{"id":3354,"date":"2025-11-13T14:22:24","date_gmt":"2025-11-13T21:22:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/help.lichenportal.org\/?p=3354"},"modified":"2025-11-17T17:35:42","modified_gmt":"2025-11-18T00:35:42","slug":"the-taxonomic-thesaurus","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/help.lichenportal.org\/index.php\/en\/2025\/11\/the-taxonomic-thesaurus\/","title":{"rendered":"The Taxonomic Thesaurus"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Managing the Taxonomic Thesaurus<\/strong>
(add, edit, update)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

IMPORTANT<\/strong>: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Editing the taxonomy is not trivial. Therefore most users can only browse<\/em>, but not modify <\/em>the Taxonomic Thesaurus. If you notice any error or names missing from the thesaurus, reach out to the portal administrator – unless you have the necessary privileges to edit\/update the thesaurus yourself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even if you cannot edit\/update the Taxonomic Thesaurus, the instructions below may still be helpful to understand how the thesaurus works.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are interested in contributing, reach out to LichenConsortium@gmail.com<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

_______________________________________________________________________________________<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Table of Contents<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
    \n
  1. Add a new taxon<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. Edit Existing Names<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. Synonyms<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  4. Homonyms, etc.<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  5. Name Categories<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    _______________________________________________________________________________________<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Add a new taxon:<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    \u2191 back to the top<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    1.) Select from the top Menu ‘Sitemap >> Taxonomic Tree Viewer’:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    2.) Search for the taxon to make sure you do not duplicate a name:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    3.) If the name is not there, search for the name entry in Index Fungorum:
    In this example, Dictyonema andinum<\/em> V. Marcano had not been added to the Thesaurus…<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    4.) To add the name copy the whole record from Index Fungorum:\u200b<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \n
    1. <\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
      \"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

      5.) From the Tree Viewer, add the record:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

      6.) Paste the entry copied from Index Fungorum into the parser:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

      7.) Click ‘Parse’ to parse out the data:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

      8.) The ‘Author’ field should only list the author<\/em>; add the full citation into ‘Notes’ and the Index Fungorum URL into ‘Source’:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

      9.) If a name is a synonym, choose ‘Not Accepted’ and from the list of existing names choose the currently accepted name [please note: a name that is currently a synonym cannot be chosen as the ‘accepted’ name; you first have to elevate that name to ‘accepted’]:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

      10.) This is what it looks like, once the new name has been submitted:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

      _______________________________________________________________________________________<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Edit Existing Names in the Thesaurus:<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

      \u2191 back to the top<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

      1.) First search for a name in the Taxonomic Thesaurus (note, per default ‘display authors’ is not enabled; check it if you want to review\/add\/edit homonyms as well); ‘Display Taxon Tree’ will show the name:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

      2.) Click the ‘pencil icon’ to edit the entry [note: the icon is only displayed if you are allowed to edit an entry]:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

      3.) On the ‘Editor’ tab you can modify the current entry:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

      3.) The tab ‘Hierarchy’ simply shows, where a taxon is nested in the taxonomic hierarchy, no edits are possible here (you can click on any name to edit that taxon):<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

      4.) The tab ‘Children Taxa’ lists the children nested beneath the name that is currently reviewed\/edited; again no changes are possible (you can click on a child to edit that entry); child taxa considered a synonym have an arrow pointed to the name for which they are currently considered to be a a synonym:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

      5.) On the ‘Taxonomic Status’ tab, you can change the immediate parent of a name, edit the reason why other names are considered synonyms … and\/or …<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

      … you can change which name is ‘accepted’ and which one considered a synonym:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

      In this particular case several subspecies, varieties, or forms of Buellia spuria<\/em> are listed as ‘accepted’. You cannot change the parent (Buellia spuria<\/em>) to ‘not accepted’ if some children taxa (subspecies, varieties, or forms) are listed as ‘accepted’. The logic of this restriction: if the parent is not accepted, any children cannot be accepted either.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      However, this restriction is problematic:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

      It is not unusual that a name that is ‘not accepted’ has various children (subspecies, varieties, or forms) for which the taxonomic status is ‘unresolved’, i.e., it is not known whether this particular subspecies, varieties, or form should be considered a synonym of a different taxon. The Taxonomic Thesaurus in Symbiota is insofar limited; per default it treats any name as ‘accepted’ unless it has been designated a ‘synonym’. Names cannot currently be designated as ‘unresolved’.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Workaround: <\/strong>First, make sure all children taxa (subspecies, varieties, or forms) are listed as synonym of the name to be designated the newly accepted name, then change the status of the currently accepted name to a synonym of the newly accepted name. Then change the status of the children taxa that should be considered ‘unresolved’ back to ‘accepted’. Now you created a situation where the parent is ‘not accepted’ as a synonym, but some children are listed as ‘accepted’ and thus de facto remain unresolved.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      _______________________________________________________________________________________<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      How to deal with Synonyms<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

      \u2191 back to the top<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Taxonomy keeps changing and frequently names previously considered a synonym turn out to be good names that should be accepted:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      (1) For example, the Australian Checklist might consider that Buellia amblyogona<\/em> M\u00fcll. Arg. should not be considered a synonym of Buellia spuria<\/em> (Schaer.) Anzi:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

      Be careful:<\/strong> There are several ‘pitfalls’ here, how the existing taxonomy can easily be messed up. <\/p>\n\n\n\n