ActKey: a Web-based interactive identification key program

Interactive keys are useful multiple-entry identification tools for science. A web-based program called ActKey (URL: http://flora.huh.harvard.edu:8080/actkey/) was developed to enable online, ready-access to interactive identification keys. A number of keys have been imported into a centralized, relational database, and are now available for the floras of China, North America, Madagascar, Borneo, and the world. Plants from more than 40 of the largest genera of China can be identified using ActKey. Datasets containing taxa and their characters can be imported from a variety of database formats and updated by taxonomic specialists and editors.