Palma-1.0 Dataset

Comprehensive Database of Global Palm Species

Palma-1.0 is a comprehensive exploration of palm species, including the PalmTraits 1.0 dataset enriched with data from GBIF, iNaturalist, Wikimedia Commons, and Plants of the World Online (POWO).

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Dataset Overview

Palma-1.0 contains comprehensive data on 2,557 palm species across 181 genera. The dataset combines morphological traits, taxonomic classification, geographic distribution, and detailed fruit characteristics, enhanced with information from multiple authoritative sources.

Key Statistics

• 2,557 Species - Comprehensive coverage of palm biodiversity
• 181 Genera - Representing the taxonomic breadth of the Arecaceae family
• 120+ Countries - Global distribution across tropical and subtropical regions
• 35 Variables - Covering taxonomy, morphology, geography, and fruit characteristics

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Dataset Structure

The dataset is organized into several major categories of variables:

1. Taxonomy

Variable	Description	Example
SpecName	Complete scientific name of the species	Acanthophoenix crinita
accGenus	Taxonomic genus	Acanthophoenix
accSpecies	Species epithet	crinita
PalmTribe	Taxonomic tribe	Areceae
PalmSubfamily	Subfamily within Arecaceae	Arecoideae

2. Native Zone & Common Names

Variable	Description	Example
NativeRegion	Primary native geographic region	EC. & SE. Réunion
CommonNamesEN	Common names in English	Everglades palm, paurotis palm
CommonNamesFR	Common names in French	Palmiste rouge, Palmiste boure
CommonNamesSP	Common names in Spanish	tasiste
Photos	URLs to species photographs	[URL links to images]
PhotoReferences	Attribution for photographs	(c) Aurélien Bour, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)

3. Growth & Habit

Variable	Description	Example
Climbing	Climbing growth habit (0/1)	0
Acaulescent	Without an above-ground stem (0/1)	0
Erect	Upright growth pattern (0/1)	1
StemSolitary	Single stem vs. clustering (0/1)	1
StemArmed	Presence of spines on stem (0/1)	1
MaxStemHeight_m	Maximum height (m)	15
MaxStemDia_cm	Maximum stem diameter (cm)	20
UnderstoreyCanopy	Growth position in forest structure	canopy

4. Leaf Characteristics

Variable	Description	Example
LeavesArmed	Presence of spines on leaves (0/1)	1
MaxLeafNumber	Maximum number of leaves	15
Max_Blade_Length_m	Maximum leaf blade length (m)	2.3
Max_Rachis_Length_m	Maximum rachis length (m)	3
Max_Petiole_length_m	Maximum petiole length (m)	0.65

5. Fruit Characteristics

Variable	Description	Example
AverageFruitLength_cm	Average fruit length (cm)	0.65
MinFruitLength_cm	Minimum fruit length (cm)	0.6
MaxFruitLength_cm	Maximum fruit length (cm)	0.7
AverageFruitWidth_cm	Average fruit width (cm)	0.5
MinFruitWidth_cm	Minimum fruit width (cm)	0.5
MaxFruitWidth_cm	Maximum fruit width (cm)	0.9
FruitSizeCategorical	Categorical fruit size	small
FruitShape	Fruit shape description	ovoid
FruitColorDescription	Detailed description of fruit colors	black
MainFruitColors	Dominant colors of ripe fruit	black
Conspicuousness	Visibility of the fruit	cryptic

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Data Sources

Primary Dataset

• PalmTraits 1.0: The foundational dataset containing morphological and ecological data for palm species worldwide.

Enrichment Sources

1. GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility)

   • Over 1.8 million palm observations
   • Provides occurrence data and taxonomic information

2. iNaturalist

   • Over 250,000 palm observations
   • Citizen science platform with photo documentation

3. POWO (Plants of the World Online)

   • Definitive source for accepted taxonomy
   • Maintained by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

4. Wikimedia Commons

   • Repository of CC-licensed palm images
   • Used for visual documentation of species

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Methodology

The dataset was developed through the following process:

1. Data Collection

   • Primary data extracted from PalmTraits 1.0
   • Enriched with API queries to GBIF, iNaturalist, and POWO

2. Taxonomic Harmonization

   • Reference taxonomy from POWO used as standard
   • Resolution of synonymies and taxonomic inconsistencies

3. Validation and Cleaning

   • Rigorous validation to identify and correct outliers
   • Manual verification of inconsistent records using scientific literature

4. Geospatial Enrichment

   • Addition of environmental information from global geospatial layers
   • Characterization of ecological niches

5. Analysis and Visualization

   • Statistical methods applied to explore patterns
   • Visualization of distribution and trait relationships

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Available Formats

The dataset is available in multiple formats:

• CSV (comma-separated values)
• JSON (JavaScript Object Notation)
• Plain text

All available for download from the Palma Encyclopedia Website in the Dataset section, or directly from this repository.

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Citation

If you use this dataset in your research, please cite:

Palma-1.0: A global database of palm functional traits, based on PalmTraits 1.0 and enhanced with GBIF, 
iNaturalist, Wikimedia Commons and POWO data (2025). Encyclopedia of Palms Project.

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License

This dataset is made available under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC 4.0).

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Contact

For questions, suggestions, or collaboration inquiries, please open an issue in this repository or contact:

Email: contact@kitsuiwebster.com Twitter: @kitsuiwebster