LibGuides: Plants : A Research Guide: General Information

Plants : A Research Guide

Welcome! This is a guide to finding plant, plant conservation, and botanical garden information resources, online and at the San Diego Zoo Global Library. Use the links below to find information on this page. Use the tabs above to explore specific topics.

SDZG Library Resources

Websites

Disclaimer: This site is maintained by the SDZG Library for the use of San Diego Zoo Global staff and volunteers. Although we make every attempt to provide accurate information, some of the resources and links may become outdated. If you have suggestions for updates or additional resources, we welcome your feedback.

Featured Books

The Quiet Extinction : Stories of North America's Rare and Threatened Plants by Kara Rogers
Call Number: QK86 .N66 R64 2015 MAIN
ISBN: 9780816531066
Publication Date: 2015
The Quiet Extinction explores the reasons why many of our native plants are disappearing. Curious minds will find a desperate struggle for existence waged by these plants and discover the great environmental impacts that could come if the struggle continues. Kara Rogers relates the stories of some of North America's most inspiring rare and threatened plants. Accompanied by illustrations created by the author and packed with absorbing detail, The Quiet Extinction offers a compelling and refreshing perspective of rare and threatened plants and their relationship with the land and its people.
The Jepson Manual - Higher Plants of California by James C. Hickman (Editor)
Call Number: QK149 .J56 1993 MAIN
ISBN: 0520082559
Publication Date: 1993
With contributions from two hundred botanists across North America, this is the most comprehensive resource and identification guide to nearly eight thousand varieties of native and naturalized California plants. The means to identify plants (using key traits and illustrations) is accompanied by special information such as horticultural requirements, endangerment, toxicity, weed status, and notes on the management of sensitive species.
Terrestrial Vegetation of California by Todd Keeler-Wolf (Editor); Allan A. Schoenherr; Michael Barbour
Call Number: QK149 .T44 2007
ISBN: 9780520249554
Publication Date: 2007
Integrating decades of research, leading community ecologists and field botanists describe and classify California's vegetation types, identify environmental factors that determine the distribution of vegetation types, analyze the role of disturbance regimes in vegetation dynamics, chronicle change due to human activities, identify conservation issues, describe restoration strategies, and prioritize directions for new research.
The New Encyclopedia of Gardening Techniques by American Horticultural Society
Call Number: QK80 .A45 2009 MAIN
ISBN: 9781845334840
Publication Date: 2009
A definitive guide to explaining all the essential techniques you are ever likely to need. All techniques are shown clearly and simply, with step-by-step instructions for planning, pruning, propagating, feeding and watering. Covers all plants, including trees, flowers, shrubs, climbers, lawns, vegetables, fruit and herbs.

Journals

Below is a sampling of relevant journals. For a full list, search the SDZG Library Journals A-Z. Please note: this service is for SDZG staff and volunteers; staff working offsite may contact the library for access.

American Journal of Botany
International Journal of Plant Sciences
Plant, Cell and Environment
Plant Ecology
Plant Journal
Systematic Botany

Databases

Index to American Botanical Literature
Index to literature on systematics, floristics, morphology & ecology of American plants and fungi; also economic botany & general botany. From the New York Botanical Garden.
Kew Data and Resources
Kew database & resource portal: collections, data, plants, seeds, fungi, species profiles. From Kew Royal Botanic Gardens.
PlantSearch
Global database of living plant, seed, and tissue collections in botanic gardens and similar organizations. From Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI).
Treesearch
Portal to US Forest Service research publications (full text access).

Websites : General Plant Information

Botanical Society of America Suggested Websites
Index of plant websites.
Glossary of Plants Terms
Illustrated glossary of plant terminology. From University of Rhode Island Watershed Watch.
Ecoregional Planting Guides — Pollinator.org
Guides that will help you build a pollinator habitat in your yard. Created by Pollinator Partnership. Search by postal code or download PDF guides.
Tom Clothier's Garden Walk & Talk
Advice from a Master Gardener (seeds, germination, soil, pets)

Websites : Plant Taxonomy

Angiosperm Phylogeny Website (APWeb)
Website dedicated to research on Angiosperm (flowering plants) phylogeny and taxonomy. Maintained by Peter F. Stevens of Missouri Botanical Gardens.
The Cycad Pages
Botanical database developed from World List of Cycads, which includes a page for every known cycad. Maintained by Ken Hill at Royal Botanic Gardens, Sydney.
eFloras
Taxonomic listing of flora from China, North America, Ecuadorian Andes, and Pakistan. Maintained by Missouri Botanical Gardens.
Euphorbiaceae of Malaysia
Taxonomic resource on Euphorbiaceae (Spurge family) of Malaysia. Maintained by National Herbarium Nederland.
Integrated Taxonomic Information System
Authoritative taxonomic information on plants, animals, fungi, and microbes of North America and the world.
International Plant Names Index
Database of names of seed plants, ferns, and lycophytes. Collaboration between Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew, Harvard University Herbaria, and the Australian National Herbarium.
Plant Common Names
List of plants by common name. Hosted by Desert-Tropicals.com.
Plant Names
Learn about plant names from the National Resources Conservation Service.
Taxonomic Names Resolution Service
Free utility for correcting and standardizing plant names.
TROPICOS
Nomenclatural, bibliographic, and specimen data accumulated in the Missouri Botanical Garden's electronic databases over the last 25 years. Contains over 1.2 million scientific names and 3.9 million specimen records.
Vascular Plants
Systematic index of non-flowering and flowering plant families with annotated photos. Maintained by the University of Hawaii Botany Department.

Websites : Plants by Taxonomic Group

Bamboo

American Bamboo Society
Website of the ABS. Includes Bamboo Species Source List, which contains information on bamboo and bamboo products available in the US and Canada.
Bamboo of the Americas
Website of non-profit organization dedicated to sustaining native bamboo species throughout the Americas.
Bamboo Biodiversity
Website that posts the results of studies by the Bamboo Phylogeny Group.
Bamboo Identification
Tools for identifying and naming woody bamboos.
Names of Bamboo
Multilingual plant name database, organized by language and genera. University of Melbourne.
World Bamboo Resources
e-Book prepared by Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.

Carnivorous Plants

Carnivorous Plants Index
General interest site maintained by Botanical Society of America. Contains images and links to further information.
International Carnivorous Plant Society
Website of the ICPS. Includes carnivorous plant name database, Carnivorous Plant Newsletter, information for educators, and more.
North American Carnivorous Plants Fact Sheet
General information site focusing on carnivorous plants of North America and their trap types. Maintained by Flora of North America.

Eucalyptus

About Eucalypts
Excerpts from Euclid: Eucalypts of Southern Australia, 2nd editions.
Eucalypt Plant Guides
Information on the eucalypts (Eucalyptus, Corymbia andAngophora) from the Australian Native Plant Society.
Introduction to Eucalypts
General overview of eucalpyts from the Australian Centre for Plant Biodiversity Research.

Orchids

BibliOrchidea
Largest online orchid literature database, with over 150,000 citations. Requires free registration.
IUCN SSC Orchid Specialist Group
Leading international network for orchid conservation. Includes full-text research articles related to orchids.
Orchid Conservation Alliance
Website of organization dedicated to conserving orchids and their native habitats.
Orchid Conservation Coalition
Organization dedicated to raising awareness and money for orchid conservation. Includes access to the Living Orchid Collectiondatabase, a virtual living species orchid collection.
Orchid Seed Stores for Sustainable Use (OSSSU)
Orchid seed banking, a Darwin Initiative.
OrchidWire
Directory of online resources relating to orchids. Maintained by enthusiast Wendell Kozak.
San Diego County Orchid Society
Includes links to Orchid Culture Sheets, which are written specific to the San Diego climate.

Palms & Cycads

Cycad Encyclopedia
Extensive online resource maintained by Jody L. Haynes of the Palm & Cycad Societies of Florida.
The Cycad Pages
Botanical database developed from World List of Cycads, which includes a page for every known cycad. Maintained by Ken Hill at Royal Botanic Gardens, Sydney.
Desert-Tropicals Palmtree list
Basic factsheet with photos of various palm species.
International Palm Society
Includes Palms of the World Online, a palm identification site which contains data compiled by palm experts for all 2,400 palm species.
IUCN Palm Specialist Group
Website of palm conservation group.
Palm Encyclopedia
Extensive online resource maintained by Jody L. Haynes of the Palm & Cycad Societies of Florida.

Websites : Plants by Geographic Location

Africa

Photo Guide to Plants of South Africa
Contains over 14,000 photos. Maintained by scientists at Biocentre Klein Flottbek & Botanical Garden.
Photos at Kruger National Park, South Africa
Includes a flower guide, grass guide, and tree guide
South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI)
Website of SANBI, which coordinates botanical garden activities and facilitates research on South African plant and animal biodiversity. Includes access to Red List of South African Plants.

Americas

eFloras
Contains Trees and Shrubs of Ecuadorian Andes and Flora of Chile.
Flora of North America
Species descriptions of North American flora.
Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
Organization dedicated to conservation of North American wildflowers, plants and landscapes.
Native Plants Hawaii (NPH)
Online knowledge-base of Hawaiian plants. Hosted by University of Hawaii.

Asia

Asian Plant Conservation Report
Report from the IUCN on recent conservation progress in Asia.
Flora of China
Website describing and documenting Chinese plant species. Hosted by Harvard University.

Australia

Australian Flora
Taxonomic and biological online resources. From the Australian Biological Resources Study. Includes searchable online database.
Australian Native Plants Society
Website of society formerly known as ASGAP, geared towards people interested in cultivation, propagation, and conservation of Australian flora.

Neotropics

Neotropikey
Interactive key and information resources for flowering plants of the Neotropics. From the Kew Royal Botanic Gardens.

Fact Sheets

Plants of the World (Kew)
Plant and fungal species profiles. From Kew Royal Botanic Gardens.
PLANTS Database (USDA)
Fact sheets and plant guides. From USDA's National Plant Data Team and Plant Materials Program.
Virginia Tech Dendrology Factsheets
North American tree database. From Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University.

Images

Photographs

Bamboo Photos
User-added photos from BambooWeb.info.
Botanical Images Database
Directory listing worldwide plant image resources.
CalPhotos - Plants
A database with over 167,000 photos of plants, mostly from California. Developed by UC Berkeley Digital Library Project.
Global Plants (JSTOR)
A plant type specimens database, with community-contributed collections from more than 300 herbaria from around the world.
North American Plant Photos
Plant photos from the Weed Science Society of America.
Palm Trees
List of palm tree species with photos. From Desert-Tropicals.com.
Plants in Bloom at the San Diego Zoo
List of plants that bloom at the San Diego Zoo and Safari Park at various times of the year, with links to photos.
San Diego County Plants
Plants listed taxonomically. Created by Michael G. Simpson, SDSU.
Smithsonian Plant Image Collection
Extensive database of plant and plant habitat images. Maintained by the Smithsonian Department of Botany.
USDA Plants Image Gallery
Collection largely consisting of photos and line drawings of U.S. plants.
Weed Photo Gallery
Photos of weed plants. From University of California Statewide Integrated Pest Management program.

Illustrations

Catalog of Botanical Illustrations
Database of botanical illustrations curated by National Museum of Natural History scientific illustrator, Alice Tangerini.
Botanical Illustration Resources
Bibliography of online resources. Maintained by Julene Sodtv, Western Washington University Library.

Priority Species Information

Priority Species Information
Custom literature searches and fact sheets for current priority species — for SDZG team members, onsite access only

SDZG Library Links

Library Home
Home page, San Diego Zoo Global Library
Catalog
SDZG Library's online public-access catalog - SDZG team members may request books for delivery via interoffice mail
Journals A-Z
Journals available to team members through the SDZG Library - search contents, view library holdings, access full text
Databases
Article databases available through the SDZG Library; journal information
Fact Sheets
Portal to the SDZG Library's detailed, fully referenced animal fact sheets
Priority Species Information
Custom literature searches and fact sheets for current priority species — for SDZG team members, onsite access only
SDZG Research Publications
Peer reviewed and scientific works by San Diego Zoo Global staff.
Research Guides
Portal to the SDZG Library's research guides: Animals, Animal Welfare, Conservation, Plants, Reference, Veterinary Medicine, Zoos & Aquariums
Contact Us
Email the librarians at library@sandiegozoo.org

SDZG Research Guides

Animals
Guide to finding animal information online and at the San Diego Zoo Global Library
Animal Welfare
Guide to finding animal welfare, training, and enrichment information, online and at the San Diego Zoo Global Library
Conservation
Guide to finding conservation information, online and at the San Diego Zoo Global Library
Plants
Guide to finding plant, plant conservation, and botanical garden information, online and at the San Diego Zoo Global Library
Veterinary Medicine
Guide to finding veterinary and biomedical information, online and at the San Diego Zoo Global Library
Zoos & Aquariums
Guide to zoo & aquarium information, online and at the San Diego Zoo Global Library; natural history museum links