Welcome
Seed Identification Guide (SIG)® is a virtual publication of reference information on plant taxonomy, morphological features of plant dispersal units, identification fact sheets, identification keys, image galleries, and common botany terminologies. The plant species included in the guide have resulted from ISMA and the author’s projects. The publication is open to any authors who wish to make a publication of factsheets, identification keys, or images about dispersal units of plant species, which include economic crops and wild species as trees, shrubs, herbaceous plants around the world.
This is a peer-reviewed and formally registered online publication with the registration number ISBN: 978-1-7753419-0-1. The goal of the publication is to facilitate knowledge generation and share on seed morphology and their associated application, such as seed identification for weeds and invasive plants, commodity identification, and botany and taxonomy information of plant species. The Seed Identification Guide (SIG)® will be updated regularly with new publications without notification to end-users. If you are an author and want to make a publication, please find more resources in Authors or contact the Editorial Board.
Features of the tool:
- Seed Identification Guide (SIG)® contains seed images, drawings, seed feature descriptions, similar species comparisons, and information on potential growth habitats and contamination sources.
- Seed Identification Guide (SIG)® provides ID keys, fact sheets, and glossaries about the common features of species or taxonomic families, and terms used to describe plant species and seeds. These components assist the users in using the tool and increasing their knowledge and skills in seed identification.
- Seed Identification Guide (SIG)® also contains a gallery of images and illustrations that serves as a searchable database to facilitate seed identification and to remind users of a seed’s morphological features that can be used for determining its identification.
Fact sheets:
The Fact Sheets provide the user with images and descriptive information to aid in seed identification. Each fact sheet contains multiple seed images or drawings, feature descriptions, similar species comparisons, and information on potential growth habitats and contamination sources for the plant species in question.
ID keys:
The ID Key is interactive and allows the user with an unknown seed in hand to identify it to the family level. Fact sheets highlighting the common features of the species belonging to a taxonomic family are also available when using the key. These components assist the users in using the tool and increasing their knowledge and skills in seed identification. Future versions will be equipped with additional keys that will identify the genus and species levels.
Gallery:
The Gallery contains hundreds of seed images and illustrations to aid in seed identification. It serves as a searchable database to facilitate seed identification and to remind users of a seed’s morphological features that can be used for determining its identification.
Glossary:
The glossary provides definitions of the terms used to describe plant species and seeds encountered throughout the website.