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Centre for Plant Biodiversity Research

Interactive Identification Aids
- Computer Keys

Note: there are an increasing number of data sets on plant groups available on disk which allow interactive interrogation for identification (a much more flexible method than written keys). Most of these are in the DELTA format. Ease of use of these interactive keys is improving all the time, and most can be used after a fairly short period of familiarization. A few of the available data sets that come with interactive keys are listed here. Prices vary - check with supplier.

Internet access to DELTA programs and files can be gained via the following Internet hosts:


     huh.harvard.edu  (directory: /pub/software/delta)
     life.anu.edu.au  (directory: /pub/biodiversity/delta)
     spider.ento.csiro.au  (directory: /delta)
Updates are announced on the Internet via the Taxacom mailing list; to subscribe to taxacom, send the message


     signup taxacom your-first-name your-last-name
by email to listserv@harvarda.harvard.edu. Listserv will automatically determine your email address.

For further information on the DELTA system, contact:

M.J. Dallwitz,
CSIRO Division of Entomology,
GPO Box 1700,
Canberra ACT 2601,
Australia.

Internet email: md@ento.csiro.au.

Fx: (02) 6246 4000.
Ph: (02) 6246 4075.

DELTA Datasets

The families of angiosperms. L. Watson & M.J. Dallwitz. Available from Internet or (less conveniently) on floppy disks from: L. Watson, Taxonomy Lab, Research School of Biological Sciences, Australian National University, Canberra ACT 2601 (Fax +61 6 249 4437). [560 families, narrowly defined, using 530 characters. Digitized images (c. 670) come with the set. Related publication: Watson, L. & Dallwitz, M.J. (1991), Australian Systematic Botany 4, 681-695.]

Grass genera of the world. L. Watson & M.J. Dallwitz. Watson, L. & Dallwitz, M.J. (1991) Available from Internet or (less conveniently) on floppy disks from: L. Watson, Taxonomy Lab, Research School of Biological Sciences, Australian National University, Canberra ACT 2601 (Fax +61 6 249 4437). [All genera of Poaceae (785, narrowly defined) using 495 characters. Package includes c. 250 digitized images. Related publication: Watson, L. & Dallwitz, M.J. (1992), The grass genera of the world (1038 pp., C.A.B. International, Cambridge).]

The grasses of Australia: subfamily Pooideae. Weiller, C.M., M.J. Henwood & L. Watson. Available from Internet or (less conveniently) on floppy disks from: C.M. Weiller, Taxonomy Lab, Research School of Biological Sciences, Australian National University, Canberra ACT 2601 (Fax +61 6 249 4437). [Currently includes the 32 genera and 170 species of Triticeae and Poeae; 660 characters; images and related publication pending.]

The grasses of Australia: Panicoidae. Webster, R.D., L. Watson & J. Lenz. Available from Internet or (less conveniently) on floppy disks from: L. Watson, Taxonomy Lab, Research School of Biological Sciences, Australian National University, Canberra ACT 2601 (Fax +61 6 249 4437). [45 genera, 260 species; 424 characters. Related publication: Webster, R.D. (1987), The Australian Paniceae (Poaceae), 322 pp. (J. Cramer, Berlin).]

The genera of Leguminosae - Caesalpinioideae. L. Watson & M.J. Dallwitz. Available from Internet or (less conveniently) on floppy disks from: L. Watson, Taxonomy Lab, Research School of Biological Sciences, Australian National University, Canberra ACT 2601 (Fax +61 6 249 4437). [Detailed descriptions of 177 genera, using 136 characters. Related publication: The genera of Leguminosae - Caesalpinioideae: Anatomy, morphology, classification and keys. Watson, L. & M.J. Dallwitz (Research School of Biological Sciences, Australian National University, Canberra).]

Non-DELTA Datasets

Australian tropical rainforest trees. Hyland, B.P.M. & T. Whiffin. CSIRO Publications, 314 Albert St, East Melbourne, Vic 3002, or available from Australian National Herbarium, GPO Box 1600, Canberra ACT 2601. [Contains data on 1,056 taxa, including many as yet undescribed species. Set consists of three floppy disks and three books: Volume 1 (303 pp.) is a manual for use of the disk files (including the interactive key), together with a list of the taxa and details of characters scored; Volume 2 (564 pp.)contains short taxon descriptions and supplementary information (ecology, distribution); Volume 3 (D.C. Christophel & Hyland, 260 pp.) is leaf atlas for all taxa covered, showing size, shape, and venation of leaves. The disks are available in PC (MS-DOS) or Apple Mac versions. Cost (Jan 1994) $195 plus $20 packaging and postage.

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Centre for Plant Biodiversity Research
Plant Identification Bibliography Page
Updated by Andrew Lyne
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