The Plant Dictionary <http://www.hcs.ohio‐state.edu/plants.html> is an encyclopedic database of all types of plants. This site was developed at The Ohio State University to complement its other electronic resources, collectively called “Horticulture and Crop Science in Virtual Perspective”.
This is an easy to use Web site with a very simple interface. Its six main links are plants, pests and disease, history, biology, technology, and about plant dictionary.
Within the plants section, searching can be done by plant name (either common name or scientific name), category of plant, or physical characteristics of the plant. Features to choose from are: trunk, whole plant, twigs, flowers, fruits, foliage, and landscape usage. When the desired plant is located, an image of the plant is displayed along with the scientific and common name, the plant family, and a brief description.
Searching within pests and disease can be done by pest or disease name, or by host plant type. This category indicates pests such as mites, slugs, etc., and includes chemical, mechanical, or weather‐related injuries. Plant types include annuals, bulbs, perennials, grasses, fruits, vegetables, turf, house plants, trees, shrubs and vines, deciduous plants, and evergreens. When users retrieve their desired record (for example, a search on “mealybugs”), the record shows an image of the pest, the type of plant it attacks, and a short description.
In the autumn of 1968 at Ohio State, Professor Freeman S. Howlett taught a course entitled “The history and literature of horticulture: from earliest times to the present.” The information presented within the History link constitutes Professor Howlett’s course outline that was distributed to students. A copy of his course preface is also provided.
There are four main sections within the Biology link: diversity, structure, physiology, and environment. The search terms to use here are biological processes and functions of plants. Under each of these four sections, users may search within the subcategories of images, questions, and labs. For example, clicking on photosynthesis in the questions section will bring users to a question and answer quiz about the process of photosynthesis. The icon for the images section shows a CD‐ROM disk; however, some of the images did not load completely.
There are four main sections in the technology pages: asexual propagation, sexual propagation, physical conditions, and micropropagation. As in the Biology section, the subcategories are images, questions, and labs, which relate “to the mechanisms and procedures involved in propagating horticultural plants”. This section requires Acrobat Reader to read the labs, and a link is provided to download the reader if needed.
Within the pages entitled About Plant Dictionary are two informational sub‐links, concepts and objectives. These describe the original development and purpose of the site. A third sub‐link is entitled suggestions, where suggestions for improving the site can be submitted via e‐mail.
This Web site is very useful as a botanical reference source. It is well‐designed, easy to navigate, and contains valuable information. The site is now expanding, with new pages designed by horticultural students at The Ohio State University. Although the site’s purpose is primarily academic, the plant images are helpful for the casual gardener as well. This site is recommended for students, instructors, and librarians.
