• Target 1: Online Flora

Target 1: Online Flora

An online Flora of all known plants

Contributors: M. le Roux, B. Bytebier, J. Victor, E. van Wyk & D. Raimondo

Background

In 2006, South Africa produced a checklist of its entire flora achieving at that time Target 1: A widely accessible working list of known plant species, as a step towards a complete world Flora. The updated version of this checklist is available online at www.posa.sanbi.org.

Since 1997, South Africa has embarked on producing regional floras that contain short descriptions for plants found within South Africa’s biomes. The South African flora consists of ± 20 500 taxa and is well known for its species richness. In order to compile a national flora for all taxa by 2020, contributions (entire familial or generic treatments) from taxonomists will be incorporated. Thereafter gaps in the flora will be identified. In those cases where no taxonomist or recent taxonomic revision is available, information will be taken from the seven provincial and biome-focussed regional floras. These will be combined to produce a national flora that will be served on the World Wide Web by 2020 (Victor et al. 2013).

Target 1 outcomes for 2020

1.1. e-Flora produced that includes descriptions, distribution information and images for taxa.

During the development of information for the online Flora, taxonomic information will be stored in the Botanical Research and Herbarium Management System (BRAHMS) database (http://herbaria.plants.ox.ac.uk/bol/) from where it will be exported onto the e-Flora of South Africa website. Electronically available specimen data from the National Herbarium (PRE), the Compton Herbarium (NBG), the KwaZulu-Natal Herbarium (NH), taken from BRAHMS, will be used to produce distribution maps. Additional specimen data from any other South African herbarium that uses the BRAHMS database will be included. Images will be sourced for each family and genus from professional and amateur botanists. Where no images are available scans of herbarium specimens will be included.

1.2. Identification keys to genus level and where possible to species level included in e-Flora.

Identification keys to genera and where possible species level will be compiled from available taxonomic literature.

Target 1: An online Flora of all known plants
Outcomes	Activities	Responsible stakeholders	Timeframe
1.1. e-Flora produced that includes descriptions, distribution information and images for taxa.	1.1.1. National checklist updated that includes: · Up-to-date names with authorships. · Protologue citations. · Synonyms listed.	1.1.1. SANBI – Biosystematics Research and Biodiversity Collections.	Checklist updated on an ongoing basis and available as an electronic download.
	1.1.2. Database with the following floristic information populated: · 5 000 species descriptions per annum. · National geographic distribution ranges accompanied by maps. · Residency status. · Endemism status. · Literature references ensuring that credit is provided to authors and suppliers of resources.	1.1.2 .SANBI – e-Flora co-ordinator and taxonomists (SANBI and non-SANBI).	5 000 species per annum; 100% completed by 2019.
	1.1.3. Herbarium specimens and associated database records verified (to improve the accuracy of distribution information).	1.1.3. SANBI – Biosystematics Research and Biodiversity Collections as well as non- SANBI taxonomists.	Verify the accuracy of 10 000 specimens and records per annum.
	1.1.4. Images for 350 genera sourced per annum.	1.1.4. Taxonomists (SANBI and non- SANBI), citizen scientists.	350 genera per annum.
1.2. Identification keys to genus level and where possible to species level included in e-Flora.	1.2.1. Available dichotomous keys converted to electronic format, dependant on availability of time and resources.	1.2.1. SANBI – e-Flora co-ordinator and taxonomists (SANBI and non-SANBI).	1.2.1. & 1.2.2. Selected keys from available sources served by 2020.
	1.2.2. Links to interactive keys for selected genera provided.	1.2.2. Taxonomists (SANBI and non-SANBI).