A TAXONOMIC DATABASE AND LINKED ICONOGRAPH FOR DIATOMS

The Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh and the Natural History Museum are collaborating to establish a database and linked iconograph, wherever possible using TDWG (Taxonomic Databases Working Group) standards, tha t can handle complex nomenclature; specimen information; specimen and population descriptions that can later be assembled automatically to g enerate taxon descriptions and also used as a basis for the automatic or semi-automatic generation of keys and on-line identification; origi nal descriptions of taxa; bibliography; and images. The system is at p resent being developed using the PANDORA floristic database system (on an AREV base) and is being designed to be compatible with other datab ase systems suitable for use in botanic gardens and herbaria.