A Pan-European seed-list search system
Last updated: 15 May 2009

How the system works

The proposal is to utilise a simple code word – ebgconsortiumindexseminum+year – to provide a unique identifier to every on-line seed-list issued by a European garden. Thus an internet search engine can be queried for this term plus a genus or even species name, thereby making the search for a particular taxon from current seed lists a work of moments. By adding a four figure year at the end of the code word, it is hoped to avoid ‘dead’ pages building up over the years. This year should represent the year in which the list is valid, i.e. seed collected during 2008 would be in a list issued over the 2008/2009 winter, and would carry the year 2009. If successful it is hoped to roll this system out at a global level. Since no central organisation, compilation or databasing is required, there should be no costs or administration other than voluntary co-operation by participating seed-list managers over the coming years in adding the word to their on-line seed lists.

Example search for the species Chamaerops humilis, which retrieves the University of Joensuu Botanic Gardens in Finland and The Alameda, Gibraltar Botanic Gardens seed-lists for 2008.

Example search for the species Arbutus unedo, which retrieve the National Botanic Gardens, Glasnevin and Fota Arboretum seed-lists for 2008.

REQUIREMENTS (Download pdf version of instructions here)

1. Any garden within Europe can take part in the scheme. There are no membership requirements, registrations or costs involved. Gardens do not have to be listed on the participation list below.
   
   
2. Both wild collected and/or cultivated plants may be included.
   
   
3. Issues of the CBD, in particular those governing Access and Benefit-sharing, Material Transfer Agreements, the International Plant Exchange Network (IPEN), as well as the legal authorization to share seeds are the responsibility of individual gardens, and no garden taking part is obligated to transfer seeds to third parties if they do not wish to do so.
   
   
4. For seed collected during the calendar year 1/1/2009 to 31/12/2009, the code word will be The word must have no characters or punctuation attached at either end.
   
   
5. The word must occur at least once in every file of the on-line seed-list. The seed-list can be an HTML file, a text file or a pdf document. can be visible as a line on the screen, or hidden in an invisible (i.e. white on white) font.
   
   
6. If you wish to include your seed-list in the system, then the webpage must be linked from a home page or scientific page on your web site, otherwise the page may not be visible to internet search engines, and will not be indexed. This may be an invisible link (i.e. <a href=put name of Index Seminum page here> <span style='text-underline:none'> &#160; &#160; </a>).
   
   
7. If you have problems with the page not being found by search engines then please submit the URL to various Search Engines, or to myself, and I will place it on the list below.
   
   
8. Please do not use the full word + year on bulletin boards, or on a 'home page' to the seedlist etc., since otherwise these will clutter up searches for seeds. If you need to tell people about the code word on a bulletin board, then put an underline or space into the word, i.e. “ebgconsortiumindexseminum_year” and tell people to remove this on their webpage. Alternatively, use the gif image as used above, which can be downloaded here