A Flexible System for Automatic Generation of Special Purpose Dichotomous Keys, and Its Application to Australian Grass Genera

Abstract

The key-generating program KEYGEN has been incorporated in a flexible system whereby special purpose dichotomous keys can be produced rapidly and cheaply from a single data base. The system is applicable to any taxonomic group for which suitable observational data are available. It is currently being applied to Australian grass genera, for which data are now available on 274 attributes representing 120 aspects of leaf morphology and anatomy, inflorescence form, spikelet, flower, and fruit structure. Grass genera are being recorded for variation at world level so that the data can be used (and if necessary extended) in order to make keys for other regions. Examples are given of early efforts at 'conventional' and 'vegetative-anatomical' special purpose keys, generated from the data via the system described here.