This document discusses the goals and architecture of e-monocot.org, an online biodiversity informatics project focused on monocots. It aims to: 1) Enable identification of monocot plants worldwide. 2) Provide information on monocot species, genera, and families. 3) Address the needs of different user groups like taxonomists and biodiversity scientists. It will link existing monocot resources and provide a platform for monocot taxonomists worldwide to collaborate and share research. The project will hold workshops to train specialists in using the e-monocot system.

1. BIODIVERSITY INFORMATICS
FOR MONOCOTS AND
MONOCOT SYSTEMATISTS
e-monocot.org
When complete, emonocot will:
1. Enable the identification of monocot plants
anywhere in the world
2. Provide a wealth of information about monocot
species, genera and families
3. Address separately the needs of different users
Iris reticulata. Photo Mehdi Zarrei 4. Link together monocot taxonomists to
Wilkin, P., Baker, E., Barker, A., Bone, R., Baker, W.J., Clark, B., enhance their productivity
Gardiner, L., Godfray, H.C.J,, Haigh, A, Kelly, J., Kitching, I.J., Mayo,
S.J., Phillips, S., Scoble, M.J., Simpson, D.A., Smith, V.S., Trias, A. 5. Provide a model for web taxonomy
Villalba, S., Vorontsova, M. & Weber, O.

2. ARCHITECTURE, EXISTING RESOURCES & CONTENT
CATE-Araceae (www.cate-araceae.org)
116 genera, ca 4,000 species Biodiversity
scientists &
Palmweb (www.palmweb.org) other user
183 genera, ca 2,400 species communities
Grassbase (www.kew.org/data/
grasses-db.html).
Ca 700 genera, 11,611 species
APGIII
Iris families
acutiloba. (78) key &
Photo
Mehdi pages
Zarrei
Taxonomic content Generic keys & pages: Sampled European Cypriped-
Asparagaceae Red List Monocots ioideae
from monocot Cyperaceae Index (ca 2,000 (ca 130
Baseline taxonomic content from World
Checklist of Monocots
systematics Dioscoreaceae Project spp) spp)
(www.kew.org/wcsp/monocots) for ca communities Liliaceae (1,500
70,000 species will underpin scratchpads Orchidaceae spp)
worldwide (2,100 genera)

3. WORKSHOPS: CALLING ALL MONOCOT SYSTEMATISTS
eMonocot eTaxonomy workshop bursaries
The project has funding to support ca five international workshops in
partnership with monocot taxonomists worldwide.
Each workshop will:
1. Support groups of specialists in using emonocot as a
platform
2. Enable monocot taxonomic communities to
• share research results
• deliver information on monocots
• mentor others to do the same
3. Include training in the use of the emonocot system
Iris reticulata. Photo
Workshop 1: Chicago, September 2011 with the Carex community. M. Zarrei
Dactylorhiza maculata & Chorthippus parallelus (male
nymph) . Photo Gina Lolli.
See e-monocot.org for a call for proposals in the near future