© Sid Verma
Ever wished you knew the name of some of the plants you pass on your Sunday stroll? Perhaps you’d like to impress your friends with the botanical names for some of your favourite flowers in your local park? The PlantNet app gives you the knowledge you need at your fingertips.
Targeted at everyone from the general public to botanists, ecologists and researchers, the PlantNet app uses photo identification and requires you to isolate specific ‘organs’ of the plant in your image. For example the stem, the leaf, the fruit or the flower.
(Left) © Rodion Kutseav; (Right) © Mona Eendra
The app works using data collected by a social network of users that regularly collect samples, adding to an enormous database of plant visuals. It relies on the community to score, validate and filter the data to keep improving the quality of images and the accuracy of information, with the best visuals integrated into the tool.
If you can’t identify your plant with the app immediately, wait a day or two, and you will have your answer thanks to the PlantNet community. It’s Citizen Science at its best and an opportunity for everyone to contribute to the collective knowledge of each plant species.
© Grant Ritchie
With millions of people observing and recording plant species on their phones, this app is bound to become a powerful tool for ecology in the future.