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Araceae Taxonomic Knowledge Base

Araceae Taxonomic Knowledge Base:  Typical screen shot showing online interactive LUCID3 key to Arum

Global databases of systematic information on organisms (e.g.GBIF, Species 2000, iPlants)  will benefit from the organized and effective permanent participation of taxonomic specialists, who in turn need to focus their information exchange, data storage and outputs onto the Web. The strategy is to develop by incremental stages, a web-focused working group of taxonomic experts: Araceae Taxonomic Knowledge Bases (ATKB).

ATKB’s overall goals are to (i) complement  global biodiversity databases (e.g. GBIF, IPNI, iPlants); (ii) help to integrate taxonomic research and training for Araceae;  (iii) act as a portal to primary data sources on Araceae;  (iv)  serve as a major location for web revisions;  (v) become a recognised focus for the international taxonomic specialist community for Araceae. ATKB is a joint initiative of  the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (Dr Simon Mayo, UK) and the Missouri Botanical Garden (Dr Thomas Croat, USA).  It builds on the excellent networking that has resulted in a modern taxonomic framework for Araceae and a tradition of fruitful cooperation. This provides the basis for a richer resource to be delivered over the Web.

The project is designed to progress incrementally as funds and partners become available. The first three phases are now in progress:

Phase 1.  Digital Taxonomic Guide to the genus Philodendron. 

This is a one-year sub-project  (July 2005 – June 2006) by Marcela Mora, a young aroid specialist from Bogotá, Colombia, who plans to undertake a PhD at the Missouri Botanical Garden following its completion. The objective is an interactive web-deliverable key to the 400 species of the horticulturally important genus Philodendron, using LUCID3 software. This will be available on the ATKB website.

Phase 2.  Creating a Taxonomic e-Science

This is a three-year sub-project (December 2005 – December 2008) funded by NERC, and involves a consortium of RBG Kew, The Natural History Museum London, and Imperial College London; the project leader is Malcolm Scoble (NHM). The project’s aim is to create a full working model of a taxonomic website which will help to show how taxonomic processes and outputs can be more fully integrated with internet communication and thus make their products more accessible and up-to-date. Kew’s contribution is to provide the data and expert mechanisms for maintaining high quality information on Araceae.

Outputs:  Web pages for all genera together with a LUCID3 key to the genera; web pages and LUCID3 key for the species of Anthurium (c. 700 currently accepted spp.) and Philodendron (420 currently accepted species);  this covers the major part of neotropical Araceae species biodiversity.  All outputs will be accessible through the ATKB website.

Phase 3.  Linking ATKB site to research and collections

Research teams and key collections will be accessible through the ATKB website.  Phase 3 aims to link together the existing resources at Kew as a first step: (i)  phytochemical data;  (ii)  HPE living collections;  (iii)  Herbarium collections (dried specimens and spirit);  (iv)  illustrations collections.

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