HILL COUNTRY FLORA

VIRTUAL HERBARIUM

SEARCH ENGINE

. .

PresenterPresentation NotesReasons for creating search engineBought land in the Hill CountryWe found over 200 wildflowers the first 2 yearsProblems identifying plants The only resources were books and virtual herbariums without a search capability

• Grant from the Kerrville Native Plant Society to buy a laptop that Barbara Lowenthal used to compile all of the taxonomic descriptions of plants.

• Support from the Riverside Nature Center by providing the resources we needed to gather the plant descriptions.

• Donations by 47 photographers (Master Naturalists) for more than 9000 pictures that we use to illustrate the descriptions.

THIS PROJECT WAS ONLY POSSIBLE BECAUSE

PresenterPresentation NotesGrant from NPSOTSupport from Riverside Nature CenterDonations from 47 Photographers

FF NNNN II P N format Ex. A10009M3P.jpg FF = PLANT FAMILY NNNN = PLANT ID NUMBER II = PERSON THAT TOOK THE PICTURE P = PART OF THE PLANT N = NUMBER OF THE PICTURE

FILE LABELS

PresenterPresentation NotesFile system to keep track of documentation and pictures

Family code

FF NNNN II P N format Ex. A10009M3P.jpg FF = PLANT FAMILY NNNN = PLANT ID NUMBER II = PERSON THAT TOOK THE PICTURE P = PART OF THE PLANT N = NUMBER OF THE PICTURE

FILE LABELS

PresenterPresentation NotesPlant ID number

FF NNNN II P N format Ex. A10009M3P.jpg FF = PLANT FAMILY NNNN = PLANT ID NUMBER II = PERSON THAT TOOK THE PICTURE P = PART OF THE PLANT N = NUMBER OF THE PICTURE

FILE LABELS

PresenterPresentation NotesPhotographer or documenter

FF NNNN II P N format Ex. A10009M3P.jpg FF = PLANT FAMILY NNNN = PLANT ID NUMBER II = PERSON THAT TOOK THE PICTURE P = PART OF THE PLANT N = NUMBER OF THE PICTURE

FILE LABELS

PresenterPresentation NotesPlant part codePlantLeafSstemFlowerSeedFriut

FF NNNN II P N format Ex. A10009M3P.jpg FF = PLANT FAMILY NNNN = PLANT ID NUMBER II = PERSON THAT TOOK THE PICTURE P = PART OF THE PLANT N = NUMBER OF THE PICTURE

FILE LABELS

PresenterPresentation NotesNumber if more than one picture exists

Advantages of using the Search Engine

PresenterPresentation NotesUsing this search engine teaches you the taxonomy of plants.

Advantages of using the Search Engine

1. You can identify a plant by what you see even if it is not taxonomically correct.

2. If you do not know the meaning of the taxonomic terms there are pictures and descriptions of each term.

3. Using this search engine teaches you the taxonomy of plants.

PresenterPresentation NotesIdentify plants by what you see

There are pictures and descriptions of the plant parts (Taxonomic Terms)

Using this search engine teaches you the taxonomy of plants.

PresenterPresentation NotesExample the taxonomic data initially collected to describe the plants.

PresenterPresentation NotesThe first 3 characteristics used to identify a plant are:The number of Petals or Petal like structuresBloom periodFlower color

16% 1 to 4 plants

PresenterPresentation Notes16% of the searches lead to less than 5 plants.

PresenterPresentation NotesWe added two more characteristics to the search.Leaf ArrangementLeaf Shape

72% 1 to 4 plants

PresenterPresentation Notes72% of the searches yielded less than 5 plants.

PresenterPresentation NotesFinally we added some leaf characteristics to the search.

99% 1 to 4 plants

PresenterPresentation NotesUsing only some of these characteristics 99% of the searches yielded less than 5 plants.

PresenterPresentation NotesIt only takes anywhere from 3 to 8 of these characteristics to reduce number of plants from over 468 to less than 5.

PresenterPresentation NotesThe drop down button shows a list of characteristics to choose a leaf arrangement.

PresenterPresentation NotesPressing the View button shows pictures and descriptions of each term. In this case a picture and a description of alternate arrangement is shown.

PresenterPresentation NotesSelecting opposite shows a picture and a description of an opposite leaf arrangement.

Whorled Leaf arrangement

PresenterPresentation NotesSometimes pictures are not the best examples of a characteristic.

Using TurboCad and Photoshop pictures of 3-dimentional objects can be converted into pictures that show the characteristic better than photograph

Whorled Leaf arrangement

PresenterPresentation NotesEliminating the background and giving the stem a different color from the leaf makes it easier to see the leaf arrangement and the sessile leaf attachment to the stem.

PresenterPresentation NotesThis is what the description now looks like.

6 March Blue Linear Acute

PresenterPresentation NotesHere is a flower to identify with the search engine. A blue flower with 6 petals and long narrow leaves And a pointed apex (acute)blooming in March.

PresenterPresentation NotesThe characteristics of the flower are entered into the fields of the search engine and then the SEARCH button is pressed.

PresenterPresentation NotesThis results in two flowers that meet the search characteristics. A close examination of the brief characteristics shows that the Celestial really only has 3 petals. Pressing the link to the description will give you a more complete description of the plant.

PresenterPresentation NotesPressing the link to the Flower will give you a more complete taxonomic description of the flower.

PresenterPresentation NotesIt says that there are 3 petals and 3 sepals called Tepals.

PresenterPresentation NotesPressing the VIEW FLOWER PARTS link shows that the sepals are generally small leaf-like structures underneath the petals.

PresenterPresentation NotesClicking on the link to TEPALS reveals that this term is used when the petals and sepals look alike.

PresenterPresentation NotesKnowing that this plant only has 3 petals you can empress your friends by doing a search with 3 not 6 petals.

PresenterPresentation NotesThe Celestial is found but there are 2 flowers that most people would describe them as having only 2 petals. Clicking on the description link of one of them reveals some interesting things.

PresenterPresentation NotesFirst the leaf is not a linear leaf and the flower seems to only have 2 petals.Clicking on the Flower link provides more information about the flower.

PresenterPresentation NotesThe flower description says that it has 3 petals but one is small in insignificant.

Now if we click on the leaf link we can see why this plant got selected when we specified that it had a linear leaf shape.

PresenterPresentation NotesThe flower is at the terminal end of the stem and after it finishes blooming the stem continues to grow and forms another leaf and a bloom. The older leafs change their shape with maturity and range from linear, lanceolate to spatulate. Any of these leaf shapes that you use would identify this plant.

2 March Blue

PresenterPresentation NotesHere is an example of two flowers with 3 petals that look like they only have 2 petals

PresenterPresentation NotesIf you use the characteristics (2 petalsBlue colorBlooming in Marchin the search you get 3 plants.

PresenterPresentation Notes2 plants that have 3 petals and only one that actually has 2 petals In blue flowers that bloom in March.

13 February White

PresenterPresentation NotesThis is a flower that does not have any petals

PresenterPresentation NotesEntering only these 3 characteristics 13 petalsWhite colorBlooming in Februaryworks because not to many flowers bloom in February.

PresenterPresentation NotesWe have 4 subspecies and the flowers all look alike so we will look at the identifying characteristics of the first two.

PresenterPresentation NotesPressing the identifying characteristics link of the Wind flower will help you to differentiate between these plants.

PresenterPresentation NotesThis one is a solitary plant.The picture pops up when you click on the Solitary link.

PresenterPresentation NotesThis one has multiple blooms on a plant.

PresenterPresentation NotesIt is a Cluster with an arrangement described as a Cyme.Clicking on the Cyme link gives you a description in the popup window.

4 June Red Opposite Lanceolate

PresenterPresentation NotesThis red flower seems to have 4 petals, blooms in June and has Lanceolate leaves that areOpposite.

PresenterPresentation NotesEnter the characteristics and press the search button.

PresenterPresentation NotesThere are 2 plants that meet this description but one of them has no petals but red sepals that meet the description.

Now press the link to the description of the other flower that the brief description says it only has 2 petals.

PresenterPresentation NotesPress the flower link

PresenterPresentation NotesNow you can see that that the flower only has 2 petals that are deeply lobed and look like 4 petals.

5 April Purple Opposite. Linear Acute Sessile

PresenterPresentation NotesA flower that looks like it has 5 petals.

PresenterPresentation NotesEnter the description and click the Search button.

PresenterPresentation NotesThe brief description again says that this flower only has 2 petals.

Click on the link to the full description.

PresenterPresentation NotesNow click on the flower link.

PresenterPresentation NotesThe description says that it only has 2 petals but one has 2 lobes and the other one has 3 lobes and they are fused near the bottom to form a tube.

4 March Yellow Alternate Elliptic Acute Dentate Tapering

PresenterPresentation NotesWe currently have 186 yellow flowers in our database

PresenterPresentation NotesEntering these characteristics and using only the leaf margin and base descriptions can identify this plant.

PresenterPresentation NotesIf you simply enter the name bladderpod as the common name you will find out that there are 5 yellow bladderpods that will come up and simply adding some of the characteristics of the leaf will differentiate between them.

8 June Yellow Oblanceolate Alternate Clasping

PresenterPresentation NotesCLYF = (Confusing Little Yellow Flowers)

PresenterPresentation NotesEnter the flower descriptions which include a clasping leaf base.

PresenterPresentation NotesTwo flowers out of over 186 yellow flowers meet these characteristics.

PresenterPresentation NotesClicking on the flower link shows something different about this flower.

PresenterPresentation NotesClicking on the VIEW FLOWER PARTS button shows that this is a composite flower and the petals are actually ray flowers. If you look at the disk flowers you notice that each disk flower has only 5 petals. Using 5 for the number of petals will also give you the same results but will only result in 1 plant in the search.

5 April Green Opposite Ovate. Acute Entire Cordate.

PresenterPresentation NotesThis flower seems to have 5 green petals.

PresenterPresentation NotesEnter this data but use only the cordate leaf base and press the search button.

PresenterPresentation NotesThere are 2 plants that meet this description. Press the complete description link.

PresenterPresentation NotesNow press the flower link.

PresenterPresentation NotesThis flower actually has 5 petals that are partially fused near the base.

5 April Green Opposite Ovate Acute Lobed Cordate

PresenterPresentation NotesThis is the Plateau Milkweed that also came up in the search.This plant has a different leaf margin.

PresenterPresentation NotesWe talked about the Wooly Ironweed that I used to make the image of a whorled leaf pattern. If you click on the Distribution Map you will get the USDA map showing the states where this plant grows.

PresenterPresentation NotesIf you zoom in on the state of Texas you can see the counties where it is found.

PresenterPresentation NotesThere are two counties that I would be very surprised if this plant did not grow there and that is another neat Master Naturalist project providing the USDA the information to update their maps.

The interesting thing about the picture that I took is that it was in Medina County which this map does not list as having this plant.

http://www.plants.usda.gov/du/DistributionUpdate.html

Updating Distributions: Standards for Contributors

1. Locality & other information (required): A. *Provide county, parish, or equivalent municipality. These are the units that PLANTS maps. Furthermore, *localities provided should give the town or city, or even more precise geographic information, such as within 100 m in latitude/longitude or Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM) coordinates. B. *Date of documentation, including the day, month, and year. C. *Name of the collector or documenter. 2. Plant documentation, A. Photographs B. Herbarium specimens: pressed, dried plant material C. Published literature D. Botanical specialists

PresenterPresentation NotesYou can update the USDA Distribution Maps by providing the following information.

1. Location2. Date of sighting3. Name of documenter

And Plant Documentation (one of the following)Photographspressed, dried materialpublished literatureBotanical Specialist

Where do we go from here?

Where do we go from here? Expand the Database to other Ecoregions

• Get other Master Naturalist Chapters to expand the Database by adding plants in their area.

• Customize searches by Ecoregion

PresenterPresentation NotesWe would like to expand the database to other ecoregions.

That would allow a user to customize their search to specific Ecoregions or even counties.

PresenterPresentation NotesAll of our plants are currently in the Edwards Plateau but they have not been assigned an ecoregion. Any plant can be assigned to as many ecoregions or counties where it is found.

PresenterPresentation NotesSelect the Edwards Plateau.For this demonstration I have assigned 4 plants to the Edwards Plateau.

PresenterPresentation NotesA search reveals the 4 plants.

PresenterPresentation Notes2 of these four plants have also been assigned to Kerr County because Kerr County spans across 2 of the 4 Edwards Plateau Ecosystems.

PresenterPresentation NotesA search reveals the 2 plants also assigned to Kerr County.

Where do we go from here? Expand the Database to other Ecoregions

• Get other Master Naturalist Chapters to expand the Database by adding plants in their area.

• Customize searches by Ecoregion • Establish working relationships with NPSOT

Chapters and local Universities.

PresenterPresentation NotesThis would give Master Naturalists access to the resources needed to gather the taxonomic information to add plants in their area to the database.

History First founded by teachers as the Academy of Science in Texas in 1880, the organization as we know it now emerged around 1929 and included a physicist, a botanist, a mathematician and two biologists as its founding members.

Mission The Texas Academy of Science promotes scientific research in Texas colleges and universities, encourages research as a part of student learning and enhances the professional development of its professional and student members. TAS possesses a complex, intriguing and long-standing educational mission.

Texas Academy of Sciences

PresenterPresentation NotesMany of the colleges and Universities in Texas have faculty that are members of the Texas Academy of Sciences.This could lead to the ability of Master Naturalist Chapters to work with students and also give them access to the resources at the local university and colleges that they need might.

Where do we go from here? Expand the Database to other Ecoregions

• Get other Chapters of the NPSOT to expand the Database.

• Customize searches by Ecoregion • Establish working relationships with NPSOT

Chapters and local Universities. Put the Search Engine on-line

• If you have a smart phone you can use it to identify plants in the field if you have a phone signal.

PresenterPresentation NotesThis will allow anyone with a smart phone to identify plants in the field as long as they have a phone signal.

Tools

1. Template (Excel file) for describing the taxonomy of a plant.

PresenterPresentation NotesHere are examples of the tools we have for expanding the database

PresenterPresentation NotesEach tab in this Excel file has information that can be used to describe the different parts of the plant

PresenterPresentation NotesSimply select the lines that do not apply to your plant and delete them.

PresenterPresentation NotesWhen you finish this is the general description of this particular plant.

PresenterPresentation NotesOff to the right HTML code for creating the web page of the description is generated.

Tools

1. Template (Excel file) for describing the taxonomy of a plant.

2. Template for creating a web page.

PresenterPresentation NotesThere are also templates for creating a web page.

Web Page template

PresenterPresentation NotesThis is a blank web page template.

PresenterPresentation NotesBy selecting the HTML code and copying it.

Web page Template code

PresenterPresentation NotesIt can be pasted in the template between the comments labeled PLANT

PresenterPresentation NotesAfter all of the sections have been added to the template a web page has been created.

PresenterPresentation NotesThis is a view of the resulting web page

Notice that some words are blue and underlined

By clicking on them a window will pop up with the definition of the term and sometimes also a picture.

HCFlora@Penasco.net 1. We have a list of over 2826 species 2. Excel templates for creating the descriptions 3. Web page templates 4. Instructions and the information needed to

put your plants in the database. • 10 plant characteristics • A photograph • A description of the plant

For more information email us at

PresenterPresentation NotesWe can provide instructions for gathering the information needed to add your plants to the database so that the search engine can be used to identify them.

mailto:HCFlora@Penasco.net

We will replace all the images used in our definitions with pictures generated from pictures using programs like

Photoshop

PresenterPresentation NotesBefore we put the database on line we will replace all of the images borrowed from books and the internet with images we generate. Here is an example of how Photoshop can be used to create an ink-line drawing from a picture and also add leaf color to the image.

This is another potential Master Naturalist volunteer project.

PresenterPresentation NotesHere is another ink-line drawing showing parts of the leaf.

Photographers Resources

PresenterPresentation NotesWe have had a lot of support to date including the resident in my shop.

The link in the lower right corner of this slide is an example of how we can provide photographers with the information they need to provide us with the pictures we need in the database. It can be setup by ecoregion.

People in the Austin area working on the Texas Blackland Prairie will be working on the same ecosystem as the chapters in San Antonio, Temple, Waco and Dallas so it is important to share the information of what has already been done.

http://www.penasco.net/HCFlorahttp://www.penasco.net/HCFlora

PresenterPresentation NotesThis is the web page that is used by photographers in the Edwards Plateau to find out what pictures are needed for the descriptions in the database.

Links can be setup for the other ecoregions so that chapters in those areas can tell what pictures are needed for the plants in their area.

Pressing the link to the Edwards Plateau will show you what photographs are needed.

PresenterPresentation NotesThe link to each month will tell you what plants start blooming that month and how long they will be in bloom. The label that is made up of the Plant family and the species sequence number is also available. /the only thing that the photographer need to do is to provide the photographer ID and a code for the part of the plant that was photographed.

The link to the Resource Page will provide you with that information. We only need the names of the photographers so that we can assign them an ID code.

PresenterPresentation NotesThis is the page of the photographers and their ID in the Edwards Plateau.

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