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Coping with Intermediates
This weekend in Rustenburg Nature reserve there were extensive (couple of thousand
individuals) populations of Pr welwitschii/gaguedi which had finished
flowering. I could not make a positive identification. Some plants looked more like gaguedi
(white hairs on involucral bracts, single flowerheads, and mature leaves hairless) and
other more like welwitshii (brown hairs on involucral bracts, multiple flowerheads,
and mature leaves hairy). There really was nothing to suggest that the plants tended more
towards one species than to another. Do you want them recorded as both species or should
we rather record nothing until we can get samples of fertile material for proper
identification next flowering season?
Reuben Heydenrych, Pretoria
If you cannot identify a plant you have three choices. Note that "Leaving it out" is not really a good choice!
- Send us a specimen. If there is confusion, send us examples of those specimens that are causing you confusion, and those that you are happy with. This may not help - in the field you will have far more to go on, than us in the office with your flat, dead, brown specimen. We will either send you our identification where possible, or fill it in on your SRS if they accompany the specimen. If a problem still remains then there are two options open:
- Code the species as Pr oooo (if it was a Protea), and note that you did not know what it was.
- Code the species as Pr gagu or Pr welw (depending on what you thought it was), and note clearly in the Additional Remarks Box that this identification is tentative and that you are not certain. If you are uncertain which to choose, choose the most outrageous - this will encourage others to visit the site and help you decide on what it was. A possible welwitschii/gaguedi specimen will not excite anyone from within welwitschii range, but if it is a range extension for gaguedii, then people will respond. Don’t forget to note clearly when you are uncertain. If you cannot narrow the identification down to two or three possible species, then use option "2" above.
In each case of uncertainty (even where you are certain, but we are highly suspicious) the data will be flagged in the database for future checking. If you request a species list for an area from us, these queries are printed for follow-up. We suspect that there may be two or three new species within data sent in under option "2". The original atlassers - and those following it up - will, of course, be credited with their discoveries.
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