Using the
Database of Asian Plants in Cultivation

General Remarks

The query form enables you to retrieve accession records by any combination of the searchable fields present on the search page. In addition to searchable fields, the following non-searchable fields will appear in search results: Institution’s Accession/Catalog Number, Specimen Count, and Herbarium Voucher Locations.  Included in the Full Record results next to the taxon there appears a link to TROPICOS, a taxonomic resource maintained by the Missouri Botanical Garden. Completeness of data is contingent upon data submissions from contributing institutions; empty data fields should not be construed as a definitive lack of information or irrelevance regarding a record.  Please contact individual institutions for more information regarding specific accessions.

Query Feedback.  The query parameters entered on the form are summarized as the “filter” at the top of every result page. Check the filter elements to be sure that the query being processed is what you intended.  Press the Clear button on the search form if you would rather start with a blank form than refine your existing search parameters.

Number of records.  The number or records retrieved by the query is reported immediately after the query feedback (near the top of the page). 

Retrieval Limit.  The number of records retrieved is limited to 1,000 to prevent “excessive resource consumption” by a single user and consequent browser crashes; large result sets can cause some computers to lock up.  Note that 1,000 records can amount to more than 1.5 MBs of data.  If you need a result set larger than 1,000 records we will be happy to prepare a file for you and make it available via FTP. Please contact Stan Blum for assistance.

Input Types On The Form

Text Box (Including Wildcard and Substring Search Usage)

a text box

A text box accepts a string of alpha-numeric characters and compares it against values in the database.  The input string must match either the entire stored value, or a portion (substring) of it. Wildcard characters are the asterisk (*) and the question mark (?).  The asterisk matches zero-to-many characters, whereas the question mark matches one and only one character.  For example, searching in the Genus field with “Pseudo*” will match both “Pseudolarix” and “Pseudotsuga”. In some fields, the values are usually long, which makes it difficult to provide an exact match. In these cases, wild cards are automatically added before and after the value entered, and a substring search is performed.  For example, searching in the Collector(s) field with “McNamara” will match any string of collectors that includes the name “McNamara”. A wild card should not be used in a field configured for a substring search (InfraspecificEpithet, CollectionNumber, and Collector). Matching is always case insensitive.

Multi-Select List Box

1st choice 2nd choice 3rd choice 4th choice a multi-select list box

A multi-select list box displays only those values that occur in the database and allows multiple values to be used in a given query.  If no selection is made, the field does not become part of the filter, i.e. all values for this field are returned. Use Ctrl-Click to toggle individual selections on and off; i.e., hold the Control key down (Windows), or the Command key (Macintosh) when you click on a value.  Note that clicking a value without holding down the control key (a left click alone) clears all other selections in the list box and leaves the most recently clicked value as the only selection.  Note also that some browsers “remember” selected values between queries even though the selected values are not visible in (i.e., have scrolled off) the list box.  Press the Clear button to clear the form.

Numeric Selector

A numeric selector accepts a single integer value, and for the Collection Year field only, also accepts an integer range when two integers are separated by a dash (-), without spaces (see examples below).

Check Box

a check box

A check box turns a particular criterion on or off (ignored).

Radio Button

a pair of radio buttons

A radio button must have one and only one selection chosen out of two or more choices.

Field Definitions and Search Tips

Taxonomic Fields

Genus

A text box.  The genus name applied to a specimen.  Wildcards are allowed.

Specific Epithet

A text box.  The specific epithet of the scientific name applied to the specimen.  Wildcards are allowed. The taxonomy used in the database may be slightly different from usage elsewhere.  For example, species named after a person may end in “i” or “ii” and are commonly inconsistent across collections.  If part of the taxon name is in question, use an asterisk (*) as a wildcard; e.g., “david*” to search for “davidii”.

Infraspecific Epithet

A text box configured for substring search (leading and trailing wildcards added automatically).  The infraspecific epithet of the scientific name applied to the specimen.  Wildcards should not be entered.

Family

A multi-select list box.  The scientific name of the family in which the specimen is classified.

Collection Data Fields

Country of Origin

A multi-select list box.  The primary political unit where the specimen was collected.

Region of Origin

A text box.  The name of a secondary geo-political unit, typically a state or province, where the specimen was collected. Wildcards are allowed.

Collection Number

A text box configured for substring search (leading and trailing wildcards added automatically).  One or (usually) both of the following two elements: 1) the alphabetic code used to identify either a particular botanical collecting expedition or the catalog of botanical collections ascribed to one or more botanical collectors, and 2) the integer or alpha-numeric characters used to identify a particular specimen collection, often including a two-digit year reference.  Wildcards should not be entered.

Collector

A text box configured for substring search (leading and trailing wildcards added automatically).  The surname(s) of one or more individuals who were directly responsible for obtaining a botanical collection.  Only one surname (or substring thereof) should be entered for each search. Wildcards should not be entered.

Elevation (Min. & Max.)

Two numeric selector fields.  The elevation at which a specimen has been collected, searched for as a limited range (using both fields), as an open-ended range (using only one field), or as a single elevation (entering the same value in both fields).  Wildcards should not be entered. Ranges are not allowed within either field.

Collection Year

A numeric interval selector.  This field can be used to specify: 1) a single year; 2) the upper or lower boundary (inclusive) of an open-ended range of years; and 3) an inclusive range of years.  Wildcards should not be entered.  Spaces around dashes are not allowed.  Examples are as follows:

Enter		Meaning
1993		Collected in 1993
1994-		Collected in 1994 or later
-1998		Collected in 1998 or earlier
1995-2001		Collected between 1995 and 2001 (inclusive)

Provenance

A check box.  This value designates specimens of documented wild origin.  This includes plant material collected directly from a wild or natural setting ("Wild-Direct"), or propagated one or more times vegetatively ("Wild-Indirect") from wild-direct material.  It excludes those plants of cultivated ("Non-Wild") origin and, in most cases, those collected from a region where they have "naturalized" by virtue of past human interference.

Note: When considering provenance, remember that collections for which the Origin Status is recorded as “Unspecified” are often of wild-origin, despite a lack of decisive data within this resource; wild-origin status can often be confirmed by contacting the host institution directly. Selecting this box will omit all records with values of “Unspecified” or “Non-Wild” (plants from cultivated sources).

Institution Holdings Data Fields

Institution

A multi-select list box.  Institutions that have contributed specimen records to the database are listed here. See table of institutional data, below.

Institution Accession Number (in results, not searchable)

The identifying number given to a particular collection by the institution holding one or more of that collection’s specimens, and intended primarily for in-house use at the host institution.

Specimen Count (in results, not searchable)

The number of living specimens of a collection at an individual institution.

Herbaria Holding Vouchers (in results, not searchable)

Herbaria listed in this field are known by the host institution to hold voucher material derived from this collection (specimen). Herbarium codes follow Index Herbariorum. A "yes" entry denotes the existence of voucher specimens at unspecified herbarium location(s). A number denotes the number of specimen vouchers at unspecified herbarium location(s).

Institutions Contributing Data to DAPC

Display Options

Page Style - Multiple Pages/Single Page

A pair of radio buttons. Choose Multiple Pages if you would like the results displayed 20 per page, one page at a time. If you would like all the results displayed on one page, choose Single Page.
 

Record Style - Brief Records/Full Records

A pair of radio buttons. Brief Records will display only a few fields of data for each record. Full Records will display all available data for each record. Included in the Full Record results next to the taxon there appears a link to TROPICOS, a taxonomic resource maintained by the Missouri Botanical Garden. Be warned that choosing Single Page and Full Records can take a long time to download if there are a large number of records.
 

© Quarryhill Botanical Garden 2001-2007