You may enter the search by choosing any taxonomic level, image type, or character type. Type in the taxon or character to be searched for in the appropriate box in the first query screen, or select from the pull-down menus in the second query screen. You may select one, or any combination of items from any pulldown menu (by holding the “shift” key while clicking on entries of choice).

We recommend that you begin your search with a taxon – either tribe or genus.

After making initial selection, you may click on any other field button below your initial selection to further focus your selection. OR you may select the “All” button to display a list of all the images consistent with the choice you have made..

Subsequent picklists will only show choices for query that are consistent with previous query choices. For example, if only habitus images are available for a taxon chosen, the “character type” picklist will only display “habitus” as a choice.

NOTE: you must choose at least 1 entry in each menu that you display before sending the query. That is, you cannot pull down a menu and, without making a choice, click on the “All” button to display a list of all the images in the picklist. In order to get a list of all the images indicated in a picklist , click on the “All” button of the previous search screen – in which the selected query has been highlighted.

As an example: Suppose you have chosen the genus “Gansia” in the “genus’ screen. You then wish to know what kinds of “characters” are represented by images for this genus. After opening the “character type” pull down menu, you find that you actually want to see all of the images for all the characters indicated in this list. You must click on the “All” button for the “genus” query in which the genus “Gansia” is selected (the last selection that you made)– NOT the “All” button on the “character type” query (because you have not made any selection in the “character type” menu).

Once you have selected the characteristics of the images you want to see, click on “submit Query”. The result will be a list of all the images that fit your query choices. You may choose any one, or any combination (by holding the “shift” while clicking on images of choice) by checking the box at the left of the image, or you may choose to display all the images by choosing the “display all” button.