Wikipedia:WikiProject Plants/Template

This example is relatively simple, where the taxon has remained fairly stable since its inception in 1753. In many other cases the taxon has evolved considerably or its circumscription is controversial and there may be several authorities attached to the name. In such cases knowing in which sensu the taxon name is being used is important, even though it may not necessarily be the current one. Thus one might need to specify Liliaceae sensu Dahlgren. Sometimes the most authoritative reference will be in proposals or considerations published in a journal like Taxon or the deliberations of the International Association for Plant Taxonomy (IAPT) committees, also published there. Other sources include Phytotaxa.

Format: Use <small></small> around the author's name or abbreviation to create small font as above, using the

A description of subsequent handling of the taxonomic entity up to modern times. This is the history of the circumscription of the taxon and its relationship to other taxa at the same and higher ranks. Discuss the major synonyms, and any disputes about classification (e.g. Hippeastrum nomenclature debate). Mention whether conserved (nom. cons.), rejected (nom. rej.) or illegitimate (nom. illeg.) names exist in relation to the taxon. The use of tables over text alone is recommended if comparing different historical classifications (see, for example Evolution of placement of Liliaceae in different taxonomic schemes).

Modern classification

The currently accepted circumscription (where does the taxon fit into higher hierarchies and how is it distinguished from other taxa at the same rank?). The use of the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group classification is strongly recommended for angiosperms. It has been agreed to use the Pteridophyte Phylogeny Group system for ferns; note that Kew-based databases do not use this system. Deviations from this, for instance inclusion of more recent taxonomic research should be justified with appropriate citations. For complex taxonomies, tables often provide greater clarity. Commonly used synonyms should be listed, since in their absence it is possible that someone else will start a separate page, or add them to a list.

Characteristics

Explain the defining characteristics of the taxon. Illustrations are helpful (see, for example Liliaceae).

Phylogeny

Modern taxonomy is based on

Evolutionary processes[a]

Describe how the evolutionary processes, lines and history and

Subdivision

Where applicable, provide a description of the structure of the subdivision of the taxon (for genera and higher ranks).

History

The history of the subdivision of the taxon, where applicable. Use tables for comparing systems (see, for example, Comparison of Modern Classifications Schemes of Narcissus).

Modern classification

Outline the prevailing modern classification, including phylogeny. Mention which subdivisions are supported through cladistic analyses. Discuss any competing schemes.

Illustration: Use Tables to show the structure (see, for example APWeb/APG Distribution of Subfamilies, Tribes and Genera of Liliaceae with illustration of morphological diversity). Use Cladograms to show the relationships (see, for example Narcissus Cladogram).

Lists and subpages

Provide a subsection heading for the child taxa, such as "Species", "Subfamilies and genera"... etc. For instance in an article on a Family, this might be Subfamilies. Where there are several ranks below the level of the taxon page being edited, e.g. an article on the family Narcissus might include subfamilies, tribes, genera and subgenera, it is usually only necessary to list the most immediate inferior rank, in this case subfamilies, provided that further subdivisions are addressed through links to other pages providing that information. For instance an article on a family need only list the subfamilies, if each subfamily already has a separate page. Otherwise, if the resulting structure is complex, list only the immediate inferior rank (subfamilies in this case), and create separate subpages on which the detailed taxonomy of each subfamily is described, rather than including too much detail on the main page (see for example genus Rhododendron, which links to each subgenus page).

Child taxa: In listing child taxa, avoid long lists (particularly noticeable for species). These too, are best handled by creating a subpage, with a summary and a linking hat on the main page, such as

Categories: These List pages should have Category "Taxonomy list (rank)", where applicable, added e.g. Category:Taxonomic lists (species) as well as the Category of the parent taxon, be titled "List of ..." e.g. List of Narcissus species, and have a template such as {{WP Plants|class=list|importance=low}} placed on their talk page.

Subpages: If a separate list subpage is created, in its place on the main page some selected lower taxa can be listed, such as those mentioned in the text, or the more important members, particularly if links are available. If not consider providing them. The accompanying text should include the information that it refers only to selected taxa (see example below).

Format: In compiling such a list it is worth considering including important synonyms and disputed species, which may be used by some sources. To avoid possible confusion over the taxon intended, include the botanical authority, using the method already detailed above. Inclusion of the complete bibliographical reference in such a list should be relegated to footnotes. For example:

Hippeastrum

Selected species

Uphof

^[1]

References

Pax, Ferdinand Albin (1890). "Beiträage zur Kenntnis der Amaryllidaceae: H. augustifolium p. 331". In Engler, Adolf (ed.). Botanische Jahrbücher fur Systematik, Pflanzengeschichte und Pflanzengeographie

(in Latin and German). Vol. 11. Leipzig: Engelmann. pp. 318–337.

Which would be coded as:

If the list or article discusses further subdivisions, consider structuring the list according to those subdivisions instead of purely alphabetically, as in the example List of Narcissus species. For longer lists use columns (e.g. List of Hippeastrum species) or collapsible lists.

Nomenclature: In listing species care should be taken to distinguish between accepted species and hybrids, since in horticultural use it is not uncommon to find, e.g. Begonia × benariensis written incorrectly as Begonia benariensis. Similarly some cultivar names are also written as if they were species. Listing hybrids and cultivars is valid, but they should be distinguished from accepted names.

Etymology

Explain how the taxon name was created, if known. Useful tools include:

• Gledhill, David (2006). The names of plants (4th. ed.). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
  ISBN 0521866456
  . Retrieved 16 October 2014.
• ISBN 978-0881925562
  . Retrieved 19 February 2015.
• Griffith, Chuck (2005). "Dictionary of Botanical Epithets". Retrieved 19 March 2014.
• Morgan, Michelle (October 2005). "Botanical Latin: The Poetry of Herb Names" (PDF). Number 89. MediHerb. Retrieved 19 February 2015.
• List of Latin and Greek words commonly used in systematic names

Tools and procedures

Taxonbar

{{Taxonbar}}, is a newer template which was recently created to add more capability for linking to external identifiers of biological and taxonomic databases. This template does not require any additional parameters. All information displayed in Taxonbar is retrieved from corresponding Wikidata entries.

{{

Note: It is the contributor's responsibility to check that all external links take the reader to the intended page. If there is an error in the Wikidata, it can be corrected but editing Wikidata requires knowledge of Wikidata structure and guidelines. For more information, see Wikidata:WikiProject Taxonomy

Accepted names

All taxa names should be checked against standard databases, e.g. the World Checklist of Selected Plant Families, Tropicos, World Flora Online and the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group, to ensure that only currently accepted names are used. Include any of these databases that were used as sources in your references.

Note: The Plant List, long used as a reliable source has been superseded by World Flora Online. and should no longer be referenced.

Page names

If taxon nomenclature changes require a page name change, use the Move tab at the top of the page to change it. Do not cut and paste.

Splitting complex taxonomies

Some taxonomies require a very lengthy discussion, in which case they should be treated as a separate page, and summarised on the taxon page. For example, Taxonomy of Liliaceae and Taxonomy of the Orchidaceae. The same principles as outlined above should be used in writing a Taxonomy page. Some taxonomy pages such as Taxonomy of Banksia, in turn, have multiple subpages. Currently such pages are being categorised within Category:Plant taxonomies.

This section should describe where the taxon is, or was, found naturally, or has

Example:

Distribution: Narcissus occurs primarily in

centre of diversity in the Iberian Peninsula (Spain and Portugal). A few species extend the range into southern France and Italy, and even the Balkans (N. poeticus, N. serotinus, N. tazetta) and the Eastern Mediterranean

(N. serotinus).

Habitat: Their native habitats are very varied, with different elevations,

scrub, woods, river banks and rocky crevices

...The Pseudonarcissus group in their natural habitat prefer humid situations such as stream margins, springs, wet pastures, clearings of forests or shrublands with humid soils, and moist hillsides...subgenus Hermione has a lowland distribution, but subgenus Narcissus section Apodanthi is montane and restricted to Morocco, Spain and Portugal.

• Symbiotic
  relationships.
• What types of soils does it grow best on? (Though this particular information may often be better discussed under habitat.)
• When does it flower and when does fruit mature? (This can also be put in the section on inflorescence and fruit in the description.)
• insect pollinated. If so, which insects? How does the flower adapt to facilitate pollination? (see Narcissus
  )
• How do various natural phenomena, such as seasonal changes, fires, and drought, affect the species?
• Is the plant
  allelopathic? e.g. a weed
• Relationship to the
  Raunkiær system
  of life-forms (e.g. phanerophytes, epiphytes).
• How do other animals or plants use it, such as for construction of nests?
• Natural
  hybridisation and naturalisation
  should go here too.

Discuss parasites, pests and diseases. What animals or other plants feed on it? If sufficient material, subheadings could include viruses, bacteria, fungi and animals (see Narcissus).

If there are conservation concerns regarding the species or some of its members, discuss them. What is the status and why? Is the taxon, or any parts of it,

• Medicinal, e.g. Vinca
• Food, e.g. Viola
• Fiber, e.g. Apocynum cannabinum
• Timber, e.g. spruce
• Recreational, e.g. Cannabis
• Research and technology, e.g. Drosera

In many cases, cultivation is better discussed in this section than separately under "Cultivation" (see above). However, if a use is particularly important or the plant has only one major use, list it separately with an appropriate header.

Does the plant have a specific cultural relevance, for example as a metaphor or a motif? Is it an integral part of some aspect of culture? Avoid trivia as per WP:"In popular culture" content.

Wikipedia does not mandate any particular reference style, but portability of commonly used resources across the project is an advantage. The preferred format for citation is to use a cite template, such as {{cite book}}

There are a number of acceptable referencing styles. These include:

• 1. Parenthetical, e.g. (Chamberlain et al. 1996) which refers to a full citation elsewhere, usually a bibliography, as below.
• 2. Inline, placing a citation such as

<ref name=Chamberlain>{{cite book |last1=Chamberlain |first1=DF |last2=Hyam |first2=R |last3=Argent |first3=G |last4=Fairweather |first4=G |last5=Walter |first5=KS |title=The genus ''Rhododendron'': its classification and synonymy |url=http://www.rbge.org.uk/about-us/publications/publications-catalogue/botanical-publications/rhododendron-publications |date=1996 |publisher=[[Royal Botanic Gardens Edinburgh]] |isbn=1-872291-66-X |accessdate=6 January 2016}}</ref>

in the text after the statement being referenced, which will display at the bottom of the page in a ==References == section if the {{reflist}} template is placed there. <ref name=Chamberlain/> can be re-used in multiple places to refer to the same citation.

• 3. {{reflist}}'s |refs= method places all citations in the Reference section. By using the {{Reflist|refs=}} template, all citations can be managed much more easily, if the citations are arranged alphabetically, with spaces, and named. Then only <ref name=Name/> need appear in the text.

For example:

== References ==
{{Reflist|30em|refs=

<ref name=Chamberlain>{{cite book |last1=Chamberlain |first1=DF |last2=Hyam |first2=R |last3=Argent |first3=G |last4=Fairweather |first4=G |last5=Walter |first5=KS |title=The genus ''Rhododendron'': its classification and synonymy |url=http://www.rbge.org.uk/about-us/publications/publications-catalogue/botanical-publications/rhododendron-publications |date=1996 |publisher=[[Royal Botanic Gardens Edinburgh]] |isbn=1-872291-66-X |accessdate=6 January 2016}}</ref>

<ref name="Goetsch">{{cite journal |last1=Goetsch |first1=Loretta A. |last2=Eckert |first2=Andrew J. |last3=Hall |first3=Benjamin D. |date=July–September 2005 |title=The molecular systematics of ''Rhododendron'' (Ericaceae): a phylogeny based upon ''RPB2'' gene sequences |journal=[[Systematic Botany]] |volume=30 |issue=3 |pages=616–626 |doi=10.1600/0363644054782170}}</ref>
}}

which displays as:

Chamberlain, DF; Hyam, R; Argent, G; Fairweather, G; Walter, KS (1996). The genus Rhododendron: its classification and synonymy.

ISBN 1-872291-66-X

. Retrieved 6 January 2016.

Goetsch, Loretta A.; Eckert, Andrew J.; Hall, Benjamin D. (July–September 2005). "The molecular systematics of Rhododendron (Ericaceae): a phylogeny based upon RPB2 gene sequences".

S2CID 51949019

.