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The “ Flora brasiliensis ” revisited

The “ Flora brasiliensis ” revisited. G.J. Shepherd. How big a job ?. How many species ?. How big a job ?. How many species ?. How big a job ?. How many species ? How many new species ?. How big a job ?. How many species ? How many new species ? How good is the existing taxonomy ?.

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The “ Flora brasiliensis ” revisited

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  1. The “Flora brasiliensis” revisited G.J. Shepherd

  2. How big a job ? • How many species ?

  3. How big a job ? • How many species ?

  4. How big a job ? • How many species ? • How many new species ?

  5. How big a job ? • How many species ? • How many new species ? • How good is the existing taxonomy ?

  6. What are the bottlenecks ? • Types • Literature • Supporting documentation • Access to adequate collections

  7. Access to types ? from : B.R. Baum (1994)

  8. How long do floras take ? • source Heywood 2001 * - estimated

  9. Why do Floras take so long? • Self-inflicted problems

  10. Why do Floras take so long ? • Self-inflicted problems • Must it be complete ?

  11. Why do Floras take so long ? • Self-inflicted problems • Must it be complete ? • Must it be so uniform ?

  12. Why do Floras take so long ? • Self-inflicted problems • Must it be complete ? • Must it be so uniform ? • Rechecking specimen data

  13. Why do Floras take so long ? • Self-inflicted problems • Must it be complete ? • Must it be so uniform ? • Rechecking specimen data • Must we keep on re-inventing the wheel ?

  14. How can we speed things up ? • Infrastructure • Working methods and tools • Attitudes

  15. Infrastructure • Images and information on types • Images and information on other herbarium materials • Literature • Other materials - Field notebooks, itineraries, etc.

  16. Working methods and tools • Description and key-making systems • Interactive keys • Reference sources (online/CDs) • taxonomic names • author names and information • collector names and information • geographical names

  17. I Sing the Flora Electric ?(apologies to Ray Bradbury...) • dynamic structure • taxonomically heterogeneous • geographically heterogeneous • The “stone of Sisyphus” syndrome • flexibility (multi classification)

  18. I Sing the Flora Electric ? • “multi-personality” • detailed taxonomic treatise • routine identification • limited area “pocket guides” • “picture books” • checklists • information bank and gateway to more general information - rare species, sequences, etc.

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