I think that what you have proposed is a wiki for what is called a botanical
key. Botanical keys exist now. They work fine for experts but they're too
complicated for most people. The details that distinguish one plant from
another are often technical or depend on looking at the flower of the plant.
Most people (including me) don't know the technical identifying aspects of
plants or the words to describe them, and flowers are often not available.
Your idea might work for a limited number of plants, the ones that people
often ask about, especially if pictures were included.

Andrew

"Mr. Bill" wrote in message
.. .
What are your thoughts on something like this?

Wouldn't it be nice to have a plant sample in hand and be able to input
the
charachteristics of the plant to identify it?

Start with a blank template. Choose the most basic trait i.e. evergreen
or
deciduous (check one)
Grows outdoors in zone X.

Now we have eliminated either deciduous or evergreen plants (whichever was
not chosen) right there we elimintaed thousands of plants.

By choosing the zone the plant grows in outdoors we have eliminated all
plants that absolutely will NOT grow in that zone; i.e. a plant that olny
grows in the tropics will not survive in USDA zone 2. ( I think you see
what I am getting at...)

What are your thoughts on something like this? I always see "can you help
me ID this plant" postings here and had this seed of a thought so I
thought
to plant it here and see what might grow out of it...


Mr. Bill