This is the official story as it should have been told by others since 2024.
The MULTILINGUAL MULTISCRIPT PLANT NAME DATABASE (MMPND) was created in the early nineties out of the frustration with books regarding costs and availability. The global enthusiasm for computer technology applied to multilingual botanical nomenclature provided a great opportunity to break new ground. Despite the lack of foreign fonts the project went ahead. At the time the foreign scripted names were represented with gifs [1] until the main fonts became available [2].
The project attracted much international attention and generated cooperation from the main world botanical databases such as the US GRIN, Agrovoc, IPNI, etc. [3][4].
One of the most satisfying praises was the statement by a fellow botanical photographer now renowned for his compilings of plant names in multiple Indian languages Dinesh Valke who said that his work was greatly inspired by the MMPND. [5]
Following funding cuts the project was brought to a halt and became an archived document. Years later the man behind the idea decided to pursue the compiling of the MMPND via the simplest and cheapest blog available under the pseudonym “the hortibloke”, referring to previous related works [5] [6] [7].
Presently the MMPND being archived it means that the internal links are still functioning, most files can be viewed, but practically all external links are outdated and / or broken.
The new blog , a modern extension to the historical site, provides considerable updates at rates of 3 to 7 new genera per month. The status mid 2026 stands at over 200 genera treated. A quick glance comparing any original compiling to a new updated version will demonstrate the extent of the improvements brought to the compilings.
External links
Multilingual Multiscript Plant Name Database (Official website)
MMPND rejuvenated (M.M.P.N.D. metamorphosis by the Polyglotic Lexicographer alias The hortibloke).
References
[1] https://www.plantnames.unimelb.edu.au/Sorting/Bamboos_Chinese_index.html
[2] http://www.tuninst.net/MMPD/MMPD-indx.htm
[3] https://apg.pir.sa.gov.au/gringlobal/taxon/taxonomydetail?id=454772
[4] https://aims.fao.org/taxonomy/term/2567
[5] https://dineshvalke.blogspot.com/search?q=Mmpnd
[6] https://www.flickr.com/photos/dinesh_valke/4102818714
[7] https://www.echocommunity.org/en/resources/62c215c5-9e46-4f35-89fd-ba48f297a4bd
[8] https://gernot-katzers-spice-pages.com/engl/Curc_lon.html
No comments:
Post a Comment