Help Topics Index
Clicking on any of these topics will link you to the appropriate section in this document.
Search Help
The Type Catalog Search Page
The type catalog search page may be reached via the “Search the Catalog” link on the navigation bar or the “Search” button on the type home page. The search interface is currently under developement.
Search Capabilities
Current search capabilities are for a whole or partial basionym or family.
To search for a basionym enter as much of the genus and/or specific epithet you seek in the scientific name field. Search strings will match the start of a basionym or embedded characters. Searches are case insensitive.
Examples:
- “Lupinus” will retrieve all “Lupinus” species.
- “Pinus” will retrieve all “Pinus” species as well as “Lupinus.”
To search for a family enter all or part of a family name. Multiple words entered in the family search field will retrieve all matches for either word. Examples:
- “Poaceae” will retrieve all Poaceae species.
- “Poaceae Cyperaceae” will retrieve all Poaceae and Cyperaceae species.
Search Tips:
- Scientific name searches are for the basionym only.
- Searches are case insensitive.
- Search terms must be more than one character long.
- Scientific name searches take priority over family name searches.
Sorting Search Results
Search results may be sorted in 3 ways: by scientific name (basionym), family and specimen accession number. Choose the radio button for the sort you desire before submitting the search.
Search Details
The search details page provides information on a single type specimen sheet and links to available images. The information provided may include:
- Basionym: the scientific plant name for which the specimen has been designated as a type.
- Family: the plant family we consider the species to be placed in. Family delineations vary with classification systems. For the most part our specimens are assigned families according to the Englerian system.
- Currently treated as: the scientific plant name for which we believe this taxon may now be best treated.
- Type of type: definitions of the categories of type specimens may be found in Annotation of Type
- Specimens: Recommendations.
- Accession number: The University of Florida Herbarium specimen accesssion number preceeded by our standard herbarium acronym, “FLAS”.
- Images: links to images available for this specimen. The ultimate goal of this project is to provide images for all holotypes, isotypes, syntypes, lectotypes, isolectotypes and neotypes in the collection.
- References: publication citations pertinent to the specimen and its typology.
- Collector/#: the collector of the specimen and their collecion number, if any.
- Date: the date of the collection as given by the collector.
- Label data: the core of the label data on the specimen. This may include country, state, county, locality, habitat, and plant description. An asterisk (*) in the locality indicates information interpreted, but not present on the label. […] denotes sensitive locality data removed from web display.
- Notes: Special notes, headings and footings present on the label and specimen that denote projects, expeditions and sets.
- ID history: the identifications applied to the specimen by researchers. The identifications are in reverse chronologic order.
Browsing
The browse button on the search form provides a list of all specimens in the type catalog. Results are presented 50 specimens at a time. Page links are provided at the bottom of the listing. Browses may be sorted according to the sort options on the search form.
Working with Images
Links to available images are provided on the type specimen record page. Images are delivered via LizardTech’s MrSID Server software. A link to a MrSid Java Applet viewer is provided with the initial image served.
Changing the zoom setting magnifies or reduces the image, while the window remains the same size. Increasing the zoom setting magnifies the image and reduces the viewing area. Decreasing the zoom setting reduces the image and enlarges the viewing area. To change image zoom setting, select new setting provided in the drop down menu at the bottom of the image, then click on the image. Enlarging an image substantially without changing pixel setting higher may degrade the quality of the image. Clicking on the image without changing settings will zoom the image in to the next level of detail, enlarging the image by a factor of two. The first linked image is provided at 6% zoom.
Image zoom settings available are:
6% 12% 25% 50% 100%
A digital image is a matrix of pixels (a contraction of ‘picture elements’) or DPI (dots per inch). A pixel, the smallest unit of a digital image, is a single dot of color. Pixels can have only one value at a time; they can’t be partly one color and partly another. The more pixels used to encode an image, the sharper it will appear (referred to as the ‘Resolution’). Resolution is the overall measurement of image quality. It is expressed as the number of dots or pixels per inch. The more dots or pixels per inch in an image, the higher its resolution. Higher resolution provides greater image clarity and enlarges the size of the window. To change the resolution, select new settings provided in the drop down menus at the bottom of the image, then click on the image.
Pixel resolution may be set to the following:
256X256 400X400 600X400 640X480
To view the image with Java Applet click on Link at the bottom of the page. The toolbar at the top of the new image has six buttons. The available buttons from left to right are:
- Zoom In: The zoom-in button allows you to zoom the to the next level of detail or to a specified rectangle. To zoom-in to the next level, click the zoom-in button and then click on the image. To zoom-in to a rectangle, click the zoom-in button then click the mouse and drag it to select the rectangle. Release the mouse when done selecting. The image will zoom in on the area of the rectangle.
- Zoom Out: To zoom-out and see more of the image, click the Zoom out button and then click on the image.
- Pan: Pan mode allows moving up, down or sideways at the same level of detail. Click on the Pan button, then click on the image and drag the mouse in desired direction.
- Full size: The full size button zooms the image to the lowest zoom level available.
- Image properties: The image information button brings up a window, which displays the image name, the currently viewed image area, the image size, the zoom level being viewed, etc.
- About: Displays copyright information about the MrSID Java applet.