Start with families
See four broad branches of the collection, then follow the connections to the genera inside each one.
Explore familiesThe field guide / overview
A living world.
A connected collection.
Follow the path from family to genus to species. Every name leads somewhere worth exploring.
Choose your starting point
Meet the genera
Compare eight groups and use the paired species links to continue your search.
Browse generaDiscover each species
Filter sixteen reference cards by family, then open a species record for a closer view.
View speciesFrom reference to observation
Found a plant that caught your eye?
Move between the guide and the identification interface whenever you need a comparison. The community page shows how photographs and written notes can sit together in a useful observation. You can explore freely without an account.
A beginner’s field companion
Read the forest, one detail at a time.
You do not need to name every plant before you start exploring. Begin with a clear observation and follow the classification trail at your own pace. This guide deliberately keeps its collection small: every family connects to two genera, and every genus connects to two species. Those counts describe this website’s selection, not the total diversity of the families.
Use the photographs as reference material. A close-up may show a fruit, a leaf, or a preserved herbarium specimen; the caption tells you who made the image. The original botanical source appears beside the description so you can examine the evidence and read beyond our summary. Regional ranges describe published distributions, not the location where a reference photograph was taken.
Build a useful observation
- Take a wider photograph showing the plant’s overall form.
- Add close views of leaves and any visible flowers or fruits.
- Write the date, general location and what you actually observed.
Three words to know
- Family
- A classification that groups related genera.
- Genus
- A classification within a family; the first word of a species name.
- Species
- The more precise level used in this guide, written with a two-part scientific name.
Naming reference: International Association for Plant Taxonomy . Field workflow is original project guidance.
See how the collection connects
| Family | Genus | Species in this guide |
|---|---|---|
| Dipterocarpaceae | Vatica | Vatica rassak , Vatica mangachapoi |
| Dipterocarpaceae | Dipterocarpus | Dipterocarpus grandiflorus , Dipterocarpus kerrii |
| Lauraceae | Actinodaphne | Actinodaphne malaccensis , Actinodaphne pruinosa |
| Lauraceae | Beilschmiedia | Beilschmiedia madang , Beilschmiedia kunstleri |
| Burseraceae | Canarium | Canarium odontophyllum , Canarium littorale |
| Burseraceae | Dacryodes | Dacryodes rostrata , Dacryodes laxa |
| Myristicaceae | Horsfieldia | Horsfieldia irya , Horsfieldia superba |
| Myristicaceae | Myristica | Myristica fragrans , Myristica iners |