These pages describe the basic usage guidelines for each column. Storage details, import/export notes,
and a description of how to use each column in the publication templates are also given.
Alphabetical index to column specifications |
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The original date of acquisition.
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This check mark is an indicator of whether or not any data has been entered in any Adverse factors view item.
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An all purpose classifier to identify the undesirable qualities of this plant.
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Defines whether this is a deciduous or evergreen species. This is only applicable to perennials.
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Checked if this plant is often visited by butterflies for its nectar or as a host plant.
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Checked if this plant has a rich supply of nectar available in red-colored, funnel-shaped flowers that are accessible by hummingbirds.
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Checked if this is a deciduous tree or shrub with notably colorful leaves in the fall.
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For woody perennials, the colors of the bark.
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A free form description of the outer bark on this plant's woody structures.
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A classification of where this plant is often used in the landscape trade.
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This check mark is an indicator of whether or not any data has been entered in any Biodiversity view item.
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One or more of the plant communities defined by Brown, Reichenbacher, and Franson which indicates the species' range of natural occurrence in the environment.
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The normal season for flowers to be in bloom.
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This contains the full botanical name. It is automatically generated from the genus, species, variety and cultivar items.
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This check mark is an indicator of whether or not any data has been entered in any Climate View item.
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The period of time that young seedlings should be kept in a cold frame before setting out in the spring.
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The date the plant material was obtained from the field.
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A description of where the plant material was collected and enough information for others to reestablish the location at a later time.
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The serialized number for the named collector attached to this herbarium sheet.
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The name of the person who obtained the material in the field.
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Checked if this plant has ornamental berries in the autumn and winter.
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The common names of a species are stored in the table of vernacular names.
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This is a list of fungi, insects and larger animals that commonly attack this plant.
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Checked to indicate that the plant has died.
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A list of how this plant is presently used in commercial enterprises. (Food, medicine and landscaping are not included in this list.)
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The form of the flower's corolla. Examples include: coroniform, cruciform, funnelform, papilionaceous, spurred, tubular, and others.
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The typical distance between adjacent plants for optimal use of space without sacrificing sunshine and water needs.
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A list of the usual ways in which this plant's foodstuff is prepared and stored.
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The cultivar is a horticultural name that is appended to the botanical name and is used to identify a named hybrid.
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This check mark is an indicator of whether or not any data has been entered in any Cultivation view item.
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The data source item is a reference to where the data for this plant was originally obtained. When more than one source is referenced, the individual sources are separated by semicolons.
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Checked if this plant is not normally eaten by foraging deer.
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An indicator of how this new variety was created: chance seedling, sport, species selection, or hybrid.
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Checked if this plant can cause skin rashes or if it can trigger phototoxic hyperactivity.
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A classifier to identify the plant's most desirable quality. The custom categories that you create for this item should reflect your personal/professional interest.
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Checked if this variety is typically free of the diseases that trouble similar members of the genus.
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The places where this plant is commonly found in the wild today.
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The colors produced in the dyer's vat. When multiple colors are listed, they are made possible through the use of different plant parts or different mordants.
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The parts of the plant traditionally used for fabric dyes.
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Checked if this plant contains some edible parts.
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A list of the parts of the plant used for food.
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The size, color and shape of the fruit or other edible portion of the plant.
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An indicator used with regional flora to classify a plant as alien, exotic or invasive.
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The family name is the artificial grouping used by botanists to group plants with similar characteristics together.
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This check mark is an indicator of whether or not any data has been entered in any Features view item.
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The best type of fertilizer to apply for higher yields.
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Used for species that are included on the current listing based on the United States Federal Endangered Species Act of 1973.
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The taste and feel of the fruit or other edible part.
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The notable secondary colors of the flowers.
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The arrangement of the emerging flower parts within the unopened flower bud.
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A free form description of the plant's flowers. This description is used to supplement the flower and inflorescence details provided with the Flower View.
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The way in which a flower holds itself up against gravity: erect, horizontal, nodding, or pendant.
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A description of how the flower is attached to the peduncle: adnate, embracing, sheathing, sessile, and others.
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The most prominent colors typically seen in flowers of this species.
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A description of the flower's perfection: dioecious, monoecious, polygamous, pistillate, staminate, etc.
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The length of an individual flower, not the inflorescence as a whole, across it's widest dimension.
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This check mark is an indicator of whether or not any data has been entered in any Flower view item.
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A general description of the odors produced by the plant's flowers, leaves, roots and bark.
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A classification scheme for placing similar smelling plants into easily recognizable groups.
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The relative strength of this plant's smell.
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A list of which plant parts are fragrant.
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The relative tenderness or hardiness of a plant and its susceptibility to succumbing to frost.
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A free form description of the plant's fruit bearing organism. (For edible fruits and nuts, see the Nutrition View item "Edible Parts Description".)
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The type of seed bearing organism, for example: acorn, berry, drupe, nut, pome, and more.
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Where is this specimen planted -- the name of the garden or the approximate location where it can be found.
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A word processing-like note for highlighting the ornamental value of this plant, its climatic suitability, and some of its traditional uses.
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This check mark is an indicator of whether or not any data has been entered in any Garden View item.
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The word genus is from the Greek meaning race or kind. It forms the root of the English word generic, thus it is the portion of the botanical name that is non-specific.
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The places where this plant is thought to have originated from. Through several millennia of mankind's efforts this record is fairly obscure.
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If this is a tree or shrub how does its visual form appear from a distance: dense, compact, pyramidal, and so forth.
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If this is a groundcover, vine or flower does it grow upright without support or does it tend to stay close to the ground: ascending, climbing, mound forming, spreading, and the like.
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The usual time frame for expecting the harvest to be ready when the guidelines for "planting period" are followed.
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An all purpose item used to indicate that this plant has some traditional healing properties.
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A indicator of the relative quantity of pollen produced and carried on the wind.
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The typical time of year when this plant bears wind-borne pollen.
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The relative need for hot summer days in order to produce good-sized and flavorful produce.
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The American Horticultural Society's heat zones in which this plant is known to survive.
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This check mark is an indicator of whether or not any data has been entered in any Herbal medicine view item.
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A word processing-like note to document additional herbarium related information. Also used to document general free form descriptive botanical information.
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This check mark is an indicator of whether or not any data has been entered in any Herbarium view item.
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A word processing-like note that documents horticulture related information such as fertilization, propagation and origin.
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This check mark is an indicator of whether or not any data has been entered in any Horticulture view item.
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This check mark is an indicator of whether or not any data has been entered in any Identification View item.
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The arrangement of the individual flowers within the inflorescence. Examples include: clustered, loose, radiant, rosaceous, spiral, and others.
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The form of the inflorescence: capitate, cymose, spicate, or umbellate to name a few.
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The width of an inflorescence when it is symmetrical, or the length of an inflorescence when it is elongated.
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The inflorescence type: catkin, head, raceme, thyrse, or umbel for example.
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Checked if this variety is more notably insect resistant than its common form.
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Checked if this plant can cause illness or death when ingested.
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Used for species that are included on the 1994 IUCN red list published by the UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre.
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The appearance of the leaf tip. Examples include: blunt, hooked, mucronate, or retuse.
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A description of how the leaflets are arranged in relationship to each other -- something like alternate, opposite, whorled, etc.
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The appearance of the leaf base where it attaches to the petiole. Possibilities might be attenuate, cordate, hastate, truncate, and more.
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The color(s) of the leaves.
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This is the keyword simple for simple leaves. For compound leaves this is variously one of the compound or pinnate choices.
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A free form description of the plant's leaves. This description is used to supplement the leaf details provided with the Leaf View.
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A description of the downy, hairy, silky, spiny, velvety, or woolly covering on the leaves.
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For deeply cut leaves, this is a description of how the divisions appear -- something like lobed, palmate, split, and so forth.
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For simple leaves, this is the typical length from base to tip. For compound leaves, this is the typical length of the full compound leaf.
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For compound leaves only. This is the typical length of a single leaflet from base to tip.
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For compound leaves only. This is the typical width of a single leaflet across its widest part.
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A description of the type of serration along the outer edges of the leaf. Might be something like: curled, gnawed, crenated, sawed, toothed, etc.
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A description of the particulate covering on the leaves -- possibilities include: dewy, dusty, greasy, powdery, slimy, etc.
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The overall appearance of a leaf's shape -- possible values include: crescent-shaped, fiddle-shaped, halbert-shaped, heart-shaped, kidney-shaped, needle-shaped, sword-shaped, and many more.
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A description of the leaf's surface texture -- leathery, papery, spongy, waxy, etc.
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The location and appearance of discolorations and other markings on the leaves: marbled, painted, spotted, striped, variegated, and so forth.
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A description of the pattern of veins within the leaf. Examples include: divided, reticulated, pedate, peltate, ribbed, and more.
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A description of how the young leaves are arranged before the bud opens. Many possibilities such as convolute, contorted, rovolute, wrinkled, and more.
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This check mark is an indicator of whether or not any data has been entered in any Leaf view item.
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For simple leaves, this is the typical width across the widest portion of the leaf. For compound leaves, this is the typical width of the full compound leaf.
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Checked when the use or possession of this plant is subject to legal restrictions in one or more countries.
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Describes in layman's terms how a plant progresses from germination to death, something like: annual, biennial or perennial.
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This check mark is an indicator of whether or not any data has been entered on any item in the Life cycle View.
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This is usually "terrestrial" for most angiosperms and gymnosperms. Use this item to classify plants as bryophyte (mosses, liverworts, hornworts), epiphyte (air plants), or aquatic (plants living in water).
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The typical longevity of the plant.
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Checked if this plant should be kept out of pastures used by grazing farm animals.
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Checked if this plant contains sharp points that easily puncture the skin.
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A word processing-like note used to describe the beneficial uses of this plant.
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The parts of the plant that are used when preparing infusions, tinctures, creams, herbal teas, and so forth.
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This is a list of the ways in which this plant has been used to treat illness and to promote health.
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An indicator used with regional flora to classify a plant as native, indigenous or endemic.
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Checked if this plant is found along roadsides, open fields and other non-cultivated areas and is not normally considered a "wildflower". This is a non-pejorative word for "a common weed".
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An indicator used by state agricultural agencies to identify the potential threat a non-native species poses to the local economy.
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For compound leaves only. This is the number of leaflets per leaf. This value may be a simple number, like "5", or a range of values like "11-15".
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From which nursery (or friend/neighbor/relative) was this plant obtained.
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A list of the notable vitamins, minerals, trace elements and proteins found in this plant.
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This check mark is an indicator of whether or not any data has been entered in any Nutrition view item.
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An all-purpose classifier. Create your own categories to organize plants according to their special interest to you.
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An all purpose classifier for colors. The semantics of this item are entirely up to you.
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An all purpose seasonal item (or date range item). Use this item either independent of or in conjunction with the "Other interest" item.
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How tall is a typical specimen at maturity.
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How wide is a typical specimen at maturity. This is often referred to by nursery labels as "planting distance" or "spacing".
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An indicator of a plant's suitability to acidic conditions.
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The filename of the JPEG or GIF file containing a picture or sketch of the plant.
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The filename of a secondary JPEG or GIF file containing an alternate picture or sketch of the plant.
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A free form description of the flower's pistil.
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One or more of the 29 plant communities defined by Munz, which indicates the native environment in which the species is naturally found growing.
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The best period of time for planting taking into consideration a plant's tenderness to frost and its need for sunlight.
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The usual way of arranging crops for easy planting, tending, and harvesting.
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A description of the toxic elements found in the plant.
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The parts of the plant that contain poisonous constituents.
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If this new variety is a hybrid, this identifies the male plant that supplied the pollen.
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For fruits and nuts, an indicator of whether or not cross-pollination is required to set fruit.
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Checked when this plant has abortifacient properties or is otherwise potentially harmful to the developing fetus.
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The buying/selling price for this plant.
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For commercial tradesmen, an indicator of this plant's sales price.
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Checked when this plant is considered dangerous enough that only qualified herbalists should consider using it.
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A list of the methods typically used to propagate this plant.
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A free form description of how the species selection was carried out, or how the hybridization was accomplished.
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Use this item to indicate how many plants of this species are in this collection.
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For orchards and crops arranged in rows, the distance between adjacent rows for optimal yields.
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If this new variety is a hybrid, this identifies the female plant that supplied the seed.
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The unique identifier employed by an herbarium to reference this collection of dried and mounted plant material.
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The original size of the plant when it was added to this collection.
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This check mark is an indicator of whether or not any data has been entered in any Sketch view item.
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The best type of soil for providing a support base and for retaining/releasing available water.
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This check mark is an indicator of whether or not any data has been entered in any Special qualities view item.
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The species is the portion of the botanical name used as an adjective to more specifically describe the genus.
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The specimen number is a pseudo-unique identifier for the specimen record.
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A free form description of the flower's stamens.
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In gardener's terms, what type of plant is this: tree, shrub, vine, groundcover, flower, etc.
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This should be checked to indicate that the species has some ornamental garden value -- color, fragrance, flowers, form, etc.
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The Sunset Books' climate zones in which this plant does best.
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Optimal lighting requirements to prevent scorching and to promote healthy growth.
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Other life forms (plants, insects, and more) that live in a symbiotic relationship with this species.
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Checked when this specimen record is first created and unchecked after a specimen tag has been printed.
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Checked if the "FESA listing", "IUCN red list", or "Noxious weed" classification is tentative awaiting further documentary evidence.
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The number of days between planting and the first available harvest.
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Checked when the plant can survive dry spells without damage.
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Checked when the plant can survive prolonged summer periods of very high humidity.
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Checked when the plant can live in the windy, salty, foggy conditions found along the coastal belts.
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A description of the possible toxic effect of the use of this plant.
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The parts of the plant which have been used in historical times or are still used in the present time.
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A list of how this plant has been used by indigenous people. Uses such as food, medicine and fabric dyes are not included here.
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This check mark is an indicator of whether or not any data has been entered in any Traditional uses view item.
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Automatically checked if the genus and species cannot be found in the taxonomic checklist.
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A free form description of the root structure and underground storage parts.
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The type of underground feeding and storage system for the plant. Typical examples include: bulb, corm, rhizome, taproot and tuber.
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The United States Department of Agriculture's hardiness zones in which this plant is known to thrive.
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The variety is the portion of the botanical name used to identify members of the same species that are distinct enough to warrant their own name.
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Best moisture conditions for terrestrial plants. A good indicator of a plant's tolerance to the extremes of drought and over saturation.
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A list of estuarine, lacustrine, marine, palustrine and riverine communities where this species is natively found.
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The wetland indicator represents the estimated probability of a species occurring in wetlands versus non-wetlands in a region of study.
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Checked if this plant is found along roadsides, open fields and other non-cultivated areas but has enough inherent beauty to be considered ornamental.
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A free form description of the plant's woody cellular portions including color, texture and relative strength.
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