1. Sharing information between projects
A brief overview of some Kew “key” projects, potential areas of overlap and possible exchange mechanisms.

2. “All plants are hybrids, but some are greater bastards than others”
Franz Thonner (photo L Grillich, Vienna 1910) from “Thonner’s analytical key to the families of flowering plants”

3. Contents … Overview of some Kew projects
Where are there areas of likely overlap between different types of project?
What needs to be considered when sharing data? - Tracking taxa, characters and intellectual property.
A suggestion.

4. Geographical coverage
Pioneers
Database
Taxonomic categories
Geographical coverage
Grass species
spp
Global
Elaeocarpaceae
Brunei rattans
Brunei
Laos rattans
Laos
Borneo rattans
Borneo
Euphorbiaceae
genera
Ochnaceae
Salicaceae s.l. & Achariaceae s.l.
Malesian plants
fams/gen/spp
Malesia (+ Indochina)
African plants
fams/gen
Africa (sub Saharan)
Neotropical plants
fams
neotropics
World Grass Species Database – D. Clayton et. al
Elaeocarpaceae (Elaeocarpus) – M. Coode

5. Geographical coverage
Rattans from SE Asia
Database
Taxonomic categories
Geographical coverage
Grass species
spp
Global
Elaeocarpaceae
Brunei rattans
Brunei
Laos rattans
Laos
Borneo rattans
Borneo
Euphorbiaceae
genera
Ochnaceae
Salicaceae s.l. & Achariaceae s.l.
Malesian plants
fams/gen/spp
Malesia (+ Indochina)
African plants
fams/gen
Africa (sub Saharan)
Neotropical plants
fams
neotropics
Rattans of Brunei – Kirkup, Dransfield & Sanderson [CD]
Rattans of Laos – Evans & Kirkup [CD, www]
Rattans of Borneo – Dransfield & Patel [CD]

6. Geographical coverage
Malpighiales
Database
Taxonomic categories
Geographical coverage
Grass species
spp
Global
Elaeocarpaceae
Brunei rattans
Brunei
Laos rattans
Laos
Borneo rattans
Borneo
Euphorbiaceae
genera
Ochnaceae
Salicaceae s.l. & Achariaceae s.l.
Malesian plants
fams/gen/spp
Malesia (+ Indochina)
African plants
fams/gen
Africa (sub Saharan)
Neotropical plants
fams
neotropics
Genera of Euphorbiaceae s.l. – Hoffmann, Kirkup, Galster, Challen & Radcliffe-Smith
Genera of Salicaceae & Achariaceae s.l. – Zmarzty & Kirkup
Genera of Ochnaceae – Kirkup
[All on www]

7. Geographical coverage
Regional keys
Database
Taxonomic categories
Geographical coverage
Grass species
spp
Global
Elaeocarpaceae
Brunei rattans
Brunei
Laos rattans
Laos
Borneo rattans
Borneo
Euphorbiaceae
genera
Ochnaceae
Salicaceae s.l. & Achariaceae s.l.
Malesian plants
fams/gen/spp
Malesia (+ Indochina)
African plants
fams/gen
Africa (sub Saharan)
Neotropical plants
fams
neotropics
Summary …
Key to Malesian Plants – Malesian Key Group [CD, www]
Key to African Plants – K, SANBI, WAG, Ethiopia & Kenya
Key Neotropical Plant families – K others?

8. Areas of potential overlap
Upper triangle – Character concepts and feature images
Lower triangle – Taxon concepts (coded descriptions) and specimen images

9. 1.Tracking Taxon Concepts
Name, synonymy
Literature reference
Specimen lists
Geographical distribution
Description (which could be coded)
Taxon Concept Schema (TCS)
Each TC can have a unique ID

10. 2. Tracking Character Concepts
Abstract part (leaf length, flower colour)
Expression (leaf 5cm long, flowers blue)
Usage (i.e. a list of TCs)
CCs change!
Structured Descriptive Data (SDD)
Tracks the abstract part but not the expression (“characters” vs “states”)??
Early days …
Language can be ambiguous when comparing Character Concepts
Information as to usage can help
eg Van Balgooy vs Watson on ovary position
The fact is that Character Concepts change as taxa are scored
Herb – shrub – tree
Herb- subshrub-tree
Herb-subshrub-shrub-treelet-tree
Herb-subshrub-shrub-treelet-shopfbaum-tree
Is shopfbaum the same thing as arborescent????
Concentrates on the abstract but what often gets moved about are the expressions (states)

11. GBIF TAPIR trashes SDD

12. 3. Tracking IPR Copyright (images, data, software)
Database rights (structured data)
Methods
Partly managed by TCS and SDD standards
XML so easily extended (in house)
Standards would need to be formally changed

13. We could …
Develop a shared feature list that would at least be useful for regional keys to higher taxa (genera).
Illustrate these features with “standard” drawings and develop ways of linking to specimen & other images in TOAD.
Develop methods for Concept and IPR tracking in conjunction with external projects (eg. IdentifyLife).