Welcome to KeyBase

KeyBase currently contains 12106 keys to 53541 taxa.

Flora of Australia: vascular plants (26 contributors, 2072 keys to 21058 taxa)

Flowering plants of Western Australia (6 contributors, 1564 keys to 11577 taxa)

Flora of New South Wales (2 contributors, 1308 keys to 8742 taxa)

Flora of Victoria (6 contributors, 1140 keys to 7320 taxa)

Horticultural Flora of South-eastern Australia (2 contributors, 1071 keys to 6083 taxa)

Flowering plants of Queensland (4 contributors, 1034 keys to 8065 taxa)

Vascular plants of California: Jepson Herbarium, UC Berkeley (3 contributors, 1001 keys to 9457 taxa)

Flora of South Australia (6 contributors, 567 keys to 4521 taxa)

Flora of Somaliland and Somalia (3 contributors, 549 keys to 3969 taxa)

Flora of Pakistan (5 contributors, 477 keys to 4043 taxa)

Flowering plants of Tasmania (3 contributors, 318 keys to 2196 taxa)

Grasses of North America north of Mexico (2 contributors, 302 keys to 2078 taxa)

Vascular Flora of Alabama, SE U.S.A. (3 contributors, 173 keys to 1145 taxa)

Bryophytes of Australia (6 contributors, 153 keys to 785 taxa)

Flora of the Northern Territory (6 contributors, 89 keys to 676 taxa)

California Moss eFlora (2 contributors, 87 keys to 808 taxa)

Flowering plants of Sri Lanka (2 contributors, 84 keys to 348 taxa)

Global Treatments (3 contributors, 29 keys to 216 taxa)

The Northern Utah Flora (3 contributors, 12 keys to 50 taxa)

Eucalypts of North Coast New South Wales (3 contributors, 10 keys to 78 taxa)

Flora Altaica (3 contributors, 9 keys to 74 taxa)

Triticeae of the World (2 contributors, 9 keys to 150 taxa)

ACT Flora (1 contributor, 8 keys to 29 taxa)

Flora of Nepal (1 contributor, 6 keys to 48 taxa)

Plant taxonomy at the University of Hargeisa (2 contributors, 4 keys to 100 taxa)

Flora of Australia Sandbox (1 contributor, 4 keys to 473 taxa)

Flowering plants of Egypt (3 contributors, 4 keys to 37 taxa)

National Forestry Herbarium, New Zealand (1 contributor, 3 keys to 13 taxa)

Flora of South Dakota (1 contributor, 2 keys to 11 taxa)

Plants of the University Campus, Peshawar, Pakistan (1 contributor, 2 keys to 13 taxa)

Dicranoloma keys (Bryophyta) (1 contributor, 2 keys to 18 taxa)

Las Gramíneas de México - updated (1 contributor, 2 keys to 37 taxa)

Nevada, Utah and adjacent areas (2 contributors, 2 keys to 27 taxa)

Bay of Plenty Plants (BoPP), New Zealand (1 contributor, 2 keys to 6 taxa)

Botany 2015 Workshop (6 contributors, 2 keys to 5 taxa)

Flora Okefenokeensis (1 contributor, 1 key to 17 taxa)

Grasses of Siberia (1 contributor, 1 key to 11 taxa)

Milkweeds of Utah (1 contributor, 1 key to 14 taxa)

Flora of Ethiopia and Eritrea (1 contributor, 1 key to 38 taxa)

Flora of China (1 contributor, 1 key to 9 taxa)

Notice

KeyBase was defaced over Christmas by a user who abused their privileges. While we have been able to remove this user and restore the home page, to prevent future abuse, we had to take down the login and registration capabilities, so at the moment it is not possible to create and edit keys in KeyBase.

KeyBase runs on very old software and to provide the security that is needed to allow file uploads in the current cyber security climate, a new application is needed. Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria unfortunately does not have the resources to develop such an application at short notice.

We apologise for the inconvenience

KeyBase is a database and web application for managing and deploying interactive pathway keys to plants, animals and other groups of organisms.

KeyBase provides an environment where pathway keys, traditionally developed for print, can be used more effectively in a web environment. Keys in KeyBase can be easily linked, essentially joining them into larger, seamless keys, but with each still available to be used independently. Keys can be filtered and displayed in a variety of formats.

How can I use KeyBase?

You can search for a key to a family, genus or species by entering its name in the query box above, or browse a list of keys in any project by clicking on the project link on the left. Once you've opened a key, you can display it in the familiar formats, or you can use KeyBase's key player. Once you've keyed out a taxon – and if there is a key to that taxon in KeyBase – you can jump to that key by clicking on the ► button after the taxon name. You can also apply filters to keys, either locally for a single key by selecting which taxa you want to include or exclude, or globally by uploading a list of taxon names and selecting the projects you'd like to look in for keys.

How can I contribute?

KeyBase projects can be collaborative. After registering, you can request to join a project. As a contributor to a project in KeyBase you can upload new keys and help manage and maintain keys in the project, to help keep keys current. KeyBase users can also start new projects.