Category Archives: Lucid Keys

EUCLID Eucalypts of Australia – Fourth edition released

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Media Release

Eucalypts are the dominant trees in Australia. Consequently, they play significant roles in the landscape, in the ecology of our land, in forestry, in apiculture and in horticulture.

“EUCLID Eucalypts of Australia” – The foremost eucalypt identification and botanical guide has reached a new milestone in time for National Eucalypt day (23rd March) with the release of the fourth edition. This tool makes Australia’s most significant group of plants, the eucalypts, available to all from the enthusiastic amateur to the practical users and to the professional scientists.

EUCLID provides complete descriptions of 934 species of Angophora, Corymbia and Eucalyptus plus an interactive identification key using LucidTM software. It covers all Australian States and Territories. Over twelve thousand images are used to assist interpretation of species features and the species themselves as well as their geographic distribution.

This innovative application makes identification a breeze. The process begins by choosing from simple characteristics of the eucalypt you are trying to identify. For example, answer questions such does it have rough or smooth bark, leaf shapes and flower types. If you’re not sure what to look at next the Lucid application can even recommend features to guide you through to the fastest identification possible. EUCLID is a treasure-trove of information. The application brings together beautifully illustrated features to help visualise your choices as well as fact sheets and images of every species – all at your fingertips.

The previous edition was published in 2006. The fourth edition of EUCLID uses taxonomy up to date to June 2019.

It is available free online. The Android and Apple App editions of EUCLID can be downloaded from the Google Play and iTunes app stores respectively on payment of $19.95 to help fund further content updates and software upgrades.

The App edition of EUCLID optionally requires no Internet connection, making it especially valuable for people working in the field.

EUCLID has been continually supported since 1995 by the Centre for Australian National Biodiversity Research (a joint venture between the Director of National Parks and CSIRO). The Australian Biological Resources Study has provided financial support for the publication of this edition.

The expert identification software (web application and mobile applications) used by EUCLID, called LucidTM, is developed and supported by Identic Pty Ltd an Australian company based in Brisbane.

Media note: For interviews contact: Anthony Whalen (Director, Biodiversity Science, Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment).  m: 0411 512 248. e: [email protected]

Google App Store
Apple iTunes App Store
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Download screen shots of EUCLID

Key to willow species and hybrids present in New Zealand

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Key to willow species and hybrids present in New Zealand

This key is illustrated with more than 2000 images of willow species and hybrids that are either wild or in cultivation in New Zealand, and the features that are used to identify them. Most illustrations are of willow clones grown in the national willow collection in Palmerston North maintained by Plant and Food NZ.

The key is designed for those with some experience in plant identification, and some features will need at least a strong hand lens (10x or better) to see features such as stamen filament hairs. It will be of use to bee-keepers, farmers with an interest in growing willows as bee food, and conservation estate managers who need to identify willows in the wild.

Writing of this key was funded by the Sustainable Farming Fund, Trees for Bees NZ, the Willow and Poplar Trust, Plant and Food NZ, and Manaaki Whenua – Landcare Research.

Authors: Glenny D, Jones T.

Visit web key

Chikanda Orchid identification key

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Chikanda Orchid identification key home screen

Chikanda is a local foodstuff from northern Zambia and surrounding countries. It is made from pounded groundnuts and the tubers of a number of orchid species. This identification app is targeted at non-botanists and involving the analysis of various features of the plant(s) and its habitat to help narrow down the choice of 63 species. As a result, it is not an exact key and will not necessarily narrow down the choices to the particular species but rather to a choice of a few of the most likely species.

Chikanda Orchid identification key Android Edition Chikanda Orchid identification key iOS Edition

Plants of South Eastern New South Wales – App and website

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Plants of South Eastern New South Wales

A sister key to Plants and Fungi of South Western New South Wales (https://keys.lucidcentral.org/keys/v3/scotia/

This key is designed for anyone who has an interest in finding out about the plants of south eastern New South Wales. It includes about 2,900 species of plants accompanied by about 10,000 images. It includes Eucalypts, but not ferns, orchids, grasses, or most sedges or rushes. There are about 3,900 relevant species in the area covered by this key.

The key mostly uses easily seen characters and a minimum of technical terms to help with the identification of plants. It is not designed to key out to a single species, though sometimes it does. It is designed to narrow down the possibilities of what the plant might be to a limited number of species. Images may then help you decide what your plant is.

In most cases, the use of a hand lens or a low power microscope is not necessary for identification, except when counting the number of flowers/florets in a flower head, and deciding whether hairs on stems are stellate (multiple hairs arising from a point, looking like a star), branched, or simple. Identification needing the use of a high power microscope is beyond the scope of the key.

Plants of South Eastern New South Wales Lucid Key Server edition Plants of South Eastern New South Wales Android Edition Plants of South Eastern New South Wales iOS Edition

Lepidopteran Families of Biosecurity concern – updated

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Lepidopteran Families of Biosecurity concern

An update of this interactive lucid key that assists in recognising families of targeted Lepidoptera of biosecurity concern using morphological characters of the adult.

Many existing keys to adult Lepidoptera lack good illustrations of the important characters and this key provides high quality photographs of all the characters used. Easily identifiable features that are visible on set specimens using a stereomicroscope have been chosen in an attempt to avoid where possible, the type of characters requiring manipulation or dissection of the specimen for example, wing venation, apodemes and genitalia.

Authors: Anderson SJ, Luo YY & Bellis GA (2017). Lepidopteran Families of Biosecurity Concern. Interactive Lucid Key. Northern Australian Quarantine Strategy, Department of Agriculture and Water Resources

The mobile application is available from the Google Play Store and Apple iTunes.

Lepidopteran Families of Biosecurity concern Lucid Key Server edition Lepidopteran Families of Biosecurity concern Android Edition Lepidopteran Families of Biosecurity concern iOS Edition

Insect Orders – Revised Edition

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Insect Orders - Revised Edition splash screen Insect Orders - Revised Edition home screen

A key to Insect Orders, originally developed at The University of Queensland, has recently been revised by Prof Steve Marshall (University of Guelph, Ontario) and now deployed as an app on the latest, upgraded Lucid Mobile platform. It is available as an Android and iOS version for $ 1.99 from Google and iTunes.

The mobile application is available from the Google Play Store and Apple iTunes.


Insect Orders Android Edition Insect Orders iOS Edition

Lucid keys and apps coming soon

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  • Sheep Parasites by the University of Melbourne. Undergoing testing – expected release early 2019.(Lucid Mobile)
  • Edible wild orchids of Zambia by KEW Gardens. (Lucid Mobile)
  • Wilding conifer of New Zealand, Landcare Research, New Zealand. (Lucid Mobile)
  • Adult Frogs and tadpoles, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Brazil. (Lucid Mobile)

More information will be available on these key once released.