ibclogo XVI International Botanical Congess


Abstract Number: 5020
Session = 8.5.3


XID - AN IDENTIFICATION SYSTEM FOR THE NEW MILLENNIUM


Richard Old, XID Services Inc. PO Box 272, Pullman, Washington, USA.


The XID System focuses on the needs of the science of identification (rather than taxonomy or systematics). It evolved from the needs of technicians to identify inadequate samples and to accommodate the audience of amateur enthusiasts and students without a technical education in their attempts to identify organisms of interest.To meet these goals, the system had to remain malleable, accommodate illustrations, provide guidance without rigidity, and be user friendly. In creating a system to meet these goals, it was soon discovered that the XID approach was also extremely useful to expert scientists. As a result, the XID System has become widely used for a variety of purposes, including the creation of one of the largest plant identification databases in the world (over 5,400 species). Free demo versions can be downloaded from www.xidservices.com


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