World Umbellifer Database
Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh
IntroductionFrom a nomenclatural start, the dataset has grown to incorporate plant records (herbarium specimens, literature records, etc.), vernacular names, bibliographic information, typifications, uses, and some images. Additional taxa missing from the original Index Kewensis export (infra specific taxa and recent descriptions) are added when they are encountered, and a concensus calssification is incorporated as floristic and monographic work progresses. Currently the database has a complete nomenclature for the East Himalayan region, the Indian subcontinent and the People's Republic of China, and incomplete data for some other areas (notably Europe and Turkey). The long term aim is to update all the names in the system and produce a world checklist for Umbelliferae with associated information. The World Umbellifer Database is recorded in the IOPI Database of Plant Databases, and there is part of Species 2000: indexing the world's known species programme.
Database system
The World Umbellifer Database is
held in the RBGE PANDORA database system. This DOS-based application is written in Advanced Revelation,
and has a highly relational structure. PANDORA has undergone several recent
development upgrades, and is scheduled to move onto a Windows/GUI platform.
Language
English (with complete diacritical
marks).
Size/coverage
The dataset is worldwide in
coverage, with the following statistics: updated 1st July 1999
15,900 | plant names* (of which 32% have been incorporated in a classification) |
1,900 | plant names verified against the original publication (12% of names) |
1,000 | plant names with type information (6% of names) |
4,400 | authority name combinations |
300 | authenticated bibliographic references |
2,000 | people records |
5,600 | plant records (3,600 herbarium specimens and 2,000 literature records) |
8,200 | determinations |
8,400 | localities in the gazetteer |
100 | vernacular names |
Supervisor and Contributors
Mark
Watson (Supervisor), Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh
Publications arising from this work
Mark F. Watson, 1998. An
Internet searchable dataset of a Gazetteer
of East Himalayan Plant Collecting Localities.
Mark F. Watson, 1999. An Internet dataset of a Preliminary Itinerary for Jean Marie Delavay in Yunnan, China.
Mark F. Watson, 1999. An Internet interactive account of the Umbelliferae for the Flora of Bhutan.
Mark F. Watson, 1999. An Internet searchable dataset of Umbelliferae Nomeclatural Information.