Frequently Asked Questions

What is Flora e Funga do Brasil?

Flora e Funga do Brasil (FFB) is the taxonomic checklist that documents Brazil’s plant, algal, and fungal diversity — the richest in the world. Maintained by the Rio de Janeiro Botanical Garden and curated collaboratively by hundreds of taxonomists, it records accepted names, synonyms, taxonomic classification, geographic distribution, endemism, life form, habitat, and vegetation type for every documented species.

What can I use floraR for?

The floraR package lets researchers and taxonomists download, parse, filter, and explore the Flora e Funga do Brasil checklist directly from R. You can browse the checklist by taxonomic, geographic, or trait-based criteria, resolve your own species name lists against it (with fuzzy matching for typos), explore the taxonomic hierarchy, and curate new records for contribution back to FFB. Beyond retrieving data, it helps taxonomists expand the FFB monographs: flora_species_gap() finds species recorded in Brazil - by Plants of the World Online distributions or by type specimens collected in Brazil (GBIF) - that FFB does not list yet, and flora_distribution_gap() finds Brazilian states with specimen evidence missing from a taxon’s FFB distribution.

Does floraR cover fungi?

No. floraR works with the plant and algal data of Flora e Funga do Brasil. For fungi, use its companion package fungaR.

Do I need a list of species names to use floraR?

No. flora_records() lets you browse and filter the FFB checklist directly (e.g. all accepted species in a family, or all endemics in a given state) without providing any input names. If you already have your own species list — from a herbarium, field survey, or collaborator — flora_search() and flora_match() resolve those names against the checklist instead, with exact matching first and fuzzy (Levenshtein-distance) matching as a fallback for typos.

Does floraR require an internet connection?

Only the first time you query a given dataset version. flora_download() and flora_parse() fetch and cache the versioned Darwin Core Archive locally, and every other function reuses that cache automatically, so repeated queries and offline analysis work without a new download. The exceptions are the curation tools flora_species_gap() and flora_distribution_gap(), which query online sources (GBIF, and ChecklistBank if chosen) every time they run.

How do I install floraR?

Visit the Get Started guide for installation instructions from GitHub.

Is floraR free to use?

Yes. floraR is open source, licensed under the MIT License.

Is this website available in Portuguese?

Yes. Every page has an EN/PT toggle in the navigation bar. Once you switch languages, the choice is remembered for the rest of your visit — you won’t need to switch again as you navigate between pages.

What output can floraR generate?

floraR returns tidy data frames (and, for flora_parse(), a structured list of DwC-A tables) ready for downstream analysis. flora_records() and flora_get_children_taxa() can also save results directly to CSV, and flora_build_matrix() produces a taxon-by-character trait matrix from the controlled descriptions, or a taxon-by-organ matrix from the free descriptions, for comparative or phylogenetic analyses. The curation tools flora_species_gap() and flora_distribution_gap() also save an .xlsx spreadsheet and a self-contained, interactive HTML report of their results.

Who is the developer of floraR?

Development is led by JBRJ, with financial support from CNPq and FINEP. Main developer:

Domingos Cardoso (@DBOSlab)

View the code and contribute on GitHub: https://github.com/DBOSlab/floraR

Why the name floraR?

The name pairs “Flora” — for Flora e Funga do Brasil, the checklist it interfaces with — with the R programming language, reflecting the package’s goal of making the national checklist directly and reproducibly accessible from R.

Where can I report bugs or request features?

Submit issues on GitHub: floraR Issues.

Where can I ask questions and discuss floraR?

Join our community via GitHub Discussions to ask questions, suggest ideas, or help others.

How does floraR relate to Flora e Funga do Brasil?

The floraR package is a programmatic interface to the Flora e Funga do Brasil IPT data portal: it downloads, parses, and queries the same checklist data published on the platform, and also helps taxonomic experts prepare new names and records for contribution back to it.

Can I contribute new names or records to Flora e Funga do Brasil?

Yes. floraR includes tools specifically to help taxonomic experts expand FFB: flora_species_gap() lists species recorded in Brazil but missing from FFB, flora_distribution_gap() lists candidate new state records, and flora_get_descriptions() and flora_build_matrix() pull controlled-field and free-text descriptions from existing FFB taxon pages and turn them into a comparable trait matrix. To submit new names or corrections to the platform itself, see the contribution guidelines at floradobrasil.jbrj.gov.br/consulta or contact the FFB coordination team at floraefungadobrasil@jbrj.gov.br.

--- title: "Frequently Asked Questions" format: html: toc: true --- <style> body { background-image: url('/figures/ffb-background.png'); background-repeat: repeat-y; background-size: cover; background-attachment: fixed; background-position: top center; position: relative; z-index: 0; } .background-overlay { position: fixed; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.85); z-index: -1; } </style> ### What is Flora e Funga do Brasil? Flora e Funga do Brasil (FFB) is the taxonomic checklist that documents Brazil's plant, algal, and fungal diversity — the richest in the world. Maintained by the Rio de Janeiro Botanical Garden and curated collaboratively by hundreds of taxonomists, it records accepted names, synonyms, taxonomic classification, geographic distribution, endemism, life form, habitat, and vegetation type for every documented species. ### What can I use floraR for? The `floraR` package lets researchers and taxonomists download, parse, filter, and explore the [Flora e Funga do Brasil](https://floradobrasil.jbrj.gov.br/consulta/) checklist directly from R. You can browse the checklist by taxonomic, geographic, or trait-based criteria, resolve your own species name lists against it (with fuzzy matching for typos), explore the taxonomic hierarchy, and curate new records for contribution back to FFB. Beyond retrieving data, it helps taxonomists expand the FFB monographs: `flora_species_gap()` finds species recorded in Brazil - by Plants of the World Online distributions or by type specimens collected in Brazil (GBIF) - that FFB does not list yet, and `flora_distribution_gap()` finds Brazilian states with specimen evidence missing from a taxon's FFB distribution. ### Does floraR cover fungi? No. `floraR` works with the plant and algal data of Flora e Funga do Brasil. For fungi, use its companion package [fungaR](https://dboslab.github.io/fungaR-website/). ### Do I need a list of species names to use floraR? No. `flora_records()` lets you browse and filter the FFB checklist directly (e.g. all accepted species in a family, or all endemics in a given state) without providing any input names. If you already have your own species list — from a herbarium, field survey, or collaborator — `flora_search()` and `flora_match()` resolve those names against the checklist instead, with exact matching first and fuzzy (Levenshtein-distance) matching as a fallback for typos. ### Does floraR require an internet connection? Only the first time you query a given dataset version. `flora_download()` and `flora_parse()` fetch and cache the versioned Darwin Core Archive locally, and every other function reuses that cache automatically, so repeated queries and offline analysis work without a new download. The exceptions are the curation tools `flora_species_gap()` and `flora_distribution_gap()`, which query online sources (GBIF, and ChecklistBank if chosen) every time they run. ### How do I install floraR? Visit the [Get Started guide](/get-started/index.qmd) for installation instructions from GitHub. ### Is floraR free to use? Yes. `floraR` is open source, licensed under the [MIT License](https://opensource.org/license/mit/). ### Is this website available in Portuguese? Yes. Every page has an EN/PT toggle in the navigation bar. Once you switch languages, the choice is remembered for the rest of your visit — you won't need to switch again as you navigate between pages. ### What output can floraR generate? `floraR` returns tidy data frames (and, for `flora_parse()`, a structured list of DwC-A tables) ready for downstream analysis. `flora_records()` and `flora_get_children_taxa()` can also save results directly to CSV, and `flora_build_matrix()` produces a taxon-by-character trait matrix from the controlled descriptions, or a taxon-by-organ matrix from the free descriptions, for comparative or phylogenetic analyses. The curation tools `flora_species_gap()` and `flora_distribution_gap()` also save an `.xlsx` spreadsheet and a self-contained, interactive HTML report of their results. ### Who is the developer of floraR? Development is led by [JBRJ](https://www.gov.br/jbrj/pt-br), with financial support from [CNPq](https://www.gov.br/cnpq/pt-br) and [FINEP](http://www.finep.gov.br). Main developer: - Domingos Cardoso ([\@DBOSlab](https://github.com/DBOSlab)) View the code and contribute on GitHub: [https://github.com/DBOSlab/floraR](https://github.com/DBOSlab/floraR) ### Why the name floraR? The name pairs "Flora" — for Flora e Funga do Brasil, the checklist it interfaces with — with the R programming language, reflecting the package's goal of making the national checklist directly and reproducibly accessible from R. ### Where can I report bugs or request features? Submit issues on GitHub: [floraR Issues](https://github.com/DBOSlab/floraR/issues). ### Where can I ask questions and discuss floraR? Join our community via [GitHub Discussions](https://github.com/DBOSlab/floraR/discussions) to ask questions, suggest ideas, or help others. ### How does floraR relate to Flora e Funga do Brasil? The `floraR` package is a programmatic interface to the Flora e Funga do Brasil IPT data portal: it downloads, parses, and queries the same checklist data published on the platform, and also helps taxonomic experts prepare new names and records for contribution back to it. ### Can I contribute new names or records to Flora e Funga do Brasil? Yes. `floraR` includes tools specifically to help taxonomic experts expand FFB: `flora_species_gap()` lists species recorded in Brazil but missing from FFB, `flora_distribution_gap()` lists candidate new state records, and `flora_get_descriptions()` and `flora_build_matrix()` pull controlled-field and free-text descriptions from existing FFB taxon pages and turn them into a comparable trait matrix. To submit new names or corrections to the platform itself, see the contribution guidelines at [floradobrasil.jbrj.gov.br/consulta](https://floradobrasil.jbrj.gov.br/consulta/) or contact the FFB coordination team at **floraefungadobrasil\@jbrj.gov.br**.