SeedPOD User Guides

1. Open Explore the Data from the menu.
2. If you are not signed in, select Login and use the details supplied to you by the SeedPOD team. Login details are currently issued only to approved users.
3. If signing in takes you to Home, return to Explore the Data.
4. Use a search card to find records, or select Open SeedPOD database without any filters below the cards to browse the grid before entering criteria.

Read the SeedPOD Terms of Use before using the database. After opening the grid, check the filter summary and clear any earlier conditions if you want to start again.

On Explore the Data, choose the circle beside the search heading you want:

• Search Species: look up species records and scientific names.
• Search Seed Accessions: find seed-accession records held by participating collections.
• Search Germination Tests: find germination and viability test records. Results open in the Seed Tests grid.
• Search Seed Collection Events: find field collection records. Results open in the Collection Events grid.

1. In the selected card, type all or part of a scientific name into Species name contains. This looks for the text anywhere in the combined name, not just at the beginning.
2. Optionally choose a Family. Leave All families selected to search by name alone. To search a family alone, leave the name box empty and select the family.
3. If you enter both a name and a family, records must match both. The available family list can differ between search types.
4. Select Search, or press Enter in the name box. Wait for the results and filter summary to finish updating.

Enter a name or choose a family before searching. The name box does not currently offer autocomplete: type your text directly, then select Search. For advanced expressions, use the column filters described in topic 6a.

Clear empties the selected card. Choosing a different search card also clears the previous entries; the other cards stay disabled. These actions change the form on Explore the Data. To remove filters from results already displayed in a grid, use the grid's clear-filter controls (topic 7).

1. Select Search Species, enter rub in the name box and leave Family set to All families.
2. Select Search. The Species grid opens with rub in the CalcFullName column filter.
3. Inspect a few names and the filter summary below the grid. A contains search can match names such as Rubus saxatilis and Cyperus rubicundus; it is not restricted to the genus Rubus.

The screenshot shows 6,697 of 434,249 species records for that example. These are sample-data totals from the screenshot, not fixed counts. Search Term: none does not mean your card search was ignored: the name and family conditions appear under Grid Filters.

The status text calcfullname LIKE '%rub%' describes the contains filter. You do not need to type that expression. To narrow the results further, add a compatible column filter; to broaden them, remove an existing condition.

Open the table dropdown above the results. Its label shows the current grid, such as Species. Choose another table to explore it while keeping the species-name and family filters from your search.

• Species: start here to look up plant names and their taxonomic information.
• Collection Events: use this for information about a collection made in the field, such as where and when it was collected.
• Seed Accessions: use this for records of seed held as accessions or lots.
• Seed Tests: use this for test records associated with seed, including germination or viability information where supplied.

Changing tables here keeps your search filters; choosing another search card on Explore the Data clears your form entries. The tables contain different kinds of records, so their columns and totals differ. Wait for the new table to finish updating, then check Grid Filters and the count. A filter can remain active even when its column is not currently visible.

The example now shows 354 of 18,294 test records. This is a count of tests, not a count of species. Switching tables does not mean that every record belongs to the one row you had selected: use collection or accession identifiers when following a particular seed lot.

In Collection Events, a collector's number helps distinguish one collection from another. In Seed Accessions, keep the accession identifier alongside the plant name and country. In Seed Tests, several rows can refer to the same accession because it has been tested more than once. Compare the test identifiers and dates rather than treating these rows as duplicates.

Each row is a record in the selected grid. Each column is a field, such as a family name, identifier or date. The boxes immediately below the column headings are filters.

• Scroll inside the results to move through records. Allow the next rows to load before continuing.
• Use the horizontal scroll bar at the bottom of the grid to reach columns on the right.
• The information below the grid shows the total and any active Search Term, Grid Filters or Grid Sort Order. Check it when the results are unexpected.
• A greyed-out toolbar button may need a selected cell or record before it can be used. Select a relevant row and check again.

A larger screen makes wide grids easier to use. On a small screen, show fewer columns and scroll within the grid rather than reducing the text until it is difficult to read.

1. Select Column Manager in the toolbar.
2. Find the fields you want and use their checkboxes to choose which columns are shown.
3. Select Column Manager again to close the panel and give the results more space.
4. Scroll across the grid if a chosen column is outside the visible area.

Start with a small set: an identifier, plant name and the fields relevant to your question. Add more as needed. Hiding a column does not delete its data, and it should not be used as a way to clear a filter. Check Grid Filters separately.

1. Choose the Species grid.
2. Find an appropriate column. For example, GenusName holds the genus, SpeciesName the species epithet, and CalcFullName the combined name.
3. Enter the name into the filter below that column. If a filter menu is available, check the matching option, such as contains or equals, before applying it.
4. Press Enter, then wait for the results to update and check that the returned names match what you intended.

For example, to look for species in Juniperus, start with Juniperus in the GenusName filter. This is an example to try, not a guarantee that every species in that genus is represented.

If you find nothing, check spelling, clear other filters and try the genus alone. A plant may be listed under a synonym or an earlier identification. The current sample data do not represent complete coverage.

1. Choose a column relevant to your question and enter a value in its filter box.
2. Check the filter menu where available. A text match, a number comparison and a date comparison serve different purposes.
3. Press Enter to apply the filter. Wait for the grid to update, then inspect the count and a few returned rows.
4. Add a filter in another column to narrow the results further. Keep checking the active filters so that you know what is limiting the results.

Use a date or numeric field when you want to compare dates or quantities. Do not assume a blank value means zero. If a filter removes everything, clear the most recent condition first and check that the value belongs in that field.

For a value already visible in the grid, select its cell and use Filter on selected value. Check the resulting filter before adding another condition.

Write down the grid, fields and conditions if you need to repeat the search later.

Select the filter box below the relevant column heading, type an expression and press Enter. Wait for the results to update, then check Grid Filters below the grid to see the condition that was applied. Clear the previous filter before trying a different example.

Each example applies to the column you type it into. For plant-name examples, use a text column such as GenusName or CalcFullName. For number comparisons, use a numeric column such as NumberSown in Seed Tests.

Check the whole field: an ends-with search in CalcFullName checks the end of the displayed full name. An author name or other text after the species epithet can affect the match. Use SpeciesName if your question concerns only the epithet.

In this example, the status line shows calcfullname LIKE '%rus'. This is the database's description of the filter; you do not need to type that expression. The screenshot shows 117 matches out of 434,249 records at that time, rather than 117 records in the entire database.

To combine terms in one filter box, put AND or OR between them, in uppercase, with a space on each side.

• AND narrows the match: try Pinus AND nigra in CalcFullName to look for values containing both terms.
• OR allows alternatives: try Juniperus OR Pinus in GenusName to look for either genus.

Press Enter and inspect the resulting rows and Grid Filters description. These examples act within the selected column. They do not search every field in a record.

Across columns: adding a filter in a second column narrows the existing results further. For example, a family filter and a genus filter must describe compatible records. Remember to clear the first condition if you intend to start a different search.

Try one condition first, then add another. If you get no results, check the spelling, field choice and other active filters before concluding that the data are absent.

Different controls clear different parts of your search:

• Clear the search term filter removes the search term, if one is active.
• Clear all grid filter row filters removes the column conditions, including name and family filters applied by the Explore the Data search cards.
• Clear applied grid sort order removes sorting. Sorting changes the order of records; it does not remove a filter.

To start again, clear any active search term and grid filters, then check the labels below the grid. Changing a plant name in one box will not necessarily remove conditions in other columns.

Select a sortable column heading to order the records by that field. Check the sort arrow and Grid Sort Order to see which ordering is applied. Use Clear applied grid sort order to remove it.

To explore the values in a field, select a cell in that column and use View a column summary. Read the displayed field name and any active filters before interpreting the summary.

Counts refer to records in the selected context. A count of test or accession records is not automatically a count of species, individual seeds or available lots.

1. Select the row you want to examine.
2. Select View all available record data in the toolbar.
3. Check the displayed name and identifier to make sure you are reading the intended record.
4. Read the source, dates, methods and any conditions or notes before using the information.

Keep the record identifier as well as the plant name when contacting us about a result. Several records can share the same name. When comparing grids, use the relevant collection or accession identifiers where provided; similar names alone do not establish that two rows refer to the same material.

A heading or cell ending in an ellipsis (…) is shortened to fit the column. Use Column Manager to identify the field, and the record-details view to read the available value. Short numeric dates can be ambiguous: check the date format before interpreting a value such as 5/2/2008.

Select a record, then use View record images to inspect any linked images. A message saying that no images are available refers to that record; it does not mean that the search has failed. Check image credits and permissions before reusing an image.

Display map data opens a map beside the grid. In the Seed Accessions example below, 499 records are available and 129 are mappable and mapped; not every record has usable coordinates.

1. Choose a table, such as Seed Accessions, and narrow the results with filters if needed. Select Display map data in the toolbar.
2. Use the + and - buttons to zoom and drag the map to move around. Switch between Map and Satellite using the controls at the top left.
3. Check the Info tab and the Available, Mappable and Mapped counts. Options and Marker Styles provide further display settings.
4. Close the Map tab with its X to return to the full-width grid. If an error occurs, follow the hard-refresh guidance in topic 16; filters may reset.

A record without a displayed location is not evidence that the species is absent from an area. Coordinates may be missing or withheld, and the dataset may not cover that area. Check location accuracy before using a mapped point for planning.

Select the species or accession row you want to investigate. The toolbar may then offer links to services such as Plants of the World Online, IPNI, GBIF and Genesys. Pause over a button to read its label and check whether it uses a name or an identifier.

These links are not available for every species or record. Availability depends on the selected record, the table and the names or identifiers supplied. A greyed-out icon may remain unavailable after selecting a row; it does not mean that your search failed.

Check the name and record returned by the other service. A name search can return several matches, and an external record may describe a different collection. Each service has its own coverage and terms of use.

1. Choose the correct grid and narrow the results to the records you need.
2. Check the active filters and record count. Downloads are limited to 5,000 records.
3. Select Export data to Excel.
4. Read the Download Agreement and the linked SeedPOD Terms of Use. Choose I Agree only if you accept them, or Cancel to return to the grid.
5. Follow any remaining download options and check your browser's downloads list for the file.
6. Open the file and check its columns, identifiers and number of records before using it.

Do not assume that highlighting one row means only that row will be exported. Check the options shown and the downloaded file. Keep identifiers, provider attribution and accompanying notes with the data.

For larger datasets or permission to use data outside the Terms of Use, contact seedpod@kew.org. Do not split a larger request into repeated downloads to bypass the limit.

The current records are test/sample data and should not be cited as research data.

When working with released data, keep the provider's attribution, record identifiers, access date and any supplied citation or use conditions. Record the grid and filters used so that you can explain how you selected the records. Follow the Terms of Use when using or sharing data.

Downloading a record does not request or reserve seed. Read Native Seed Supply for guidance on contacting the custodian and preparing a material request. Confirm availability, provenance, suitability and transfer conditions directly with the organisation holding the material.

Use Tab and Shift + Tab to move between page controls. Use the skip link to reach the main content. On these guide headings, press Enter or Space to open or close an accordion.

On the search cards, Tab to the search-type choices and use the arrow keys to select a card. Tab through its name field, family dropdown and buttons. Enter in the name field submits the active search. Selecting a different card clears the previous entries.

Within the grid, arrow keys can move between cells. At a filter cell, Enter can move into its input and Escape can return to the cell. Keyboard behaviour varies between grid controls, and some controls still have accessibility limitations.

If a control cannot be reached, understood or operated, contact seedpod@kew.org with the page and task you were trying to complete. See the Accessibility statement for known limitations and help obtaining information.

• A search card is greyed out: select the circle beside its heading. Only one card can be filled in at a time.
• The family list is unavailable: search by species name alone, or reopen Explore the Data to try loading the list again.
• No results: check the selected grid, spelling and active filters. If you combined a name and family, try the name with All families first. Remove one condition at a time, or clear the search term and grid filters to start again.
• A column is missing: check Column Manager, then use the grid's horizontal scroll bar.
• A button is unavailable: select a relevant cell or row. Some tools depend on the selected field or on data being present.
• The total differs between grids: check whether you are counting species, collection events, accessions or tests. These are not interchangeable.
• The total is larger than the rows on screen: the visible rows are only part of the grid. Scroll within the results to browse further.
• A familiar species is absent: try another name and check the filters. The current sample dataset is incomplete.

1. If the grid is loading, give it a moment to finish. Avoid repeatedly selecting the same tool.
2. Make a note of your grid and filters before refreshing, if you can. They may be reset when the page reloads.
3. Try a hard refresh to reload the page without using cached content:
   • Chrome, Edge or Firefox on Windows: press Ctrl + Shift + R.
   • Chrome or Firefox on Mac: press Command + Shift + R.
   • On a phone or tablet: use the browser's Reload option. If that does not help, close the tab and reopen SeedPOD.
4. If necessary, sign in again and reopen the grid through Explore the Data.
5. If the same action still causes an error, stop repeating it and contact us with the details below.

A refresh may help with a page that has stopped responding or is showing an older version. It will not fix every problem, including errors on the server.

Email seedpod@kew.org with the page address, approximate time, browser and device, selected grid, and the steps that caused the problem. Include the error message or a screenshot if possible. Do not include your password or confidential information.