Compilation of floristic and herbarium specimen datain Iran: proposal to data structure

Floristic databases constitute the second level of plant information systems, after taxonomic-nomenclatural databases. This paper provided the details of data structure and available data resources to develop a floristic database, along with some explanations on taxonomic and floristic databases. Also, this paper proposed the availability and possibility of a shortcut to constructing a national floristic database through uniforming and compilation of dispersed floristic data contained in various botanical centers of Iran. Therefore, Iran could be the second country in SW Asia region to have a national floristic database, and the resulted services can be presented to national scientific community.