1. The “Flora brasiliensis” revisited G.J. Shepherd

3. How big a job ? uHow many species ?

4. How big a job ? uHow many species ?

5. How big a job ? uHow many species ? uHow many new species ?

6. How big a job ? uHow many species ? uHow many new species ? uHow good is the existing taxonomy ?

7. What are the bottlenecks ? uTypes uLiterature uSupporting documentation uAccess to adequate collections

8. Access to types ? from : B.R. Baum (1994)

9. How long do floras take ? usource Heywood 2001 * - estimated

10. Why do Floras take so long? uSelf-inflicted problems

11. Why do Floras take so long ? uSelf-inflicted problems uMust it be complete ?

12. Why do Floras take so long ? uSelf-inflicted problems uMust it be complete ? uMust it be so uniform ?

13. Why do Floras take so long ? uSelf-inflicted problems uMust it be complete ? uMust it be so uniform ? uRechecking specimen data

14. Why do Floras take so long ? uSelf-inflicted problems uMust it be complete ? uMust it be so uniform ? uRechecking specimen data uMust we keep on re-inventing the wheel ?

15. How can we speed things up ? uInfrastructure uWorking methods and tools uAttitudes

16. Infrastructure uImages and information on types uImages and information on other herbarium materials uLiterature uOther materials - Field notebooks, itineraries, etc.

17. Working methods and tools uDescription and key-making systems uInteractive keys uReference sources (online/CDs) l taxonomic names l author names and information l collector names and information l geographical names

18. I Sing the Flora Electric ? (apologies to Ray Bradbury...) udynamic structure utaxonomically heterogeneous ugeographically heterogeneous uThe “stone of Sisyphus” syndrome uflexibility (multi classification)

19. I Sing the Flora Electric ? u“multi-personality” l detailed taxonomic treatise l routine identification l limited area “pocket guides” l “picture books” l checklists l information bank and gateway to more general information - rare species, sequences, etc.