NYBG.org: Linking to the Virtual Herbarium


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	Steere Herbarium Mertz Library A Guide for Use of The C. V. Starr Virtual Herbarium History of the Virtual Herbarium A Summary of Databasing Projects Treatment of Endangered and Threatened Plant Species Specimen Showcases Useful References Acknowledgements

Linking to The C. V. Starr Virtual Herbarium

Introduction

This guide is for those who wish to construct URLs that will link to searches against The C. V. Starr Virtual Herbarium of The New York Botanical Garden. It explains how the URL is made, which parameters are available for searching, and gives examples of values to use for those parameters.

Constructing the URL

URLs should be made using this example:

http://sweetgum.nybg.org/vh/specimen_list.php?Where=DetFiledAsFamilyLocal+%3D+%27Lauraceae%27 +AND+DetFiledAsGenusLocal+%3D+%27Nectandra%27 +AND+DetFiledAsTaxonLocal+CONTAINS+%27Nectandra+lanceolata+Nees+%26+Mart.+var.+parvifolia+Mez%27 +AND+DetFiledAsTypeStatus+%3D+%27isotype%27+AND+ColBarcode+%3D+355462&LimitPerPage=100

This URL is made up of:

The server location: http://sweetgum.nybg.org/vh/specimen_list.php
The beginning of the SQL clause: ?Where=
The parameter (field) name and the parameter value in the format: parameter (field) name + comparison operator + parameter value (enclosed by the hexadecimal code for single-quotes – %27 – and separated by "+AND+")
The number of records per page to display: &LimitPerPage=100 (100 is optimum; increasing this number results in longer times to return records to the browser)

Check the table below to see examples of parameters and values. Note that spaces must never be included in the URL – replace each space with a plus sign (+). Other character replacements that need to be made are: open (left) parenthesis, replace with %28; close (right) parenthesis, replace with %29; ampersand, replace with %26.

Comparison Operators

Parameters and their values are separated by comparison operators. There are two different operators, and only one of them works for each parameter. The table below lists the comparison operator for each paramater. Comparison operators must be set off from their parameters and the parameter values by a plus sign (+). The operators are:

%3D, the hexadecimal code for the equal sign (=); and
CONTAINS

Parameters

Name	Comparison Operator	Example Value	Notes
DetFiledAsFamilyLocal	%3D	Lauraceae	All parameter values must be enclosed by the hexadecimal code for single-quotes: %27, so that a string using this parameter would look like: DetFiledAsFamily+%3D+%27Lauraceae%27
DetFiledAsGenusLocal	%3D	Nectandra
DetFiledAsSpeciesLocal	%3D	lanceolata
DetFiledAsTaxonLocal	CONTAINS	Nectandra+lanceolata+Nees+%26+ Mart.+var.+parvifolia+Mez	All or some of the scientific name can be used. Use caution when including authors, however, as the abbreviations must match those in Authors of Plant Names.
DetFiledAsTypeStatus	%3D	isotype	Other possible values include: type, holotype, syntype, isosyntype, lectotype, etc.
FeaPlantFungDesc	CONTAINS	shrub	Use this parameter to search for words in the description of the plant or fungus specimen, as typed on the herbarium specimen label.
HabHabitat	CONTAINS	south-facing slope	Use this parameter to search for words in the description of the habitat where the specimen was collected.
HabSubstrate	CONTAINS	sandstone	Use this parameter to search for words in the description of the substrate (type of soil or rock, or in the case of parasitic plants and fingi, the host plant) on which the specimen was collected.
HabVegetation	CONTAINS	oak	Use this parameter to search for words in the description of associated vegetaion growing in the vicinity of the collected specimen as noted on the specimen label.
ColCollectionNumberLocal	%3D	17444	Use this parameter to search for the collection number (fieldbook number) of a specimen.