If we could pretend the Roosevelt Island in NYC was a country maybe there?
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?place_id=50751&taxon_id=47126&view=species
412 sp – doesn’t sound too bad. We have over 500 Erica sp, mostly pink. Sob.
And @papernautilus
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?place_id=9213&taxon_id=47126&view=species
The Vatican has 128 sp.
Iceland probably has an easy flora with 500 plants, I dare say you could get to know that very well. Britain has a pretty easy well-defined flora running into only a few thousand, with a few hard genera of microspecies thrown in. By contrast somewhere like Ecuador has maybe 25000 plant species, which must be a devil to learn.
From the outside looking in – we don’t know if there are undescribed sp, hybrids, taxonomy issues. I would never decide that Your Flora is easy, while mine (because I know about MY issues) is difficult. Each time a new taxonomist lands on iNat, or works thru a taxon for a taxonomy update – those carved in stone IDs get shuffled around. Endemics. Microclimates. Geology (in Iceland for lichens). Introduced or Invasive. Garden exotics in cities. It is only easy until you realise what you didn’t know.
I see it also with tourists to Cape Town – who choose the sp they know from home …
The Geomodel Anomaly filter throws up interesting obs 3 million. We have, within one of iNat’s 60 km hexagons, one of the world’s 6 floral kingdoms.
There are certainly differences, easiest to understand for someone who is engaged in two areas. I explore both the British and the Turkish flora, and the British flora is much much easier (outside the couple of microspecies genera). Turkish flora you have to look at how plant hairs split at their tips or branch, the tiny ovaries within a flower, the surface of seeds, or whether outer seeds differ from inner seeds in a daisy head etc.Such things are generally not posted on iNaturalist because observers tend to come from western countries where that’s not the practice or usually needed, which makes ID’ing iNaturalist posts in Turkey rather difficult a lot of the time. Someone who knows the plants well might be able to circumvent that by familiarity, but there are so many plants, often without pictures, that’s difficult to achieve a lot of the time.
I have tried to identifications for plants of Turkey. I work with plants of North America, most the Pacific Northwest. Like Turkey, we have a diverse flora with some frustrating groups where identification relies on details of seeds, flowers, fruits, and foliage, details that people rarely show in photos on iNaturalist. I found Turkish plants to be much more frustrating because of the lack of field guides. The series Flora of Turkey is a great resource (I have two of the nine or so expensive volumes) but I haven’t found well-illustrated guides to Turkish wildflowers or other plant groups. Well, there is one wildflower book that covers the whole country and has good pictures but it tends to show only one species in for groups that I know have several.
Umm. Maybe dandelions are worse. Those little black ants look maximally confusing, though.
There’s a project to produce a low-cost 30-volume illustrated Flora for Turkey (“Resimli Türkiye Florası”), some volumes spanning several volumes, a few of them have come out, the ebook versions can be found as the “ekitap” (e-book) items at https://satis.ang.org.tr/?s=Resimli+Türkiye+Florası&post_type=product - avoid standard Amazon etc where the prices are inflated - however it’s in Turkish so the text itself you’d then want to copy-paste into a translator. I’ve all the volumes so far and give below their contents list, if there are any specific keys of interest send me a DM.
For actual pictures you often have to rely on herbarium specimens, where they can be found (easiest to search at https://www.europeana.eu/en/ as it collates from many herbaria) however herbarium specimens are also often wrong, as can be seen by how often the IDs on them are crossed out and replaced by a different one, not so bad at the Edinburgh one where Turkish botanists will visit, but continental ones may be rather lacking in scrutiny.
-- Resimli Türkiye Florası contents –
Vol 1 - introductory volume
Vol 2
Lycopodiophyta / Kibritotu Bölümü
Lycopodiaceae / Kibritotugiller
Selaginellaceae / Selagingiller
Isoetaceae / Çimeğreltisigiller
Pteridophyta / Eğrelti Bölümü
Equisetaceae / Atkuyruğugiller
Ophioglossaceae / Dilotugiller
Osmundaceae / Kıraleğreltisigiller
Hymenophyllaceae / Zareğreltigiller
Marsileaceae / Sutırfılıgiller
Salviniaceae / Sueğreltisigiller
Dennstaedtiaceae / Eğreltigiller
Pteridaceae / Baldırıkaragiller
Cystopteridaceae / Gevrekeğreltigiller
Aspleniaceae / Saçakotugiller
Thelypteridaceae / İfterigiller
Woodsiaceae / Yaylaeğreltisigiller
Onocleaceae / Şaheğreltisigiller
Blechnaceae / Tarakeğreltisigiller
Athyriaceae / Yeleğreltisigiller
Dryopteridaceae / Pilunçgiller
Polypodiaceae / Benlieğreltigiller
Magnoliophyta / Tohumlu Bitkiler Bölümü
Pinophytina / Açık Tohumlular Altbölümü
Cycadaceae / Sikasgiller
Ginkgoaceae / Ginkogiller
Ephedraceae / Denizüzümügiller
Pinaceae / Çamgiller
Araucariaceae / Arokaryagiller
Cupressaceae / Servigiller
Taxaceae / Porsukgiller
Magnoliophytina / Kapalı Tohumlular Altbölümü
Nymphaeaceae / Nilüfergiller
Aristolochiaceae / Lohusaotugiller
Magnoliaceae / Manolyagiller
Lauraceae / Defnegiller
Acoraceae / Eğirgiller
Araceae / Yılanyastığıgiller
Alismataceae / Kurbağakaşığıgiller
Butomaceae / Bataklıkgülügiller
Hydrocharitaceae / Kurbağazehirigiller
Juncaginaceae / Suçengeligiller
Zosteraceae / Denizotugiller
Potamogetonaceae/Susümbülügiller
Posidoniaceae / Eriştegiller
Ruppiaceae / Ördekotugiller
Cymodoceaceae / Sudüğümügiller
Nartheciaceae / Düğünvargiller
Dioscoreaceae / Dolanbaçgiller
Melanthiaceae / Dokuztepeligiller
Colchicaceae / Acıçiğdemgiller
Smilacaceae / Dikenucugiller
Liliaceae / Zambakgiller
VOL 3a
Magnoliophytina / Kapalı Tohumlular Altbölümü (Devam)
Orchidaceae / Salepgiller
Cephalanthera / Çamçiçeği
Limodorum / Saçuzatan
Neottia / Asalaksalep
Epipactis / Bindallıçiçeği
Epipogium / Cazısalebi
Corallorhiza / Mercansalebi
Spiranthes / İncisalebi
Goodyera / Yersalebi
Zeuxine / Çimsalebi
Traunsteinera / Yaylasalebi
Platanthera / Sümbülsalebi
Gymnadenia / Başaksalebi
Coeloglossum / Kurbağasalebi
Dactylorhiza / Balkaymaksalebi
Orchis / Salep
Neotinea / Benliçamsalebi
Steveniella / Takkelisalep
Himantoglossum / Keşkeşçiçeği
Serapias / Sağırkulağı
Anacamptis / Sivrisalep
Ophrys / Arısalebi
Ixioliriaceae / Köpekotugiller
Ixiolirion / Köpekotu
Iridaceae / Süsengiller
Gladiolus / Kılıçotu
Freesia / Firuze
Romulea / Bodurçiğdem
Crocus / Çiğdem
Iris / Süsen
Moraea / Keklikçiğdemi
Sisyrinchium / Sisirinkiyum
Vol 3B
Magnoliophytina / Kapalı Tohumlular Altbölümü (Devam) 1
Xanthorrhoeaceae / Çirişgiller 2
Asphodelus / Çirişağusu 3
Asphodeline / Deliçiriş 10
Eremurus / Çiriş 53
Amaryllidaceae / Nergisgiller 59
Nectaroscordum / Sultansarımsağı 61
Allium / Soğan 66
Pancratium / Kumzambağı 530
Sternbergia / Karanergis 533
Narcissus / Nergis 546
Galanthus / Kardelen 554
Leucojum / Gölsoğanı 589-593
Vol 4A
Magnoliophytina / Kapalı Tohumlular Altbölümü (Devam) 1
Asparagaceae / Kuşkonmazgiller 2
Asparagus / Kuşkonmaz 6
Polygonatum / Mührüsüleyman 28
Danae / İskenderiyedefnesi 44
Ruscus / Tavşanmemesi 46
Convallaria / İnciçiçeği 54
Anthericum / Örümcekotu 57
Ornithogalum / Akyıldız 61
Drimia / Adasoğanı 199
Prospero / Yılansoğanı 200
Scilla / Sümbülcük 209
Chionodoxa / Karyıldızı 252
Gemicia / Taçlısümbül 265
Puschkinia / Karsümbülü 268
Hyacinthus / Sümbül 276
Hyacinthella / Dağsümbülü 280
Bellevalia / Kırsümbülü 307
Muscari / Müşkürüm 366
Muscarimia / Miskîrum 434
Leopoldia / Morbaş 440
Agave / Sabırlık 479
Yucca / Avizeağacı 480
Arecaceae / Palmiyegiller 491
Phoenix / Hurma 492
Chamaerops / Bodurpalmiye 502
Trachycarpus / Yelpazepalmiyesi 506
Brahea / Mavipalmiye 508
Washingtonia / Vaşingtonya 510
Butia / Jölepalmiyesi 515
Syagrus / Kıraliçepalmiyesi 516
Commelinaceae / Telgrafçiçeğigiller 518
Commelina / Mahmuza 520
Tradescantia / Telgrafçiçeği 521
Musaceae / Muzgiller 528
Musa / Muz 530
Cannaceae / Kanaçiçeğigiller 532
Canna / Kanaçiçeği 533
Vol 4B
Magnoliophytina / Kapalı Tohumlular Altbölümü (Devam) 1
Typhaceae / Sazgiller 2
Sparganium / Kındıra 2
Typha / Saz 13
Juncaceae / Kofagiller 32
Luzula / Luzulotu 33
Juncus / Kofa 56
Cyperaceae / Hasırotugiller 136
Cladium / Gıyak 146
Schoenus / İnekgözü 150
Rhynchospora / Sazberdi 153
Blysmus / Yassıhasırotu 156
Eriophorum / Fukarasaçı 161
Scirpus / Topakberdi 166
Trichophorum / Yastıkberdi 170
Carex / Ayakotu 172
Eleocharis / Sivrisaz 438
Bulbostylis / Karakofa 456
Fimbristylis / Telberdi 459
Bolboschoenus / Sandalyesazı 466
Fuirena / Öküzayakotu 477
Schoenoplectus / Semerotu 479
Schoenoplectiella / Akberdi 488
Scirpoides / Vurla 493
Isolepis / Kınotu 499
Cyperus / Hasırotu 504
Cyperaceae cins anahtarı 592-549
Vol 17a
Spergula / Delicekişniş 9
Spergularia / Remilotu 13
Polycarpon / Kırkinciotu 22
Loeflingia / Cicibücü 27
Paronychia / Etyaran 29
Herniaria / Atyaran 85
Corrigiola / Ağacık 105
Arenaria / Kumotu 107
Eremogone / İğnekumotu 151
Moehringia / Keleşot 197
Thurya / Gündegüzel 202
Bufonia / Hatunotu 204
Lepyrodiclis / Sigaça 222
Cerastium / Boynuzotu 226
Dichodon / Üçboynuzotu 301
Moenchia / Dördüzotu 308
Stellaria / Kuşotu 318
Holosteum / Şeytanküpesi 340
Myosoton / Vergelotu 355
Vol 17b
Caryophyllaceae (Karanfilgiller) (Devam)
Cherleria (Dağotu)
Pseudocherleria (Yamaçotu)
Mcneillia (Narinot)
Minuartiella (Hoştıstıs)
Alinihatia (Beyçiçek)
Minuartia (Tıstısotu)
Sabulina (Çayırtıstısı)
Sagina (Saginotu)
Habrosia (Çölkumotu)
Scleranthus (Kınavel)
Acanthophyllum (Takacak)
Allochrusa (Hishisiko)
Gypsophila (Çöven)
Dianthus (Karanfil)
Bolanthus (Havalotu) (cilt 17c’ye ek)
Vol 17c
Vaccaria / Ekinebesi 2
Saponaria / Sabunotu 8
Bolanthus / Havalotu 56
Ankyropetalum / Azçöven 78
Phrynella / Pekpeko 84
Petrorhagia / Feraceotu 88
Velezia / Tığotu 116
Silene / Nakıl 130
Cucubalus / Karanakıl 463
Agrostemma / Buğdaykaramuğu 466
Wow! That’s going to be a great resource.
I pity whoever will have to tackle something like Dandelions, there’s a lot of tourism to Turkey and it must bring in a lot of Taraxacum microspecies into tourist cities that could come from anywhere. The ones in Antalya often fail to key out with the existing older key when things would have been simpler.
I have the entire set of the Manual de Plantas de Costa Rica. It is a marvelous resource more than 20 years in the making. Older volumes can get dated as new taxonomic studies are performed but using it will usually get you to where you want to be…as long as you can recognize the family. I know at least a couple of taxonomists who have a remarkable familiarity with the manual and field experience to match, and it is a great experience to do a hike with them and see them recognize so many species out of the wall of green that is a rainforest. But such a resource is a rarity. Colombia and Ecuador have larger assemblages, maybe 2x-3x larger, but nothing like the Costa Rican manual. It really does make identifying plants in such diverse systems a bit laughable when you only have blurry phone photos on iNat to go by.
Are multiple confirmations of a research grade identification productive?
I think they can be. In those groups where I have some experience such as reed beetles and water beetles, it seems worth me adding an agreement to an RG observation. It may be that the first identification came from the computer and the second was the observer’s friend adding an agreement as a favour. So I think an agreement from someone who has studied the insects is worth having.
I used to do this at one time, then realized I was saying the same thing over and over again. So now I just ID it with no comment, unless there is something in the record that piques my interest.
That’s the same with me, I tend not to put comments often, for the same reason, otherwise you’ll just endlessly say the same thing, and have problems revising them, it’s why I think “ID tips” are much better as auto-tips you have made to appear wherever you have an ID of a taxon in a given region, your comments would then be anything extra to your tip, 0-2 other tips by other people would get auto-added as extras.
I probably don’t explain as often as I used to. However, explanations can be useful to observers. I find useful my file of explanations for common problems, from how to fix an observation with multiple species to why this grass is Alopecurus pratensis (Meadow Foxtail), not Phleum pratense (Timothy).
In my own case I’m just planning to have a big file of genus, species notes that people can look on for a quick explanation when they wish to. The attendant problem is that a lot of posts in Antalya province are of touristic iNaturalists so whilst it’s important to get the right ID, and some of their posted observations can be rather interesting, at the same time that makes less of an incentive for giving an explanation for an ID unless asked, in contrast to places where posters have a more dedicated interest in studying some region’s flora due to being resident or studying the wider region, or genus etc.