The “Flora brasiliensis” revisited

G.J. Shepherd

How big a job ?

How many species ?

How big a job ?

How many species ?

Source Estimate

Martius et al. (1840 –1906) 21,914

Govaerts (2001) 35,000

Shepherd (2000) 45,000

Groombridge (1992) 55,000

Bramwell (2002) 70,000

How big a job ?

How many species ? How many new species ?

How big a job ?

How many species ? How many new species ? How good is the existing taxonomy ?

What are the bottlenecks ?

Types Literature Supporting documentation Access to adequate collections

Access to types ?

1822

694

19360 51 34

0200

400600

8001000

12001400

16001800

2000

Types in Thousands

EuropeNorth AmericaAsiaAfricaSouth AmericaAustralasia

from : B.R. Baum (1994)

How long do floras take ?Flora Spp Time (yrs)

Europaea 11.557 22

Mesoamericana 18.000 33*

North America 18.000 27*

Australia 25.000 50?*

China 29.500 22*

Malesiana 42.000 103*

source Heywood 2001 * - estimated

Why do Floras take so long?

Self-inflicted problems

Why do Floras take so long ?

Self-inflicted problems Must it be complete ?

Why do Floras take so long ?

Self-inflicted problems Must it be complete ? Must it be so uniform ?

Why do Floras take so long ?

Self-inflicted problems Must it be complete ? Must it be so uniform ? Rechecking specimen data

Why do Floras take so long ?

Self-inflicted problems Must it be complete ? Must it be so uniform ? Rechecking specimen data Must we keep on re-inventing the wheel ?

How can we speed things up ?

Infrastructure Working methods and tools Attitudes

Infrastructure

Images and information on types Images and information on other herbarium

materials Literature Other materials - Field notebooks,

itineraries, etc.

Working methods and tools

Description and key-making systems Interactive keys Reference sources (online/CDs)

taxonomic names author names and information collector names and information geographical names

I Sing the Flora Electric ? (apologies to Ray Bradbury...)

dynamic structure taxonomically heterogeneous geographically heterogeneous The “stone of Sisyphus” syndrome flexibility (multi classification)

I Sing the Flora Electric ?

“multi-personality” detailed taxonomic treatise routine identification limited area “pocket guides” “picture books” checklists information bank and gateway to more general

information - rare species, sequences, etc.