles of nobility are inserted like “Wettstein, R. von”. Pay attention to the correct form of the double family name, e. g. “Fuente García, V. de la, Sánchez-Mata, D. & Moreno Saiz, J. C”. Multiple authors are combined with “&” and/or a comma i.e. “Schiffner, V. & Arnell, S. W.” or “Huter, R., Porta, P. & Rigo, G.” |
EDITOR{S} | cannot be used any more, will be removed shortly. |
PERIODICAL* | Periodical (note 4) or monograph (note 5) in standard abbreviation. Publications are chosen from the drop-down menu. They are listed in the database in standard abbreviation according to TL2,BPH or IPNI. Note that in this database the field PERIODICAL is used for both periodicals4 and monographs5 (special case: theses (note 6)) |
UNNAMED (LEFT) | Volume, part etc. Volume number (in Arabic numerals or text i.e.“Supplement”). |
UNNAMED (MIDDLE) | Subdivisions (also in Arabic numerals and/or text). |
UNNAMED (RIGHT) | Pages, figures and tabulae. The range of pages. Essentially, the pages as noted in the book (in Arabic numerals). If the first page number(s) are not printed, but followed by printed numbers, this is indicated by [ ], i.e. [1]-278 or [1-3]-278 (with the first three pages unnumbered). If there is a preface with extra pagination, this is also indicated, i.e. “1-7, 1-278” or “i-vii, 1-278” (depending on whether these numbers are given in Arabic or Roman numerals.) In case the preface does not have any extra pagination or just a part of it, this is indicated by [ ], i.e. “[i-iii], 1-278” or [i-xv]-xxx, [1]-253. If there are several prefaces with extra pagination and extra symbols, this is also indicated (see the example below). Figures (note 2) and tabulae (note 3) are listed after the pagination with their abbreviations “fig.” and “tab.” (plural “figs.” & “tabs.”), separated by a comma. If the figures/tabulae are numbered this is indicated by “figs. 1-15”, otherwise the total number is indicated as “3 figs.”. Example: In more complicated cases, the complete pagination might look like this: “[i-iii], [i]-xxxiv, [1]-1017, 7 figs., tabs. 1-5” which means: (i) a first preface of unnumbered pages (ii) a second preface of numbered pages, with the first page unnumbered (iii) 7 figures without numbering (iv) 5 numerated tabulae. |
PRINTER | Printer/publisher from the drop-down list, as indicated in the literature itself or in databases. |
PRINTING LOC. | Printing locality. Free text, as given in the literature itself or in a database. |
ADDITIONS | Further additions. |
LISTING | Indicates whether the information has been checked on the basis of the original literature or is taken from other sources. Chosen from a drop-down list. Common options are: * CHECKED: the original literature has been seen. (NB: In this case the fields URL and/or SIGNATURE should be filled in as well) * DESIDERATUM: literature was inserted based on data from databases, but could not be checked. Desideratum indicates that this literature would be of interest and should be looked for. * OPEN: all the data inserted has been derived from databases or the herbarium specimen but the original publication could not be checked. * REPRINT: a reprint from the original literature was available and could be checked. This is additionally indicated in the reprint´s pagination or date which might differ from the original. |
RECENT PUBLICATION | Tick box if applies. |
SIGNATURE | Library reference number. |
< LITERATURE | to return back to the search page |
RELOAD | Makes saved changes in the form visible |
RESET | Return to the original status of the record (only if the record has not been updated in the mean time). |
EDIT | Make changes to an existing record. |
INSERT | Insert a new record. |
NEW© | Use an existing record as template for a new entry. |
INSERT© | Make a new record based on the previous entry. |
INSERT&NEW | Make a new record from a blank form. |
LIBRARY | Information about availability of the reference in libraries, pdf collection, internet sources. |
* fields with an asterisk are mandatory
Some recommendations to optimize searches:
A general search query using only the field Periodical for the name of an important journal will yield dozens of entries, making it necessary to refine the search terms.
In the case of monographs with a single or few volumes it is specific enough to search for the name in Periodical (note that in this database the field Periodical is used for both periodicals and monographs.).
Following the example “Flora orientalis” by Boissier. First start with a general request.
Type in “flora orientalis” in Periodical. No results are shown because in the field Periodical you can only search for the standard abbreviations (see also: Sources of information).
The standard abbreviation for the “Flora orientalis” by Boissier is “Fl. orient.”, so type this in Periodical and you will get all volumes listed. It is sufficient to type in “fl. or” or “orien”. You do not need to type the entire title (but do not forget the full stops and spaces within).
Here, you cannot search using standard abbreviations, only the original wording of the title. It is also possible to search using fragments of the title, like “flora or” or “orien” to get a result.
Generally you only search using the surname. It is not necessary to write the whole name. Note that the author may change during the publication period or among volumes. In the example of Flora orientalis searching for “Boissier” will only display volumes 1-5, because the Supplementum was written by Buser.
If you search for “Boissier” without any other search terms (Year, Periodical etc.) you will get dozens of entries. Refine the search query by filling in a combination of different fields.
This is useful for refining a general search query in a Periodical with many databased volumes.
Please Note: In contrast to the other fields it is not possible to search for pieces of the volume number. If you search for “1”, you only get volume 1. If you use the wildcard-character ”%” i.e. you search for “1%”, you get volumes like 1, 17, 113 and also 113a.
To search for the publication date. If you search for a date in the format YYYY-MM-DD, which is entered just with the publication year, you will obtain no results. It is also possible to leave last digits out. If you know the decade of publication, but not the exact year i.e. for literature from the 1880s search for “188”.
Some reasons why you may not find the literature you are looking for, even though it is in the database:
“typification” | Some citations are inserted as rudimentary records because the original literature was not available. For example only the Periodical, Author and the Year were inserted, whereas the title was unclear. Instead these fragments are therefore entitled “typification”. In most cases, the pagination of these entries is reduced to a single page. If you have the original literature, check whether this page lies within the range of pages. In most cases, these typification entries were created because a taxon was originally described there. In most cases you will find a taxon entry with a given page if you click Edit Index. If this description is part of your publication you can be certain that you are in the right record.) In some cases the author(s) of the newly described taxon entered in the field Author is not the same as the one who actually published the paper. “typification” entries are provisional! If you have the original literature, edit the record and fill in all the missing data. |
looking for the wrong year | Often later volumes of a given year were published the following year. This leads to situations like a publication date of 1859 for an August volume of 1858. Publications spanning over long time periods can be also problematic. In the field Year you can only search for the beginning of this period (i.e. if the publication date for you reference is 1850-1851; searching for 1851 will not bring up the record) In both cases it might help to leave out the last digit and broaden the search. |
looking for the wrong “periodical” title | Some periodicals may change their titles over time, for example: 1895-1915: Notizblatt des Königlichen Botanischen Gartens und Museums zu Berlin (-Dahlem). Vols. 1-6 1916-55: Notizblatt des Botanischen Gartens und Museums zu Berlin-Dahlem. Berlin-Dahlem. Vols. 7-15 1953: Mitteilungen aus dem Botanischen Garten und Museum Berlin-Dahlem. Berlin-Dahlem. Vol. 1(1) 1953+: Willdenowia; Mitteilungen aus dem Botanischen Garten und Museum Berlin-Dahlem. Berlin-Dahlem. Vol. 1(2) or Feddes Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. (Vols. 52-69, 1943-1964) with its successor Feddes Repert. (Vols. 70+, 1965+) and its Predecessor(s) Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. (Vols. 1-51, 1905-1942) |
Incorrect spelling | In rare cases authors or standard abbreviations of literature may have been entered incorrectly in the database. In other cases alternative spellings have been used, e.g. Boris Stefanov instead of the standardized spelling Boris Stefanoff linked to IPNI. Some journals have two names in different languages. For most of them, there is one standard abbreviation listed in BPH. Sometimes an abbreviation of the name in a second language also exists. Check for alternative names in BPH. Make sure that the fields LISTING and CATEGORIES are set on “everything“ for a general search. |
After being sure that the literature is not already databased (including an incomplete version as “typification”), there are two principal ways to create new entries:
- start with a blank form or
- use a similar, existing entry as a template
By clicking on this field on the search page, a blank sheet (without ID) opens. You can now fill in the data according to the aforementioned formats. Fields that are highlighted against a blue background are obligatory. When finished, press Insert to save the record. As a result, a new ID appears in top left corner.
In many cases it is useful to take a similar existing entry as a template for a new entry, i.e. when several volumes of a series have been published.
Open it and click New & Copy. This will open a new form, with all the data of the original entry. Change the relevant fields (like the title, author, publication date etc.) according to your needs, then click Insert.
This will generate a new record (with a new ID), while the original remains unchanged.
By clicking this button, the current record is inserted into the database and a new record is opened, with the fields filled as in the one you just saved. You can now make the relevant changes and insert it as a new entry.
By clicking this field the record is inserted and a blank sheet opens.
This option is used to amend existing entries. By clicking Edit the edit mode opens. Now work on the form and click Update to save your changes. Please Note: By clicking Literature you can leave your form without saving your changes or inserting new records. Your changes are only saved after clicking Insert or Update. Just pressing Edit does not save anything! After editing a record check again the changes you made in it. It is also advisable to look again for it from the list Literature window.
Drop-down lists are found in the fields Categories, Authors, Periodical, Printer and Listing. It may occur that you do not find the entries you need in the list. Searching in the drop-down list is different from the literature search page. Note that it is not enough to type in a single letter in the drop-down menu. You need at least two letters or one letter and the wildcard %. Furthermore, it is only possible to search starting with the beginning of the words.
Example:
The “Österreichische Botanische Zeitschrift” is recorded as “Österr. Bot. Z.”, which is the standard abbreviation. As the database also contains the complete title, searching for “österreichische” or “botan” will also lead you to the relevant entry.
Always check thoroughly whether a record really exists before creating a new one. Avoid double entries!
By clicking the Authors, Periodical or Printer buttons, a small window opens. If necessary you might add details or make changes to an existing record. After editing click Update.
If you want to insert a new record in one of these fields, click on the field button you need and use the button New to open an empty data entry sheet.
Type the standardized name in Author. Referring to IPNI - AUTHORS. Fill in the full name, the date of birth and death (and if necessary other data) in Autorsystbot. This only applies for single authors, not for author combinations (Autorsystbot is left empty in the latter case). For information on authors see sources of information.
Fill in the standard abbreviation of the publiction here.
In Full Name add the full title, but also dates of publication, data on volumes, printing locality etc.
In TL2, BPH & IPNI fill in the relevant catalogue numbers (see sources of information).
Successor: publication titles may change over time. Choose the new publication name in the drop-down list (listed by standard abbreviation).
Predecessor(s): is generated automatically, if the previous “periodical” is linked with the successor.
Found in the top right corner, to record where to find a given reference, i.e. in a library or from an internet source.
Clicking on this field will open a list, which might already contain some entries.
Clicking Add New Line opens a blank sheet, where you can choose a library (or internet source) from the drop-down menu; fill in the signature (library reference number); add a URL; add Stock (volumes available).
By clicking Insert the data is saved, using Cancel you leave the page without saving any changes.
To change existing entries click Edit and save the changes by clicking Update. Click Reload to make the changes visible on the Edit Literature page.
In the simplest case, a work is written by a single author and published as a stand-alone publication. More often, there may be different chapters (e.g. family treatments) or parts published by different authors or at different dates, which makes a separation necessary. The same is to be done with works published in several volumes.
Be aware that small chapters within larger publications are sometimes written by different authors and should be treated as separate entities.
In the past, many books were published in sections and sent in unbound versions to recipients by the printing companies. As soon as a volume or a part of it was complete, it was brought to a local bookbinder. They had, in certain respects, different possibilities to arrange the pages. Sometimes illustrations were placed at the end of the book or within the text; the title pages were sometimes completely removed and discarded. Different books might therefore have a different sequence and your book may be different from descriptions in literature databases.
In case of removed title pages, you have to try to seek this information from other sources (e.g. TL2). There can be inconspicuous indications on the publication dates of the different parts. Knowing that title pages were often discarded, the publishers in many cases wrote extra notes at the bottom or the top of the text pages regarding the publication dates. As an alternative, you might find the publication dates of the different parts listed at the beginning or the end of a book.
Note that one work can be split abruptly into two or more continued fractions linked to different publication dates, and as a result, even one newly described taxon in this work might be linked to two different dates.
Complex literature is organized in several levels of hierarchy, like the “Flora Iranica”, which comprises several volumes which are furthermore divided into different taxonomic treatments, often containing chapters by different authors.
Before you start, always make sure that you really understand the whole structure of your reference. The smallest entities are mainly chapters or even parts of them by a given author. If these are split over different publication dates you have to insert them separately. These entities are the most important ones, as all the taxa descriptions are linked to them. To display them within the context of the whole publication, you also have to add the higher hierarchy levels to the database.
For example:
“Botanische Reisen in den Hochgebirgen Chinas und Ost-Tibets.” by W. Limpricht is a report on an excursion by Limpricht, published in the 12th volume of the Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. Beih. in 1922.
This report is divided into two main parts:
“I. Botanische Reisen in den Hochgebirgen Chinas und Ost-Tibets.” by Limpricht.
“II. Aufzählung der von Dr. Limpricht in Ostasien gesammelten Pflanzen” by Pax.
The second part itself is composed of family treatments by different authors, i.e. “Asclepidiaceae” by Schlechter or “Symplocaceae” by Lingelsheim & Winkler. These family treatments are the above mentioned smallest entities, which contain descriptions of new species.
This should look like the following:
All these different hierarchical levels have to be documented and then linked. In our database these hierarchical levels are called containers, as they can contain other pieces of literature.
Linking is done by using the option Edit Container. This opens a form in which you can insert the next higher container (=next higher hierarchical level).
At the top of the window you see the literature you are working on; below there is a blank line (if it is still unlinked!).
Set a check mark in the small field on the left and then search for the next higher container in the blank field. In most cases it is sufficient to type in one of the authors and the year of publication. You then get one or several results in the drop-down menu. Choose the right one (according to title, pagination etc.) by clicking on it. Then confirm with Update.
The Edit Container option can also be used to delete erroneous entries by clicking on the white cross in a red circle (“delete entry”).
To view the complete structure of a reference, click List Container. You will get a tree, showing all the linked (!) entries at different hierarchical orders. By directing the curser arrow to an entry an extra box with all the full reference pops up, which will take you to the corresponding record if you click it.
They are set up for literature that is not available, e.g. if you know that Wood published Didiplis diandra on page 124 of “Amer. Bot. Fl.” but you cannot check the title and the range of pages; you still need to insert the citation in order to print a label.
Therefore, you fill in as much as you know. This will probably include the publication year, authorship, periodical and the page where the taxon is described.
As Title you enter “typification.” and set the Listing to “open”. After inserting the record you can link the taxon via Edit Index.
If you subsequently find additional information concerning “typification” entries in the database, please complete the entry.
Up until January 1st, 1953, schedae [scheda, also scida (pl. schedae), latin for “papyrus strip”, “tag” or “sheet”] were a valid form of publication. They were validly published as long as they contained a diagnosis or description, were reproduced mechanically or graphically and were distributed according to the ICN. After this date, they were only validly published if also distributed independently of the exsiccatae (e.g. as a paper in a journal or a fascicle).
Schedae publications once were common, especially in the form of series. These were distributed with labels for all the specimens and new taxa were described directly on them (e.g. the series “Flora exsiccata Austro-Hungarica” by Kerner, which contains many descriptions in schedae).
There are many different forms of publications in schedae. The simplest case is a collection of a single taxon with reproduced labels including a description. They can also be part of an often numbered series. Sometimes, labels were also published as a separate booklet (with pagination). The way to treat these in the database differs from case to case, so always check TL2 for further information.
For a single taxon, the fields are filled in as follows:
Date: as indicated on the label
Categories: floras, systematics
Title: taxon name
Author(s): as indicated on the label
Periodical: “in schedis lithogr.”
Unnamed Fields: in case, there is a number given, enter it in the third field
Listing: “checked”
Then go to Edit Index and link the entry to the corresponding taxon.
In the case of serials, they mainly have a title such as “Schedae ad floram exsiccatam austro-hungaricam” or “Schedae ad Floram Italicam Exsiccatam”. The full title should be entered in the field Title; in Periodical the abbreviated title should be entered (e.g.” Sched. fl. exs. austro-hung.”). For abbreviations check our database IPNI or TL2.
In most cases the editor is given as AUTHOR, but taxa within the series can be described by other people. Series are generally numbered, so indicate this as well. Some serials are organized and distributed in centuriae or other divisions, e.g. the “Herb. Norm. Sched.”. This structure is also documented in the database.
The centuria (latin for a division of a hundred) number is given on the left of the unnamed fields. In principle, this field is restricted to numerals. Hence, “Cent.” is suffixed after the series abbreviation, in this case “Herb. Norm. Sched. Cent.”, the number of the centuria is entered in the left and the range of numbers in the right field.
Depending on the information available, document the schedae-number and/or the page number(s) of the bound version of the schedae in the Edit Index sheet.
In some cases species are published in a section of a publication that groups together miscellaneous information (i.e. a list of events during the year including new species found, conference summaries, new books published etc.). These can be grouped in a notes, news or miscellaneous section of the journal. In the database, the section is treated as a whole and entered under the name of the section with authors as “Varii”. You then enter a new entry with the author of the section where the species is published and fill in the rest of the data entry sheet as usual. You then must click Edit Container, select the section where this comes from in the drop down menu and tick the box; to show that your entry is part of the wider section under “Varii” as author.
Example:
“Smärre notiser. Lärda sällskaps sammanträden.” in Bot. Not. 1883: 62-79. (A list of notes concerning different botanists and events for the year 1883.)
Within these notes there is a list of mosses published by S. O. Lindberg which was relevant to the specimen being entered. Therefore, one entry was made that encompasses “Smärre notiser. Lärda sällskaps sammanträden.” Bot. Not. 1883: 62-79 under Author: “Varii”. A second was made for S. O. Lindberg´s section Bot. Not. 1883: 63-63 and this entry was linked to the “Varii” entry. The specimen can therefore be entered using S. O. Lindberg´s citation in the journal.
Literature records can be linked with taxa, using Edit Index or Cited Taxa. By clicking on these fields a new window with a table opens in which taxa can be added (Add New Line), with the relevant pages and figures/tabulae.
Existing entries can be edited via Edit.
For further information see this chapter in the Taxonomy manual.
Extra information can be found within the publication itself. On the first and last pages there are often indications as to whether a book was published in parts or not with the respective dates and other valuable hints. In journals, where several issues are often bound together, go to the first pages of an issue to find more detailed information on publication dates or issue numbers.
Additionally there are several databases which should always be consulted. There, you can find information on standard abbreviations, publication dates, publication history, changing editors, inner structure etc.
The most relevant databases are:
Link: BPH
This internet database is based on the printed volumes of the Botanico-Periodicum-Huntianum. BPH is the standard reference for abbreviations of journals and periodicals. It contains records on journals and periodicals, comprising their full titles, standard abbreviations, periods of publication, chronology, volumes, etc. This data should be noted in the Edit Periodical form.
Basically the BPH entry is copied and pasted in this field, but:
* the abbreviation is recorded only in the first line (Periodical)
* successors and predecessors are only noted in the respective field below
* and the last two numbers are deleted.
Example: Österreichische Botanische Zeitschrift
BPH entry:
Oesterreichische botanische Zeitschrift; gemeinütziges Organ für Botanik. Vienna. Vols. 8–91, 1858–1942; vols. 94–122, 1947–73. Oesterr. Bot. Z. Preceded by: Oesterreichisches Botanisches Wochenblatt. Vienna. For vols. 92–93, 1943–44, see: Wiener botanische Zeitschrift. Vienna. Superseded by: Plant systematics and evolution. Vienna, New York, NY. ULS 4-3140-2. HI 69249
Database entry:
Link: TL-2
An online, freely accessibe database based on the 13 printed volumes of “Taxonomic Literature” by Stafleu & Cowan.
It is searchable by author, title, TL2 number (always type numbers always without fullstops) and publication year. Results contain information on author names, biographical data, references and independent publications (publications in journals are not normally listed!). Information on the publications is very detailed in most cases, including TL2 number at the beginning of each entry, full name, standard abbreviation, precise publication dates, structure, authors, page range and format. It is also the standard reference for the abbreviations of monographs.
As in entries for journals, the relevant data is filled in the Edit Periodical window.
Example:
2649. Monograph of the genus Digitaria. Leiden (Universitaire Pers) 1950. Oct. (Monogr. Digitaria). Publ.: 15 Jan 1950 (p. 999: “edited [= published] 15 January 1950”), frontisp., p. [i]-xxi, [1]-999. Copy: U.
The information from the TL2 entries is entered in the literature data sheet itself. Additionally the extra information is recorded in the Edit Periodical window, comprising:
* Periodical: TL2 abbreviation (given in italics in brackets at the end of every TL2 entry)
* Full Name: full name, publication locality, publisher, structure and publication dates
* TL2: TL 2 number, given at the beginning of every entry
* Data given after “Copy:”, indicating from where copies of the respective literature were known to the authors are not recorded.
Note “Oct.”, given after the publication date and before the standard abbreviation, refers to the original format of the book (= octavo, each sheet was folded and cut in eight pages) - don't enter it as the publication month October!
Link: HUH
Usually consulted as a database for botanists and collectors. It can be used in addition to TL2 and IPNI, for data like the full name of an author, or the topics and regions an author worked on etc. In contrast to IPNI and TL2, collectors and botanists who did not describe any new species are also listed.
Link: IPNI
A general database of plant species names and their original publications. IPNI is the standard reference for the standard abbreviations of authors (see taxonomy manual).
It is also the source for the IPNI- and the BPH-number, which should be recorded in the Edit Periodical form. See screenshot above.
Link: tropicos
Another general database on nomenclature and bibliography (in many cases with direct links to BHL).
Link: ICN
The first Code was published in 1905 after the first International Botanical Congress. Ever since, the Code is updated every five years (after each International Botanical Congress). Each new version replaces the previous one, the current one is the “Melbourne Code” from 2012 (named after the location of the last Congress).
There is a very useful “Search” - option at the start page.
Besides these databases, there are several internet sites providing literature online. The most important ones are:
BHL (Biodiversity Heritage Library), searchable for periodicals, titles, authors and cited taxa.
Archive, searchable for periodicals, titles and authors.
Biblioteca Digital del Real Jardín Botánico CSIC, searchable for periodicals, titles and authors.
In case you are looking for a particular reference always check in our database whether there are any entries regarding signatures in libraries or direct links to internet sources.
(1) DOI (Digital Object Identifier): unique, persistent link for the given reference. It is not the URL, but is assigned additionally. It is a character string used to uniquely identify an electronic document or other object. See Wikipedia for further details.
(2) Figure: illustration, which might be a picture, photograph, drawing, map or a diagram.
(3) Tabula: a set of different figures arranged on an extra page. These categories are used inconsistently by different people, so just follow the indications of your reference.
(4) Periodical: journals which are published more or less periodically in volumes.Titles sometimes change or ceased, but technically on-going. Comprised of articles by different authors.
(5) Monograph: planned to be completed. From single books to works with some to many volumes. By single to many authors. Publication of volumes is not necessarily regular.
(6) Theses are entered as “Ph.D. Thesis, Univ. Leiden, The Netherlands”, “Ph.D. Thesis, Porto Alegre, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul” [kind of thesis, locality, country]. If necessary, diploma theses also can be entered like “Diploma Thesis, […], […]” but note that diploma theses are no official publications in contrast to Ph.D. theses.
ln the following, the “edit Specimens” window (the data entry sheet for the specimens) will be explained in detail from the left to right, top to bottom. Fields highlighted in blue, have to be filled in in order to save the entry; fill in the other fields depending on the information provided on the specimen.
Your herbarium might have special rules regarding the databasing; please refer to the Herbarium specific information for more details!
Clicking on * opens a list showing which users have edited the specimen, and when changes were made.
A new specimen entry is indicated by New. A specimen_ID is generated once Insert is clicked (bottom line). This creates a new data record; New will change to 123456, and editing will no longer be possible; click Edit to start editing again. The specimen ID will change from yellow numbers to black numbers highlighted in green, indicating the input mode. Changes are saved by clicking on Update (bottom line).
Clicking on the yellow specimen ID opens a form for printing labels which is also possible from the main menu and from the list Specimens form.
Allows you to scroll through the specimen entries generated by a search query on the list Specimens window; only visible when opening existing specimen entries (these arrows will not show up directly after clicking Insert or Update).
This may or may not be present in your database version. Tick this box if the specimen is relevant to the “African plants initiative”.
(= Digital image/photo of the specimen) Ticked only if the specimens are scanned (type specimens or material on loan). Clicking on Dig.Image will open the image in a new browser window.
(= Digital image observation) Selected if an entry is based on a field observation with a picture only; Taxon, Locality etc. are filled in as would be a herbarium specimen.
Should only be ticked after the final check of both the specimen's data entry and scan.
Selected for the entry to be available on the public web interface: The Virtual herbarium
Select the institution the specimen belongs to (e.g. “W” for “Naturhistorisches Museum Wien”) from the drop-down list.
The stamped, continuous, unambiguous number of the specimen (usually found near the upper top corner of the specimen).
Note: This number HAS TO BE ON THE SPECIMEN before scanning, if missing it has to be stamped beforehand. The herbarium number is very important to be able to connect the scans that will be taken with the correct specimen entries! Double check it! Anything Other than arabic numerals has to be written in Annotations.
Select the collection to which the specimen belongs to. If several collections are indicated, take the oldest one and write the others in the Annotations field.
Used for the old herbarium numbers of special collections that were previously on the specimen, before the current herbarium stamp was added; e.g. in W, the orchid collection of Reichenbach (Collection: W-Rchb.Orch.) – type only arabic numerals into this field, type letters into the Annotation field).
A new input window will open in which you can link (two or more) specimens that belong together. Linking is required if…
Only relevant for type specimens – left empty for all other specimens; select from the drop-down list. The status has to be the same as on the herbarium specimen (choose the most recent typification).
The T can be clicked on, which will open a new window. See chapter "Typification" in the taxonomy manual.
Notes of aff. (affinis=close to), agg. (aggregate=complex), cf. (confer=it probably is), s. str. (sensu stricto= in a narrow sense) or s. l. (sensu lato=in a broad sense) after the taxon name on the label; do not enter nov. spec. or x (for hybrid), they will only be used in special cases.
Originally cultivated material from a garden, e.g. “HBV”
Information on voucher status (caryological investigations etc.); choose from the drop-down list; new voucher types may be entered when clicking on Voucher.
The current name for the plant (including the author), after typing in at least the first few letters of a taxon [it is best to use the genus and the species, e.g.: “car hir”] choose from the drop-down list.
Taxa that are shown against a red background are non-accepted taxa and may only be chosen if the herbarium institution chooses to file specimens under the basionyme (e.g. in WU and W Krypto), but never if the current name should be entered (e.g. in W).
Special case: Hybrids
Genus or species hybrids are recognized by the multiplication sign X. See the Taxonomy Manual for further information!
Det(erminavit): the person who determined the plant; rev(isio): a new or re-determination; conf(irmavit): the person who confirmed the determination, i.e., agreeing with the previous determination. Always enter the name of the most recent det., rev. or conf. as exactly as possible, e.g.: A. B. Surname (XX) YYYY-MM-DD with (XX) being the standard acronym for the herbarium where the person was active, e.g. WU; see “Index Herbariorum”.
Example: H. Rainer (W) 2013-03-12
If the last note of a person is not a determination, but an annotation, this person should be entered instead of the last “true” determiner; if the person is unknown enter “Anon.”. If the name is illegible, enter “Unclear”.
Special case - Type material: If the original name including the author is given, and there is no explicit determiner for this name, you can assume that the author of the name is also the determiner.
Enter the determinations chronologically, starting with the oldest (original), according to determination labels on the sheet. Do not enter the author names of taxa! Ignore labels without new determinations (i.e. typification labels).
The last determiner entered in the identification history, should be the same as the one entered in Det/Rev/Conf., followed by the same name as in the Taxon field. [The only exceptions are type specimens in herbarium institutions where the basionym is entered in the field Taxon, e.g. WU or W-Krypt.] Do not use any punctuation at the very end of the entry in Ident.History.
; | separates determinations of different persons |
! | confirmation of previous determination |
Anonymus | determiner unknown |
next | determination of the same determiner as before, but no date is given; if a date is given, write “next YYYY-MM-DD:”. |
orig. | first determination, if done by the collector. If not, use the first determiner's name instead of “orig.”. |
Unclear | name is not readable or unclear |
:= | name assignments or classifications without a “true” determination, based on synonymy lists |
Only relevant for type specimens – left empty for all other specimens.
The typifier is the person that typified the specimen first with the most accurate status (labels which only confirm an earlier label are not taken into account); if only the taxon name and spec. nov. is given, enter the author of the name as the typifier; e.g.: A. Surname (XX) YYYY-MM-DD. If the typifier is unknown enter “Anonymus”.
Only relevant for Exsiccata series – choose from the drop-down list. True Exsiccata series are often widely distributed collections of specimens, often with printed labels (some old printed labels can look as if they were hand written), typically with a serial number, often “Flora exsiccate” or similar as a title.
Do not enter new series!
The serial number of the Exsiccata series. Enter only Arabic numerals; sometimes a collector's number is given as well (see below).
If there is more than one collector on the label, only enter the first; enter the family name (or parts of it), and choose the correct collector from the drop-down list.
“Anonymous collector” | collector unknown |
“unclear” | name is illegible (write readable parts into Annotations). |
Adding new names as first collector: Only when you are completely sure that the collector does not exist in the list! Click on First Collector, the edit Collector window opens:
Enter the name of the collector (Family name, comma, Initial(s) with dot(s) – without spaces!); if the first name is unknown, only enter the surname. In the other field enter the record number of HUH: The Harvard University Herbaria. Click on Insert to save the collector. You can now choose it from the drop-down list).
Note: Please be CAREFUL when you enter a new name as it cannot be corrected!
The collector's own collecting number (enter only Arabic numerals, for anything else: see Alt.Nr.); if absent, enter “s.n.” (sine numero) in the field Alt.Nr.
(= alternative Number) Enter the collector's number including punctuation (full stop, colon, dash etc.); or those parts of the collector's numbers that are not Arabic numerals; e.g.: 3857a: 3857→NUMBER, a→ALT.NR.; in case of more than one number, enter the second here; otherwise leave empty. Enter “s.n.” (sine numero) if no collector's number is given.
The collection date. Format: YYYY-MM-DD or YYYY-MM or YYYY; missing years or illegiable dates can be replaced with “#”, e.g. 18##-06-06 or 18## or 189#. Enter “s.d.” (sine dato) if no date is given.
Additional collectors to the first collector; enter in the same order as on the label, choose from the drop-down list.
Only when you are completely sure that the collector does not exist in the list! Click on Add.Collector(s), the edit Collector 2 window opens:
Enter the name of the collector(s) (Family name, Initial(s) separated by dot(s), no spaces in the name!), they are linked with “,” and “&”, for example: Müller,K.H., Meier,S.H. & Kugler,K.L. Click at Insert to save the entered name (and insert it to the database).
Note: Please be CAREFUL when you enter a new name as it cannot be corrected!
Enter the country only when known with certainty; choose from the drop-down list. For old specimens: enter the current political territory; check the historical geographical situation compared with the present: see Geonames
In the Province field you can choose from a drop-down list (only possible after entering the Country). Please enter the province only when known with certainty.
Enter the name of the locality as exact as possible. When clicking on geonames a new window opens which allows to find and choose the correct locality. Selecting one by clicking use this will automatically enter the coordinates of the chosen locality into the Lat and Lon fields.
If you use the geonames service please always check the coordinates via Google Maps or a comparable service and enter the appropriate deviation into the exactn.(m) field.
If you do not find the desired location in the drop down menu, exit the geonames service and delete your entry in the geonames field.
Height above sea level (elevation) in meters (only digits, no full stops, commas, letters etc.); if the altitude is given as an interval, use both fields. If the original altitude is given in feet (', Fuß, ped), convert it to meters (1m = 3.28')
The quadrant number, used e.g. in floristic inventories, consists of a four- digit number (the grid number), followed by a single-digit (the quadrant number, which divides each grid cell into four fields). After entering both numbers you can click on °→ and the coordinates for the quadrant will automatically be entered in the fields Lat./Lon; use this only when more precise coordinates are not available.
Latitude and longitude (GPS-data), entered as degrees (°), minutes ('), seconds (''); only seconds may be rounded; convert decimal fractions if needed. For more information on this please refer to this page
In the Exactn.(M) field you can specify exactness of measurement of latitude and longitude, if given, e.g. “500m”.
The collecting locality as written on the collector's original label, including country, province, altitude etc. (if given). The locality should be written as on the label, including with old spelling and special characters, e.g., ä, ö, é. If needed, add current names/spellings within square brackets [ ]. If parts of the text are illegible, indicate these passages with […]; for unclear transcriptions [?], e.g., Fluss[…]e or Flufgufer [?]; Comments are entered in square brackets [ ].
Enter “sine loco” if no locality is given.
Special case - Type material: May be complemented by using literature; enter “[protologue]” or reference (abbreviated), including year and page(s), e.g.: “Drège (1843) - Flora 26: 149”. You may also use information from other specimens with exactly the same collection number and more exact information on the original label. In this case leave a note in the annotations.
= biotope, “ecology”, substrate, surrounding vegetation; for epiphytes (plants growing on other plants, e.g. lichens) the phorophyte (the plant it is growing on) is given. E.g., riparian forest, Quercus-Caprinus-forest, dry slopes, swampy meadows, limestone, clay marl, collected together with XY, etc. If part of locality (if it is not possible to separate habitat information from the locality information) copy the habitat information.
The appearance of the plant, the growth form, shape/color of flowers etc.; e.g. long awns, runners, flowers yellow. It is not necessary to enter extensive (and often hand written) descriptions of the plants; just add a note in the Annotations field like: ”[decription on label].
Written in chronological order, consisting of separate notes or different labels in an extra paragraph, additional information on the collector and other notes on the specimen from the label(s), which cannot be entered in other fields (if possible indicate date and person); your own annotations [in square brackets]; complementary information on e.g., illegible collector names (additional information, if “unclear” was entered in First Collector, you may use “#”, but never “?”, as it cannot be searched for); transfers and acquisitions from other herbaria/ collections; specimen stamps or labels that cannot be chosen from the drop-down list at Collection; locality of duplicates at other herbaria (use the standard herbarium acronyms found at Index Herbariorum: e.g. “ex E”.
Go back to main menu for specimen search, deletes entries if not saved.
Reset will go back to the original state of the entry, and new entries you have just entered will not be saved.
Insert and save the newly created specimen entry; New will change to a new specimen_ID; Insert and Insert&New will disappear, Edit and New&Copy will appear.
Insert&Copy will insert the newly created specimen entry into the database and additionally copy this entry to use it as a new specimen entry. Insert&New will insert the entry and open an empty data entry sheet.
Start editing again, the input mode is indicated by 123456, changes will be saved by clicking on Update.
Create a copy of this entry to use it as a new specimen entry.
If you want to enter a new specimen you have two possibilities:
When searching for a specimen you can either choose an entry from the drop-down lists in Institution, Continent or Region, or search for e.g. Taxon or Collector whilst entering your search criteria; just sections of the word may be typed in and no % or * is required as a place holder.
Note: By clicking on the yellow field Institution you can switch to Collection, allowing you to search only for specimens in a certain collection of an institution.
Note: before you enter a new specimen into the database make sure that it is not already entered (search for the taxon [also only for the first few letters as it may have been mistyped]), herbarium number, collector etc.).
lf you decide to open an empty entry form, click on New Entry in the “list Specimens” form. This window opens:
As an example we use this specimen:
The information on the label is filled into the form as follows…
…which results in:
For a detailed explanation on the individual fields please refer to the edit specimen form.
For a comparison of herbarium sheet images and filled-in data entry sheets please see the examples.
Again, this specimen is used as an example to illustrate the workflow:
As it is often easier to copy and modify an existing specimen, than entering it from scratch, we search the database for similar specimens that are already registered [start with only one or two search criteria]. Typing in “schneeweiss” into the field Collector, “carex” into Taxon, “georgia” into Country and pressing Search, results in:
As the second entry (Carex rupestris collected by Schneeweiss et al. 2002 in Georgia) looks most similar to our specimen, we click on it in the “Taxon” column and the specimen data sheet for this entry will open.
To copy and modify the entries of this specimen click on New&Copy in the lower right corner. The Specimen_ID [in the upper left corner] will now change from 33226 to New, indicating that a new specimen entry is being created and that it is now possible to modify it without changing the old one.
The information on the herbarium sheet should be entered as follows:
After clicking Insert [on the bottom line] a new specimen entry will be created:
This is work in progress…
= acquisition number (the number given to the specimens when it came to the herbarium). At W there are two possibilities:
11-digit number: e.g. Acqu 1960 Nr 1234 [=1234 specimen from the year 1960] should be written as 1960-0001234 [4 digits + 7 digits]
7-digit number: especially on recently stamped specimens. e.g. 0001234
In W the Herbarium number has to be present on the sheet before entering the specimen into the database.
W is the universal code for the collection of the museum. Other collections will be indicated by a stamp or handwriting. If several collections are indicated, take the oldest one and write the others in the annotation field.
In some cases several collections are mounted on the same sheet. If those belong to seperate taxa, the collections are separated and mounted on separate sheets. If the collections belong to the same taxon, they remain on the same sheet, but create two entries into the database. Those entries are named 1234567A and 1234567B, respectively, and linked to one another.
Always enter the current name of the specimen in the Taxon field. If the current name is on the folder but not on the sheet, a determination slip must be attached to the sheet, e.g. Anonymus: Potamogeton crispus L.
If a specimen has not been revised or the the most recent revision is not the current name (i.e. does not match the currently accepted name in Tropicos), square brackets ”[]” are used to add additional information. The author name(s) and dates from the relevant publications where the revision was made are given. e.g.: Orig.: Bryum baenitzii; [M. F. V. Corley et al. 1982: Bryum pallescens] Loans are also added in this field as: [ON LOAN: loan number] i.e. [ON LOAN: 04aK/12].
The numbers of Ecklon (Ecklon & Zeyher) with a dot (e.g. 55.8) are not Collectors' numbers. The number before the dot is a locality number, the number after the dot is the collection month (in this case August). Enter the number combination in the annotation field. You can look up the locality in the text of the document “Ecklon” in “API Material”
Special case - Cultivated plants: As Locality (also Nation/Altitude etc.) enter the locality of origin, as given on the label, Collector and Collection Date of the cultivated material. If collector, date, locality etc. for the original collection are known they should be entered in the Annotations.
7-digit number: there are only 6 digits; insert a “0” before this number to make it 7 digits.
Always enter the basionym of the specimen in the Taxon field
Special case - Cultivated plants: enter original information of origin (Locality, Collector, Collecting Date etc.) as on the label; add in the Annotations field where it was cultivated and at which date the herbarium specimen was sampled, e.g. “cultum in HBV 1983-11”.
Data entry sheet for Example 1:
Data entry sheet for Example 2:
Data entry sheet for Example 3:
A click on the Observations button opens a search form for specimens / observation records.
Direct access to the image archive is not available (this is intentional, as it is likely that direct handling of the archived files would lead to mistakes, such as deleted files). Therefore, this window is available as a means of communicating with the archive.
A click on the Images button opens a window for the image handling system.
You will end up here:
The window is divided into two parts:
The field server lets you choose the server that hold the images you wish to look at.
This button behaves in two different ways:
The information in the tabbed views depends on the last time the server was scanned. If one suspects this to be out of date, one can issue a rescan with this button.
Before using this, make sure that you have selected the correct server!
You can use the institution and family-field to narrow your search, then click either on Get last Scan or Get last Scan with Faulty HerbNumbers. The result will look like this:
This column tells you which database entries have the dig. image box checked, but no image in the archive. Clicking on a number will open the Edit Specimens-field.
This column tells you which images have been taken, but contain no database entry. Clicking on the number will open a simple data entry sheet to enter the specimen.
This column tells you for which images, entries exist that are marked checked but not dig. image. Clicking on the number will open the Edit Specimens-window.
This column tells you how many and which database entries have faulty numbers. Clicking on the name will open the Edit Specimens-form. This information is only given if requested by the right button.
This field shows information on the consistency of the archive and the viewer. This should be empty. If its not, contact the person in charge of the archive.
In the thread logs tab, you can see the messages that the archive has produced, whilst importing the images. If you pick a date, and click on List Threads all log-files from that date until today are shown.
The server usually runs the routine import at 2:30am, so there should always be a log at that time. If you want to read the messages of the log, click on the corresponding line.
If the thread log is empty when you click on it, close it and open it again, this happens often.
If there are images to be exported, where there are already images in the archive, the import will fail and leave a message in the thread log. This might look like this:
Imports that fail, have to be forced.
If a picture that is in the archive, should be overwritten by a new picture, this has to be done following these steps:
A click on the Nomenclature button opens a form for nomenclatural checks of the database content.
Index Kewensis and subsequent IPNI developments and scope http://www.ipni.org/IK_chronology.html
A click on the Batches button opens a form for manipulation of batches of specimens records.
Vor dem Senden des batches müssen die Bilder auf Fehler kontrolliert werden! Dazu im Explorer (Ansicht “Große Symbole”) Bilder durchgehen bezüglich:
The database offers two possibilities of creating and printing labels:
A click on the Labels button opens a search form for the production of labels for specimens / observation records. Available options include:
In the list created by the search process, you can select the labels you need by ticking the corresponding boxes. Options are: Type map label (creates a folder label), Type spec label (creates a specimen label) and barcode label.
As soon as you have made your selection, you can create a printable .pdf by clicking the make PDF buttons on top of the search list. Please note that each type of label (folder/specimen/barcode/standard) has its own button.
After printing the labels please do not forget to delete your selection by clicking the Clear all button.
You can access the printing form by clicking the specimenID in the edit specimen form. Tick the type spec box if you need a specimen label and/or the type map box if you need a folder label. The make PDF button creates a printable file. After printing the labels do not forget to delete your selection by clicking clear all.
It is also possible to create labels for the specimens you were working on during a specific date. In the main specimens window you can access your daily work by choosing a specific date from the drop-down menu and clicking the Labels button and proceed from there. Alternatively you can download an XLS file containing the labels for a specific date by clicking the floppy disk symbol next to the Labels button.
The same procedure is available for standard (non-type) labels.
A pro parte synonym results when a taxon is divided into two or more new taxa. The original name is retained as the accepted name of one of the new taxa and becomes the synonym of the others. It is then possible for there to be identical names (differing only in the inclusion of 'p.p.') for different taxa.
Labels for pro parte names can only be printed by the typification team and are usually added to the specimen by them. If there is no labelling option available, it is most probably because of a pro parte name. In this case type and accepted taxon are not linked on purpose, and you can find an annotation in the annotations field of the specimens form.
After developing the pictures in the CaptureOne software, open the corresponding folder in the Explorer (e.g. 160119_01 for the first session on January 19, 2016).
Additionally, open a new Explorer window and navigate to the jacq import drive (usually z:). Create a new folder in the jacq import directory and name it after the session number you are going to develop (again: 160119_01 for the first session on January 19, 2016). Pay close attention to follow the naming conventions correctly!
Finally, copy the content from the Output folder to the newly created jacq import folder.
Note: Please do not convert more than one folder at a time.
All content of the jacq import directory will be transferred to the live server overnight. If no problems occur, the images will be available for photo control the next morning and the jacq import folder will be empty. In this case the content of the output folder of the corresponding session can be safely deleted.
Note: Please create a textfile saying “transferred_DATE” in the output folder if you delete the content.
If the jacq import folder is not empty and/or images are not properly displayed, continue with Troubleshooting and forcing images.
In the case of a menual import please follow the steps of the automatic overnight import. After creating the appropriate folder structure, enter the database and click the “IMAGES” Button
In the images submenu pick the correct server for your institution in the dropdown menu in the top left and click “ImportPictures”. Depending on the size of your import, this step may take a while.
If there is a picture missing or the picture shows the wrong specimen, there has been a problem with the import step.
If the picture is associated with the wrong database entry, there has been an error with the naming of the picture or there is already a picture with the corresponding number on the live server. In this case either the former existing or the newly taken image was incorrectly named.
In the case of a missing picture this may have several reasons.
tbd