WIN? – What’s Its Name?

What’s Its Name? is a concise database of plant names and name changes for Australia for the non-botanist.

Description

What’s Its Name? provides nomenclature information on plant names used in Australia.1 WIN derives its information of names from the Australian Plant Name Index.

• Current/accepted names are presented in roman type
• Synonyms are in italic type
• Plant names recognised in the 1990 Census of Australian Vascular Plants are accepted unless our review of subsequent literature indicates otherwise. This review is on-going and much remains to be done.
• Occasional comments about the status of the name are based on decisions at the Australian National Herbarium.
• The source of the reference is provided at the end of each line entry.
• Full references are given at the end of the web page.
• Links from plant names take you to the more extensive entry of the Australian Plant Name Index (APNI).

While APNI offers a technical presentation of Australia's botanical nomenclature to the scientific community, What's Its Name (WIN) was developed as an alternative user-friendly entry point for the non-botanist. What's Its Name is derived from the APNI database and aims to deliver a concise overview of plant names and name changes via the Internet. It provides the current name in use for a plant and a cross-reference to any previously used names. In cases of discrepancy or ambiguity WIN provides a simple explanation of the scientific information suitable for the non-scientific user.2

Example using Banksia aquilonia entry

Name = Banksia aquilonia (A.S.George) A.S.George

Status = new in 1996; current name for Banksia integrifolia var. aquilonia A.S.George, Banksia integrifolia subsp. aquilonia (A.S.George) K.R.Thiele

Comment (from Australian National Herbarium) = This recent upgrade from subspecific status has generally been accepted in most Eastern State Herbaria

Information Source (full reference given at end of web page) = Source: George, A.S. (1999)

An alternative non-tabular delivery of the WIN? output can also be generated.

What’s Its Name? is a collaborative project of the Australian National Botanic Gardens, the Centre for Plant Biodiversity Research, and the Australian Biological Resources Study. It is supported by the Council of Heads of Australian Herbaria. 3

Function

• Taxonomy
• User interface
  • Personal use
  • Raw data

Why use this tool?

• Name information for plants

Who will use this tool?

• Data creation
  • Experts - taxonomy
• Data capture
  • Curators – specimens
• Data users
  • Expert
  • Interest groups
• ALA infrastructure

How will the tool be used?

• Online tool
• User input required

Where in the data chain could this tool be used?

• Data source
• User’s machine

When could this tool be used?

• Before data is made available to ALA
• At the time of a user request

Availability

• WIN? What’s Its Name: http://www.anbg.gov.au/win/
• ANBG: http://www.anbg.gov.au/anbg/index.html
• Cost: free

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