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Interactive Key to the Malesian Seed Plants

One of the most difficult steps in plant identification is the recognition of plant families. At the same time, a good knowledge of the major plant families is assumed in the majority of taxonomic works published.  Consequentially, key taxonomic works (including regional Floras) are difficult for non-experts to understand.

This project focuses on the provision of a user-friendly electronic identification aid (DELTA key) for the plants in SE Asia. The data on which the key is based is taken mainly from the successful works of Max van Balgooy (Malesian Seed Plants 1-3, Nationaal Herbarium Nederland) in Malesian plant recognition. Additional data was provided by Les Watson and Mike Dallwitz from the databases of the Interactive Key to Seed Plants of the World. The first version was published in 2004 on the web and in CD-ROM format. It covers all seed plant families of the Malesian region, and is supported by c. 1,000 pictures and family portraits.

In the second version, we are aiming to enlarge the key by including the plant families from Thailand and Indo-China and by expanding the number of characters used (including the distribution for each genus). Furthermore, we would like to expand the usefulness of the key by going down to genus level in some selected families. We are planning to present this new version at the next Flora Malesiana conference in Leiden, 2007.

The project started in early 2002 (see UK Darwin Initiative Papuan Plant Diversity Project) and the second phase will run until September 2007.

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