Botanical specimens are shared as consultable research objects in a network of specimen data repositories (herbaria). To accelerate the taxonomic process, this data can be connected and mobilised via the principle of the digital extended specimen. Once linked, granulated data can be used to semi-automatically assemble taxonomic outputs such as Floristic accounts.
Syzygium (Myrtaceae; c 1200 species), is a megadiverse tree genus, encompassing species of economic significance e.g. the clove. Syzygium habitat spans Southeast and Southern Asia, Australia, and the Pacific where species are abundant on acidic, organic-rich soils such as peat swamps, a habitat under strong anthropogenic threat. Despite its environmental and economic importance, taxonomic complexity in Syzygium, lack of systematic revision and limited evolutionary and ecological understanding, challenge downstream activities such as conservation.
Kew Science is committed to assembly of Floristic accounts of Syzygium for several southeast Asian regional Floras. This internship student will use Kew’s physical and digital collections with available data systems, analytical tools, and programmatic interfaces such as Digifolia, GBIF and Echinopscis to mobilise existing taxonomic literature as multi-modal data (i.e., specimen images, illustrations, nomenclature, phylogenetic data, descriptive traits, environmental variables, risk assessments) and prepare it in the format of two southeast Asian regional Floras. As well as the final products of the floristic accounts, granulated elements of the dataset will additionally be made available with DOIs at appropriate platforms such as Hugging Face for digital images and GBIF for curated specimen information. This project provides resource to ensure Kew’s ability to prepare and mobilise its unique taxonomic resource in optimal formats for a multitude of future initiatives.
