Tutorial:Filling in the species form

Binomial Classification

Parameter	What to fill in	Examples
Species Name	The complete scientific name of the species	Mangifera indica, Catharanthus roseus
Common Name	Name in English language. If there are multiple names, separate the names by a comma.	Mango, Madagascar Periwinkle
Common Name in Indian languages	As many names you know and the language. Leave a space between the name and the language. Separate entries by commas.	Aam (Hindi), Amba (Marathi), Karino (Gujarati)
Type of plant	Select from one of the entries in the drop-down menu. Woody plants includes trees and shrubs. Plants smaller than shrubs are classified as herbs. Other categories are vines, grass-like plants, algae and ferns.	Woody plant
Regnum (Kingdom)	The binomial classification level "kingdom". This and further information can be found on Wikipedia entry of either the species or the genus.	Plantae
Division	Sometimes you cant see this field on the Wikipedia page. If so, click on Edit on top of the Wikipedia page and check out the text in the Edit window. You will find something like "Unranked Division". Copy-paste that info onto this field on Brahma and mention that it is Unranked	Angiospermae (Unranked), Pteridophyta
Class	Similar to Division	Pteridopsida
Order	From Wikipedia entry	Salviniales
Family	From Wikipedia entry	Azollaceae
Genus	From Wikipedia entry	Azolla

Morphology and Life Cycle

Parameter	What to fill in	Examples
Describe the general morphological features of the plant	As the name suggests. You can write whatever you want here as long as you have mentioned the source. Important things to note are general physical appearance of the plant, height etc. . Unless copying from an external source is allowed by the copyright permissions, do not copy text. This is especially true of websites and journals. Copying from Wikipedia is allowed if you acknowledge that you've copied from there.	Mango trees typically branch 0.6–2 m (2–6.5 ft) above the ground and develop an evergreen, dome-shaped canopy. Variability in canopy shape and openness occurs among varieties and with competition from other trees. Mangos grown in heavily forested areas branch much higher than solitary trees and have an umbrella-like form.
Plant height (in metres)	Only write the average height in number	30
Flower color (if known)	Select from the menu. Only select choices are allowed to discourage people from saying "Creamish yellow" or "Magic Pink" and so on.	Pink/Red
Leaf morphology	Descriptive text expected as general features. Note down source. Important things to note are shape and size of leaf, leaf margins, leaf arrangement on stem, leaf color, abaxial/adaxial surface characteristics etc. . Unless copying from an external source is allowed by the copyright permissions, do not copy text. This is especially true of websites and journals. Copying from Wikipedia is allowed if you acknowledge that you've copied from there.	Leaves are alternate, simple, leathery, oblong-lanceolate, 29-30 cm long X 3-5 cm wide on flowering branches, up to 50 cm on sterile branches.The young leaves are red and emerge in flushes (episodic growth spurts) of 10–20 leaves.While aging leaves are shiny dark green above, lighter below, with yellow or white venation.
Root morphology	Descriptive text expected as general features. Note down source. Important things to note are type of root system, length, size and distribution of roots, utility in soil erosion and other important features. Unless copying from an external source is allowed by the copyright permissions, do not copy text. This is especially true of websites and journals. Copying from Wikipedia is allowed if you acknowledge that you've copied from there.	The tree is anchored by a long unbranched taproot can descend to a depth of 6-8 m plus a mass of feeder roots. The feeder roots send down anchor roots which penetrate the soil to a depth of 1.2 m and spread lateral as far as 7.5 m.Distribution of the finer roots changes seasonally with the moisture distribution in the soil.
Seed dispersal mechanisms	This field would be useful for conservation purposes. Select from the options in the dropdown menu.	By animals
Bloom type	Enter the life cycle of plant. Multiple values allowed and have to be separated by commas. Ensure that the spelling is correct. Do not use "and" in the box.	Perennial, Biennial, Annual, Semi-biennial.

Habitat and Geographical spread

Parameter	What to fill in	Examples
Biotic Zones	Select one or more values from among the following regions which have been recorded - * Northeastern Himalayas, * Northwestern Himalayas, * Eastern Ghats, * Western Ghats, * Central Deccan Plateau, * East Coast, * West Coast, * Indo-Gangetic Plain, * Thar Desert and Rann of Kutchch and * Outlying Islands. A good place to look for this information is The Plants Database of India. This field may also be filled based on the state-wide distribution (see below).	Thar Desert and Rann of Kutchch, Central Deccan Plateau
Details of Habitat	Descriptive text expected. Use as many words you want. Note down source. Important things to note are nutritional hardiness, type of microhabitat (aquatic/wetland/forests/shade/roadsides etc.), seasonal changes, heat/cold tolerance, interaction with herbivores etc. . Unless copying from an external source is allowed by the copyright permissions, do not copy text. This is especially true of websites and journals. Copying from Wikipedia is allowed if you acknowledge that you've copied from there.
Endemism - Himalayas, Western Ghats, Eastern Ghats or India	Select Yes, No from the drop-down menu. Generally can be concluded from the Biotic Zones, State-wise distribution and the Wikipedia entry.	Yes
State-wise distribution	Note down the states separated by commas. The first letter of each state should be capital. Do not use "and" in the box. A good place to look for this information is The Plants Database of India.	Maharashtra,Sikkim,Assam, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, West Bengal,Orissa, Tamil Nadu

Medicinal, Religious and Commercial uses

Parameter	What to fill	Examples
Ailments for which this species is used	Mention just the names of the ailments. Try as much as possible to keep the name to one word (Bronchitis instead of Chronic Bronchitis). Also, this is a very important section, so make sure the references you note down are authentic ones coming from trusted sources. Separate the names by comma and make the first letter of each name capital. Say "Hypertension" instead of high blood pressure. An exhaustive list of all ailments is available here. If your ailment is mentioned here, write that name.	Diarrhea, Dysentery, Urethritis, Rheumatism, Diphtheria, Scabies, Hemorrhages, Hemorrhoids, Fever, Chest pains, Diabetes, Hypertension, Toothaches.
Medicinal systems which use this plant	Choose one or more values from the following - Ayurveda, Unani, Folk Medicine, Modern Medicine	Ayurveda
Details of medicinal use	Descriptive text expected. Use as many words you want. Note down source. Important things to mention include which part of plant is used for treating which ailment, how is the plant used and where is this practiced. Unless copying from an external source is allowed by the copyright permissions, do not copy text. This is especially true of websites and journals. Copying from Wikipedia is allowed if you acknowledge that you've copied from there.	The twigs and leaves, used to clean the teeth, are said to be beneficial to the gums, while the bark is said to be useful for toothaches. The astringent stomachic bark is also used for internal hemorrhages, bronchitis, and catarrh. The resin is used for cracked feet, ringworm, and other fungi, syphilis, and to induce sweating. Smoke from the burning leaves is believed to cure various throat disorders, from asthma to hiccups. Dried mango flowers, containing 15% tannin, serve as astringents in cases of diarrhea, chronic dysentery, catarrh of the bladder and chronic urethritis resulting from gonorrhea. Green fruits are considered anticholeric (baked and mixed with sugar and taken internally and also rubbed over the body), antidysmenorrheic, antiscorbutic, astringent, and diaphoretic. Roasted green fruits are dissolved in sugar water and taken internally to prevent sunstroke. Ripe fruits are considered diuretic, laxative, and unguent. A gruel made of the seeds is taken internally for bleeding piles. The wood is favored for making shovels. The bark contains mangiferine and is astringent and employed against rheumatism and diphtheria in India. The resinous gum from the trunk is applied on cracks in the skin of the feet and on scabies, and is believed helpful in cases of syphilis.
Religions	Mention name of religion - Hinduism, Islam, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity, Sikhism, Jainism and so on.	Hinduism
Details of religious use	Descriptive text expected. Use as many words you want. Note down source. Important things to mention include the occasions where it is used, in what form, what is the significance etc. Unless copying from an external source is allowed by the copyright permissions, do not copy text. This is especially true of websites and journals. Copying from Wikipedia is allowed if you acknowledge that you've copied from there.
Religious occasions	Mention just the names of the festival/event/occasion. Try to keep it single-word as much as possible. A full-list of occasions is available here. If your occasion is in that list, please use that name. Separate names by commas and make the first letter capital.	Diwali, Ramzan Id, Id-ul-Fitr, Pongal, Onam
Commercial application (Yes/No)	Choose
Details of commercial application	Descriptive text expected. Use as many words you want. Note down source. Important things to mention include the products where this species is used and in what form. Unless copying from an external source is allowed by the copyright permissions, do not copy text. This is especially true of websites and journals. Copying from Wikipedia is allowed if you acknowledge that you've copied from there.

Scientific Knowledge

Parameter	What to fill	Examples