Abstract
Images are a critical part of the identification process because they enable direct, immediate and relatively unmediated comparisons between a specimen being identified and one or more reference specimens. The Carices Interactive Visual Identification Key (CIVIK) is a novel tool for identification of North American Carex species, the largest vascular plant genus in North America, and two less numerous closely-related genera, Cymophyllus and Kobresia. CIVIK incorporates 1288 high-resolution tiled image sets that allow users to zoom in to view minute structures that are crucial at times for identification in these genera. Morphological data are derived from the earlier Carex Interactive Identification Key (CIIK) which in turn used data from the Flora of North America treatments. In this new iteration, images can be viewed in a grid or histogram format, allowing multiple representations of data. In both formats the images are fully zoomable.
Highlights
The last ten years may be remembered for the rebirth of plant taxonomy and systematics in a new guise, computational biodiversity informatics
For much of the earth, and North America in particular, botanical information that once required substantial effort to acquire is reliably provided in seconds by such websites as the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF), Flora of North America, Missouri Botanical Garden's Tropicos, Encyclopedia of Life, United States Plants Database, and emerging regional herbarium networks
The data used in this project are primarily derived from an interactive identification program to Carex that has been online since 2006 at both Utah State University and Louisiana State University
Summary
The last ten years may be remembered for the rebirth of plant taxonomy and systematics in a new guise, computational biodiversity informatics. With two closely related genera, Kobresia and Cymophyllus, it forms the Carices of North America; all three are members of the family Cyperaceae, commonly called sedges but often erroneously referred to as grasses These three genera share a number of basic morphological characteristics including having linear leaves and a fruit enclosed in a bag-. The data used in this project are primarily derived from an interactive identification program to Carex that has been online since 2006 at both Utah State University and Louisiana State University (http://www.herbarium.lsu.edu/keys/carex/carex.html) During this time it has been consistently revised and is currently in version 21. The key presented here reflects contributions from several individuals, innumerable field trips, and countless hours in herbaria both identifying and imaging specimens It is only with such collaboration and effort that an image key to such a large genus can be created.
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
