Frequently Asked Questions

Where the data comes from, how to cite it, how to contribute records and how taxonomic names are handled.

What is the Melastomataceae World Database?

It is an open-access platform aggregating taxonomic, ecological, molecular and distribution data for the Melastomataceae family — one of the largest flowering plant families, with roughly 5,000 species across more than 150 genera.

Where does the data come from?

Occurrence records come from GBIF, DNA sequences from NCBI GenBank, and names are reconciled against Plants of the World Online (Kew) and Tropicos. Publication metadata comes from Crossref. Every record keeps its original identifier so it can be traced back to its source.

How do I cite data from this platform?

Cite the original dataset or accession for any record you use — the GBIF dataset, the GenBank accession, or the publication — and cite this platform for the aggregation. Each species page links directly to its GBIF and GenBank records so the primary source is one click away.

Can I contribute my own data?

Yes, and the most useful route depends on the data. Occurrence records should be published to GBIF through your institution so they appear here at the next sync; sequences should be submitted to NCBI GenBank. Corrections to existing records go to contact@melastomataceae.org.

Can I download the data for offline use?

Yes. The download centre provides species tables, occurrence datasets and sequence alignments. Each species page also links back to its original GBIF and GenBank records if you need the primary data.

How often is the data updated?

GBIF occurrence data is synchronised monthly, GenBank sequences weekly, conservation assessments quarterly, and the curated literature index monthly.

What molecular markers are available?

We index every Melastomataceae sequence in GenBank, including ITS, rbcL, matK, trnL-trnF, ndhF and whole plastomes. Coverage is uneven across the family and is stated per species.

How do I report a bug or an error?

Email contact@melastomataceae.org with the page URL and a description of the problem. For factual errors, include the source that shows the correct information — corrections are triaged within five working days.

Who maintains this database?

It is an independent, open-access project maintained by a small group of botanists and developers. It is not affiliated with GBIF, NCBI, Kew or the IUCN, and it republishes their data with attribution rather than claiming it as its own.

Why are some species pages excluded from search engines?

Because a page whose only content is a name and a handful of fields does not answer a question, and publishing thousands of those is what search engines classify as scaled content. Those pages stay browsable for people using the database, but they are not submitted for indexing.

Still stuck? Contact us.