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Trefle

App · Research & Academia · 14 actions

Look up plants in Trefle, an open botanical database of the world's plants: search by common or scientific name, get a plant's classification, edible parts, flower colours, bloom months, growth habit, soil and light needs, pictures and native range, list the plants native to or introduced in a country or state, filter by trait, and see which source each value came from. Needs a free Trefle access token.

Actions

ActionWhat it does
Get a distribution zoneGet one distribution zone by name, code or link: its level, how many species Trefle records there, the zone it is part of and the zones inside it.
Get a familyGet one plant family by name, slug, id or link, with its common name and its place in the classification: order, class, division, subkingdom and kingdom, where Trefle knows them.
Get a genusGet one genus by name, slug, id or link, with its family.
Get a plantGet everything Trefle knows about a plant, by slug, scientific name, common name, id or link: its classification, edibility and edible parts, flower and leaf colours, bloom months, growth habit, height, soil, light and temperature needs, toxicity, pictures by part, the countries it is native to or introduced in, its synonyms and sources, and its subspecies and varieties.
Get a speciesGet everything Trefle knows about one species, subspecies, variety or hybrid, by slug, scientific name, common name, id or link: the same traits, pictures, range, synonyms and sources Get a plant gives for a plant's main species.
Get a species' data sourcesGet every sourced claim behind a species' trait values: which source said what, with a link to its record where there is one, and whether that claim is the one in use, was replaced, or was rejected as implausible.
List distribution zonesList the zones Trefle records where plants grow: the continents, regions, botanical countries and basic recording units of the WGSRPD scheme, 20 to a page, each with its code, the zone it is part of and the zones inside it.
List familiesList plant families in alphabetical order, 20 to a page, each with its common name and, where Trefle knows it, the order above it.
List generaList genera in alphabetical order, 20 to a page, each with its family, optionally only those of one family, e.g. every genus of the beech family, Fagaceae.
List plantsList plants, one per species, 20 to a page, narrowed by exact common name, family or genus and by traits: edible, vegetables, edible parts, flower colour, bloom month, life cycle and growth habit (tree, shrub, herb).
List plants in a zoneList the plants recorded in a botanical country: a country, or a state or province of a large one (France, California, Queensland), 20 to a page, optionally only the native or the introduced ones.
List speciesList species, subspecies, varieties, forms and hybrids, 20 to a page, with the same filters and sorting as List plants and a choice of ranks, e.g. every variety in the genus Abies.
Search plantsFind plants by part of a name: a common name in any language, a scientific name or a synonym, best matches first, with one result per species.
Search speciesFind species, subspecies, varieties, forms and hybrids by part of a name, best matches first.

Get a distribution zone

Get one distribution zone by name, code or link: its level, how many species Trefle records there, the zone it is part of and the zones inside it.

Inputs

ZonezonetextRequired
The botanical country, region or continent. Also takes its code (FRA), its name (France) or a zone link from another Trefle step.One of: AFG (Afghanistan (AFG)), 2 (Africa (continent 2)), ALA (Alabama (ALA)), ASK (Alaska (ASK)), ALB (Albania (ALB)), ABT (Alberta (ABT)), ALD (Aldabra (ALD)), ALU (Aleutian Is. (ALU)), ALG (Algeria (ALG)), ALT (Altay (ALT)), and 420 more.

Outputs

zoneobject
The zone.
Example output
{
  "zone": {
    "children": [
      {
        "id": 381,
        "links": {
          "plants": "/api/v1/distributions/fra-ci/plants",
          "self": "/api/v1/distributions/fra-ci",
          "species": "/api/v1/distributions/fra-ci/species"
        },
        "name": "Channel Is.",
        "slug": "fra-ci",
        "species_count": 0,
        "tdwg_code": "FRA-CI",
        "tdwg_level": 4
      },
      {
        "id": 383,
        "links": {
          "plants": "/api/v1/distributions/fra-mo/plants",
          "self": "/api/v1/distributions/fra-mo",
          "species": "/api/v1/distributions/fra-mo/species"
        },
        "name": "Monaco",
        "slug": "fra-mo",
        "species_count": 0,
        "tdwg_code": "FRA-MO",
        "tdwg_level": 4
      }
    ],
    "id": 126,
    "links": {
      "plants": "/api/v1/distributions/fra/plants",
      "self": "/api/v1/distributions/fra",
      "species": "/api/v1/distributions/fra/species"
    },
    "name": "France",
    "parent": {
      "id": 380,
      "links": {
        "plants": "/api/v1/distributions/12/plants",
        "self": "/api/v1/distributions/12",
        "species": "/api/v1/distributions/12/species"
      },
      "name": "Southwestern Europe",
      "slug": "12",
      "species_count": 0,
      "tdwg_code": "12",
      "tdwg_level": 2
    },
    "slug": "fra",
    "species_count": 9777,
    "tdwg_code": "FRA",
    "tdwg_level": 3
  }
}

Get a family

Get one plant family by name, slug, id or link, with its common name and its place in the classification: order, class, division, subkingdom and kingdom, where Trefle knows them.

Inputs

FamilyfamilytextRequired
The family: its scientific name (Rosaceae), slug, or an id or link from another Trefle step.

Outputs

familyobject
The family.
Example output
{
  "family": {
    "classification": {
      "class": "Magnoliopsida",
      "division": "Magnoliophyta",
      "kingdom": "Plantae",
      "order": "Rosales",
      "subkingdom": "Tracheobionta"
    },
    "common_name": "Rose family",
    "division_order": {
      "division_class": {
        "division": {
          "id": 1,
          "links": {
            "self": "/api/v1/divisions/magnoliophyta",
            "subkingdom": "/api/v1/subkingdoms/tracheobionta"
          },
          "name": "Magnoliophyta",
          "slug": "magnoliophyta",
          "subkingdom": {
            "id": 1,
            "kingdom": {
              "id": 1,
              "links": {
                "self": "/api/v1/kingdoms/plantae"
              },
              "name": "Plantae",
              "slug": "plantae"
            },
            "links": {
              "kingdom": "/api/v1/kingdoms/plantae",
              "self": "/api/v1/subkingdoms/tracheobionta"
            },
            "name": "Tracheobionta",
            "slug": "tracheobionta"
          }
        },
        "id": 1,
        "links": {
          "division": "/api/v1/divisions/magnoliophyta",
          "self": "/api/v1/division_classes/magnoliopsida"
        },
        "name": "Magnoliopsida",
        "slug": "magnoliopsida"
      },
      "id": 10,
      "links": {
        "division_class": "/api/v1/division_classes/magnoliopsida",
        "self": "/api/v1/division_orders/rosales"
      },
      "name": "Rosales",
      "slug": "rosales"
    },
    "id": 11,
    "links": {
      "division_order": "/api/v1/division_orders/rosales",
      "genus": "/api/v1/families/rosaceae/genus",
      "self": "/api/v1/families/rosaceae"
    },
    "name": "Rosaceae",
    "slug": "rosaceae"
  }
}

Get a genus

Get one genus by name, slug, id or link, with its family.

Inputs

GenusgenustextRequired
The genus: its scientific name (Abies), slug, or an id or link from another Trefle step.

Outputs

genusobject
The genus.
Example output
{
  "genus": {
    "family": {
      "common_name": "Pine family",
      "id": 3,
      "links": {
        "division_order": "/api/v1/division_orders/pinales",
        "genus": "/api/v1/families/pinaceae/genus",
        "self": "/api/v1/families/pinaceae"
      },
      "name": "Pinaceae",
      "slug": "pinaceae"
    },
    "id": 7230,
    "links": {
      "family": "/api/v1/families/pinaceae",
      "plants": "/api/v1/genus/abies/plants",
      "self": "/api/v1/genus/abies",
      "species": "/api/v1/genus/abies/species"
    },
    "name": "Abies",
    "slug": "abies"
  }
}

Get a plant

Get everything Trefle knows about a plant, by slug, scientific name, common name, id or link: its classification, edibility and edible parts, flower and leaf colours, bloom months, growth habit, height, soil, light and temperature needs, toxicity, pictures by part, the countries it is native to or introduced in, its synonyms and sources, and its subspecies and varieties. Most traits are null for most plants.

Inputs

PlantplanttextRequired
The plant: its slug (quercus-robur), scientific name (Quercus robur), common name (pedunculate oak), or an id or link from another Trefle step. A subspecies' or variety's slug or id finds the plant it belongs to.

Outputs

plantobject
The plant.
Example output
{
  "plant": {
    "author": "Lam.",
    "bibliography": "Encycl. 1: 723 (1785)",
    "common_name": "Evergreen oak",
    "family": {
      "common_name": null,
      "id": 67,
      "links": {
        "division_order": null,
        "genus": "/api/v1/families/fagaceae/genus",
        "self": "/api/v1/families/fagaceae"
      },
      "name": "Fagaceae",
      "slug": "fagaceae"
    },
    "family_common_name": null,
    "forms": [],
    "genus": {
      "id": 3519,
      "links": {
        "family": "/api/v1/families/fagaceae",
        "plants": "/api/v1/genus/quercus/plants",
        "self": "/api/v1/genus/quercus",
        "species": "/api/v1/genus/quercus/species"
      },
      "name": "Quercus",
      "slug": "quercus"
    },
    "genus_id": 3519,
    "hybrids": [],
    "id": 77116,
    "image_url": "https://d2seqvvyy3b8p2.cloudfront.net/40ab8e7cdddbe3e78a581b84efa4e893.jpg",
    "links": {
      "genus": "/api/v1/genus/quercus",
      "self": "/api/v1/plants/quercus-rotundifolia",
      "species": "/api/v1/plants/quercus-rotundifolia/species"
    },
    "main_species": {
      "author": "Lam.",
      "bibliography": "Encycl. 1: 723 (1785)",
      "common_name": "Evergreen oak",
      "common_names": {
        "eng": [
          "holm oak"
        ],
        "por": [
          "azinheira",
          "azinho"
        ],
        "spa": [
          "carrasca",
          "chaparra"
        ]
      },
      "complete_data": false,
      "completion_ratio": 22,
      "distribution": {
        "introduced": [
          "Canary Is.",
          "Madeira"
        ],
        "native": [
          "Algeria",
          "France"
        ]
      },
      "distributions": {
        "introduced": [
          {
            "id": 124,
            "links": {
              "plants": "/api/v1/distributions/cny/plants",
              "self": "/api/v1/distributions/cny",
              "species": "/api/v1/distributions/cny/species"
            },
            "name": "Canary Is.",
            "slug": "cny",
            "species_count": 2915,
            "tdwg_code": "CNY",
            "tdwg_level": 3
          },
          {
            "id": 129,
            "links": {
              "plants": "/api/v1/distributions/mdr/plants",
              "self": "/api/v1/distributions/mdr",
              "species": "/api/v1/distributions/mdr/species"
            },
            "name": "Madeira",
            "slug": "mdr",
            "species_count": 1816,
            "tdwg_code": "MDR",
            "tdwg_level": 3
          }
        ],
        "native": [
          {
            "id": 137,
            "links": {
              "plants": "/api/v1/distributions/alg/plants",
              "self": "/api/v1/distributions/alg",
              "species": "/api/v1/distributions/alg/species"
            },
            "name": "Algeria",
            "slug": "alg",
            "species_count": 5162,
            "tdwg_code": "ALG",
            "tdwg_level": 3
          },
          {
            "id": 126,
            "links": {
              "plants": "/api/v1/distributions/fra/plants",
              "self": "/api/v1/distributions/fra",
              "species": "/api/v1/distributions/fra/species"
            },
            "name": "France",
            "slug": "fra",
            "species_count": 9777,
            "tdwg_code": "FRA",
            "tdwg_level": 3
          }
        ]
      },
      "duration": null,
      "edible": true,
      "edible_part": [
        "seeds"
      ],
      "family": "Fagaceae",
      "family_common_name": null,
      "flower": {
        "color": null,
        "conspicuous": null
      },
      "foliage": {
        "color": null,
        "leaf_retention": true,
        "texture": null
      },
      "fruit_or_seed": {
        "color": null,
        "conspicuous": null,
        "seed_persistence": null,
        "shape": null
      },
      "genus": "Quercus",
      "genus_id": 3519,
      "growth": {
        "atmospheric_humidity": null,
        "bloom_months": [
          "mar",
          "apr",
          "may"
        ],
        "days_to_harvest": null,
        "description": null,
        "fruit_months": [
          "oct",
          "nov"
        ],
        "growth_months": null,
        "light": null,
        "maximum_precipitation": {
          "mm": null
        },
        "maximum_temperature": {
          "deg_c": null,
          "deg_f": null
        },
        "minimum_precipitation": {
          "mm": null
        },
        "minimum_root_depth": {
          "cm": null
        },
        "minimum_temperature": {
          "deg_c": -15,
          "deg_f": 5
        },
        "ph_maximum": null,
        "ph_minimum": null,
        "row_spacing": {
          "cm": null
        },
        "soil_humidity": null,
        "soil_nutriments": null,
        "soil_salinity": null,
        "soil_texture": null,
        "sowing": null,
        "spread": {
          "cm": null
        }
      },
      "id": 77116,
      "image_url": "https://d2seqvvyy3b8p2.cloudfront.net/40ab8e7cdddbe3e78a581b84efa4e893.jpg",
      "images": {
        "bark": [
          {
            "copyright": "Taken May 12, 2018 by Miguel A. C. (cc-by-sa)",
            "id": 124636,
            "image_url": "https://bs.plantnet.org/image/o/aa7378139c2176a4522ee52c2dd5b38c66cda919"
          }
        ],
        "habit": [
          {
            "copyright": "Taken May 12, 2018 by Miguel A. C. (cc-by-sa)",
            "id": 124637,
            "image_url": "https://bs.plantnet.org/image/o/13859d4abfc2fd92dda2131a594eb84f7c75cd6b"
          }
        ],
        "leaf": [
          {
            "copyright": "Taken Nov 6, 2022 by Guy MOLL (cc-by-sa)",
            "id": 124631,
            "image_url": "https://bs.plantnet.org/image/o/ec747c60998106a34327a0737d664ba231bcc054"
          }
        ]
      },
      "links": {
        "genus": "/api/v1/genus/quercus",
        "plant": "/api/v1/plants/quercus-rotundifolia",
        "self": "/api/v1/species/quercus-rotundifolia"
      },
      "observations": "W. Medit.",
      "rank": "species",
      "scientific_name": "Quercus rotundifolia",
      "slug": "quercus-rotundifolia",
      "sources": [
        {
          "citation": null,
          "id": "wfo-0000292989",
          "last_update": "2022-12-05T02:14:00.092Z",
          "licence": "CC0-1.0",
          "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/",
          "name": "WFO",
          "url": null
        },
        {
          "citation": null,
          "id": "296696-1",
          "last_update": "2022-12-05T02:14:00.134Z",
          "licence": null,
          "licence_url": null,
          "name": "IPNI",
          "url": null
        }
      ],
      "specifications": {
        "average_height": {
          "cm": null
        },
        "growth_form": null,
        "growth_habit": null,
        "growth_rate": null,
        "ligneous_type": "tree",
        "maximum_height": {
          "cm": 1500
        },
        "nitrogen_fixation": null,
        "shape_and_orientation": null,
        "toxicity": null
      },
      "status": "accepted",
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "author": "(Cout.) Albert",
          "id": 186643,
          "name": "Quercus ilex var. oleoides",
          "sources": [
            {
              "citation": "POWO (2019). Plants of the World Online. Facilitated by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the Internet; http://www.plantsoftheworldonline.org/ Retrieved 2022-12-07",
              "id": "urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:173247-4",
              "last_update": "2022-12-07T14:54:23.480Z",
              "licence": "CC-BY-4.0",
              "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
              "name": "POWO",
              "url": "http://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:173247-4"
            }
          ]
        },
        {
          "author": "(Lam.) A.Camus",
          "id": 186644,
          "name": "Quercus ilex subvar. rotundifolia",
          "sources": [
            {
              "citation": "POWO (2019). Plants of the World Online. Facilitated by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the Internet; http://www.plantsoftheworldonline.org/ Retrieved 2022-12-07",
              "id": "urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:173266-4",
              "last_update": "2022-12-07T14:54:23.520Z",
              "licence": "CC-BY-4.0",
              "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
              "name": "POWO",
              "url": "http://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:173266-4"
            }
          ]
        }
      ],
      "vegetable": false,
      "year": 1785
    },
    "main_species_id": 77116,
    "observations": "W. Medit.",
    "scientific_name": "Quercus rotundifolia",
    "slug": "quercus-rotundifolia",
    "sources": [
      {
        "citation": null,
        "id": "wfo-0000292989",
        "last_update": "2022-12-05T02:14:00.092Z",
        "licence": "CC0-1.0",
        "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/",
        "name": "WFO",
        "url": null
      },
      {
        "citation": null,
        "id": "296696-1",
        "last_update": "2022-12-05T02:14:00.134Z",
        "licence": null,
        "licence_url": null,
        "name": "IPNI",
        "url": null
      }
    ],
    "species": [
      {
        "author": "Lam.",
        "bibliography": "Encycl. 1: 723 (1785)",
        "common_name": "Evergreen oak",
        "complete_data": false,
        "completion_ratio": 22,
        "family": "Fagaceae",
        "family_common_name": null,
        "genus": "Quercus",
        "genus_id": 3519,
        "id": 77116,
        "image_url": "https://d2seqvvyy3b8p2.cloudfront.net/40ab8e7cdddbe3e78a581b84efa4e893.jpg",
        "links": {
          "genus": "/api/v1/genus/quercus",
          "plant": "/api/v1/plants/quercus-rotundifolia",
          "self": "/api/v1/species/quercus-rotundifolia"
        },
        "rank": "species",
        "scientific_name": "Quercus rotundifolia",
        "slug": "quercus-rotundifolia",
        "status": "accepted",
        "synonyms": [
          "Quercus ilex var. oleoides",
          "Quercus ilex subvar. rotundifolia"
        ],
        "year": 1785
      }
    ],
    "subspecies": [],
    "subvarieties": [],
    "varieties": [],
    "vegetable": false,
    "year": 1785
  }
}

Get a species

Get everything Trefle knows about one species, subspecies, variety or hybrid, by slug, scientific name, common name, id or link: the same traits, pictures, range, synonyms and sources Get a plant gives for a plant's main species.

Inputs

SpeciesspeciestextRequired
The species, subspecies or variety: its slug (abies-balsamea-var-phanerolepis), scientific name, common name, or an id or link from another Trefle step.

Outputs

speciesobject
The species.
Example output
{
  "species": {
    "author": "(L.) Mill.",
    "bibliography": "Gard. Dict. ed. 8: n.\u00ba 3 (1768)",
    "common_name": "Canada balsam",
    "common_names": {
      "deu": [
        "balsam-tanne",
        "balsamtanne"
      ],
      "eng": [
        "balm of gilead fir",
        "balsam"
      ],
      "ita": [
        "abete balsamico",
        "abete balsamifero"
      ]
    },
    "complete_data": false,
    "completion_ratio": 41,
    "distribution": {
      "introduced": [
        "Denmark",
        "Finland"
      ],
      "native": [
        "Alberta",
        "Connecticut"
      ]
    },
    "distributions": {
      "introduced": [
        {
          "id": 280,
          "links": {
            "plants": "/api/v1/distributions/den/plants",
            "self": "/api/v1/distributions/den",
            "species": "/api/v1/distributions/den/species"
          },
          "name": "Denmark",
          "slug": "den",
          "species_count": 2992,
          "tdwg_code": "DEN",
          "tdwg_level": 3
        },
        {
          "id": 282,
          "links": {
            "plants": "/api/v1/distributions/fin/plants",
            "self": "/api/v1/distributions/fin",
            "species": "/api/v1/distributions/fin/species"
          },
          "name": "Finland",
          "slug": "fin",
          "species_count": 3392,
          "tdwg_code": "FIN",
          "tdwg_level": 3
        }
      ],
      "native": [
        {
          "id": 326,
          "links": {
            "plants": "/api/v1/distributions/abt/plants",
            "self": "/api/v1/distributions/abt",
            "species": "/api/v1/distributions/abt/species"
          },
          "name": "Alberta",
          "slug": "abt",
          "species_count": 2505,
          "tdwg_code": "ABT",
          "tdwg_level": 3
        },
        {
          "id": 252,
          "links": {
            "plants": "/api/v1/distributions/cnt/plants",
            "self": "/api/v1/distributions/cnt",
            "species": "/api/v1/distributions/cnt/species"
          },
          "name": "Connecticut",
          "slug": "cnt",
          "species_count": 3035,
          "tdwg_code": "CNT",
          "tdwg_level": 3
        }
      ]
    },
    "duration": null,
    "edible": false,
    "edible_part": null,
    "family": "Pinaceae",
    "family_common_name": "Pine family",
    "flower": {
      "color": [
        "yellow"
      ],
      "conspicuous": false
    },
    "foliage": {
      "color": [
        "green"
      ],
      "leaf_retention": null,
      "texture": "medium"
    },
    "fruit_or_seed": {
      "color": [
        "brown"
      ],
      "conspicuous": false,
      "seed_persistence": null,
      "shape": null
    },
    "genus": "Abies",
    "genus_id": 7230,
    "growth": {
      "atmospheric_humidity": 5,
      "bloom_months": null,
      "days_to_harvest": null,
      "description": null,
      "fruit_months": null,
      "growth_months": null,
      "light": 7,
      "maximum_precipitation": {
        "mm": null
      },
      "maximum_temperature": {
        "deg_c": null,
        "deg_f": null
      },
      "minimum_precipitation": {
        "mm": null
      },
      "minimum_root_depth": {
        "cm": null
      },
      "minimum_temperature": {
        "deg_c": null,
        "deg_f": null
      },
      "ph_maximum": 6.0,
      "ph_minimum": 4.0,
      "row_spacing": {
        "cm": null
      },
      "soil_humidity": null,
      "soil_nutriments": 5,
      "soil_salinity": 0,
      "soil_texture": null,
      "sowing": null,
      "spread": {
        "cm": null
      }
    },
    "id": 136848,
    "image_url": "https://bs.plantnet.org/image/o/46adef49b83992d971359f4080559520b1363920",
    "images": {
      "flower": [
        {
          "copyright": "Taken Nov 2, 2022 by Michel AMBROISE (cc-by-sa)",
          "id": 239065,
          "image_url": "https://bs.plantnet.org/image/o/dc478a6690cbc27919bc600020ac7d1ba8ec777d"
        }
      ],
      "fruit": [
        {
          "copyright": "Taken Jan 1, 1900 by EOL \u2212 Bill Cook (cc-by)",
          "id": 239045,
          "image_url": "https://bs.plantnet.org/image/o/d3aa974dbf6f2c18315a9b1fd7981e5674fe9d9a"
        }
      ],
      "leaf": [
        {
          "copyright": "Taken Oct 23, 2020 by kathy gilbert (cc-by-sa)",
          "id": 239068,
          "image_url": "https://bs.plantnet.org/image/o/045bfb2f7a7b43196b82c9b8390f4e0b00afcd62"
        }
      ]
    },
    "links": {
      "genus": "/api/v1/genus/abies",
      "plant": "/api/v1/plants/abies-balsamea",
      "self": "/api/v1/species/abies-balsamea"
    },
    "observations": "C. & E. Canada to Virginia",
    "rank": "species",
    "scientific_name": "Abies balsamea",
    "slug": "abies-balsamea",
    "sources": [
      {
        "citation": null,
        "id": "wfo-0000511004",
        "last_update": "2022-12-05T06:00:38.586Z",
        "licence": "CC0-1.0",
        "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/",
        "name": "WFO",
        "url": null
      },
      {
        "citation": null,
        "id": "1084057-2",
        "last_update": "2022-12-05T06:00:38.634Z",
        "licence": null,
        "licence_url": null,
        "name": "IPNI",
        "url": null
      }
    ],
    "specifications": {
      "average_height": {
        "cm": null
      },
      "growth_form": "Single Stem",
      "growth_habit": "Tree",
      "growth_rate": "Slow",
      "ligneous_type": null,
      "maximum_height": {
        "cm": null
      },
      "nitrogen_fixation": null,
      "shape_and_orientation": null,
      "toxicity": null
    },
    "status": "accepted",
    "synonyms": [
      {
        "author": "Salisb.",
        "id": 326564,
        "name": "Pinus taxifolia",
        "sources": [
          {
            "citation": "POWO (2019). Plants of the World Online. Facilitated by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the Internet; http://www.plantsoftheworldonline.org/ Retrieved 2022-12-08",
            "id": "urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:77244400-1",
            "last_update": "2022-12-08T01:30:34.531Z",
            "licence": "CC-BY-4.0",
            "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
            "name": "POWO",
            "url": "http://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:77244400-1"
          }
        ]
      },
      {
        "author": "(L.) Loudon",
        "id": 352755,
        "name": "Picea balsamea",
        "sources": [
          {
            "citation": "POWO (2019). Plants of the World Online. Facilitated by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the Internet; http://www.plantsoftheworldonline.org/ Retrieved 2022-12-08",
            "id": "urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:262623-1",
            "last_update": "2022-12-08T03:38:50.595Z",
            "licence": "CC-BY-4.0",
            "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
            "name": "POWO",
            "url": "http://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:262623-1"
          }
        ]
      }
    ],
    "vegetable": false,
    "year": 1768
  }
}

Get a species' data sources

Get every sourced claim behind a species' trait values: which source said what, with a link to its record where there is one, and whether that claim is the one in use, was replaced, or was rejected as implausible. Empty for species whose traits predate Trefle's provenance records.

Inputs

SpeciesspeciestextRequired
The species: its slug (abies-balsamea-var-phanerolepis), scientific name, common name, or an id or link from another Trefle step.

Outputs

factslist
Every claim, current, replaced or rejected.
totalnumber
How many claims there are.
Example output
{
  "facts": [
    {
      "attribute_name": "bloom_months",
      "evidence_type": "reported",
      "id": 5,
      "n_observations": null,
      "notes": null,
      "observed_at": null,
      "source": "flora_iberica",
      "source_record_id": null,
      "source_url": null,
      "status": "active",
      "unit": null,
      "updated_at": "2026-09-04T18:39:45.952Z",
      "value": "mar|apr|may"
    },
    {
      "attribute_name": "edible_part",
      "evidence_type": "reported",
      "id": 7,
      "n_observations": null,
      "notes": null,
      "observed_at": null,
      "source": "treesandshrubsonline",
      "source_record_id": null,
      "source_url": null,
      "status": "active",
      "unit": null,
      "updated_at": "2026-09-04T18:39:46.647Z",
      "value": "seeds"
    },
    {
      "attribute_name": "fruit_months",
      "evidence_type": "reported",
      "id": 6,
      "n_observations": null,
      "notes": null,
      "observed_at": null,
      "source": "flora_iberica",
      "source_record_id": null,
      "source_url": null,
      "status": "active",
      "unit": null,
      "updated_at": "2026-09-04T18:39:45.982Z",
      "value": "oct|nov"
    }
  ],
  "total": 7
}

List distribution zones

List the zones Trefle records where plants grow: the continents, regions, botanical countries and basic recording units of the WGSRPD scheme, 20 to a page, each with its code, the zone it is part of and the zones inside it. Sorts by name, code or number of species.

Inputs

Levelleveltext
Only zones of this level of the WGSRPD scheme. Plants are recorded by botanical country; basic recording units list none. Leave empty for every level.One of: 1 (Continents), 2 (Regions), 3 (Botanical countries), 4 (Basic recording units).
Sort bysort_bytext
Sort by this instead of name. Number of species is only counted for botanical countries.One of: name, species_count (Number of species), tdwg_code (Code).
Sort ordersort_ordertext
Ascending unless set. Only used with Sort by.One of: asc (Ascending (A to Z, lowest first)), desc (Descending (Z to A, highest first)).
Pagepagenumber
Which page of 20 to return, starting at 1. Leave empty for the first page. A page past the last one comes back empty but still gives the total. Trefle serves at most 2,500 pages of any list.From 1 to 2500.

Outputs

last_pagenumber
The last page's number. Trefle serves at most 2,500 pages of any list.
next_pagenumber
The next page's number, or null on the last page Trefle serves: the value to loop on.
pagenumber
This page's number.
totalnumber
How many zones match, over all pages.
zoneslist
The zones on this page.
Example output
{
  "last_page": 19,
  "next_page": 2,
  "page": 1,
  "total": 369,
  "zones": [
    {
      "children": [],
      "id": 82,
      "links": {
        "plants": "/api/v1/distributions/clm/plants",
        "self": "/api/v1/distributions/clm",
        "species": "/api/v1/distributions/clm/species"
      },
      "name": "Colombia",
      "parent": {
        "id": 673,
        "links": {
          "plants": "/api/v1/distributions/83/plants",
          "self": "/api/v1/distributions/83",
          "species": "/api/v1/distributions/83/species"
        },
        "name": "Western South America",
        "slug": "83",
        "species_count": 0,
        "tdwg_code": "83",
        "tdwg_level": 2
      },
      "slug": "clm",
      "species_count": 25512,
      "tdwg_code": "CLM",
      "tdwg_level": 3
    },
    {
      "children": [
        {
          "id": 465,
          "links": {
            "plants": "/api/v1/distributions/chc-cq/plants",
            "self": "/api/v1/distributions/chc-cq",
            "species": "/api/v1/distributions/chc-cq/species"
          },
          "name": "Chongqing",
          "slug": "chc-cq",
          "species_count": 0,
          "tdwg_code": "CHC-CQ",
          "tdwg_level": 4
        },
        {
          "id": 466,
          "links": {
            "plants": "/api/v1/distributions/chc-gz/plants",
            "self": "/api/v1/distributions/chc-gz",
            "species": "/api/v1/distributions/chc-gz/species"
          },
          "name": "Guizhou",
          "slug": "chc-gz",
          "species_count": 0,
          "tdwg_code": "CHC-GZ",
          "tdwg_level": 4
        }
      ],
      "id": 45,
      "links": {
        "plants": "/api/v1/distributions/chc/plants",
        "self": "/api/v1/distributions/chc",
        "species": "/api/v1/distributions/chc/species"
      },
      "name": "China South-Central",
      "parent": {
        "id": 464,
        "links": {
          "plants": "/api/v1/distributions/36/plants",
          "self": "/api/v1/distributions/36",
          "species": "/api/v1/distributions/36/species"
        },
        "name": "China",
        "slug": "36",
        "species_count": 0,
        "tdwg_code": "36",
        "tdwg_level": 2
      },
      "slug": "chc",
      "species_count": 23129,
      "tdwg_code": "CHC",
      "tdwg_level": 3
    }
  ]
}

List families

List plant families in alphabetical order, 20 to a page, each with its common name and, where Trefle knows it, the order above it.

Inputs

Pagepagenumber
Which page of 20 to return, starting at 1. Leave empty for the first page. A page past the last one comes back empty but still gives the total. Trefle serves at most 2,500 pages of any list.From 1 to 2500.

Outputs

familieslist
The families on this page.
last_pagenumber
The last page's number. Trefle serves at most 2,500 pages of any list.
next_pagenumber
The next page's number, or null on the last page Trefle serves: the value to loop on.
pagenumber
This page's number.
totalnumber
How many families match, over all pages.
Example output
{
  "families": [
    {
      "common_name": null,
      "division_order": null,
      "id": 86,
      "links": {
        "division_order": null,
        "genus": "/api/v1/families/acanthaceae/genus",
        "self": "/api/v1/families/acanthaceae"
      },
      "name": "Acanthaceae",
      "slug": "acanthaceae"
    },
    {
      "common_name": null,
      "division_order": null,
      "id": 252,
      "links": {
        "division_order": null,
        "genus": "/api/v1/families/achariaceae/genus",
        "self": "/api/v1/families/achariaceae"
      },
      "name": "Achariaceae",
      "slug": "achariaceae"
    }
  ],
  "last_page": 35,
  "next_page": 2,
  "page": 1,
  "total": 683
}

List genera

List genera in alphabetical order, 20 to a page, each with its family, optionally only those of one family, e.g. every genus of the beech family, Fagaceae.

Inputs

Familyfamilytext
Only the genera of this family: its scientific name (Fagaceae), slug, or an id or link from another Trefle step. Leave empty for every genus.
Pagepagenumber
Which page of 20 to return, starting at 1. Leave empty for the first page. A page past the last one comes back empty but still gives the total. Trefle serves at most 2,500 pages of any list.From 1 to 2500.

Outputs

generalist
The genera on this page.
last_pagenumber
The last page's number. Trefle serves at most 2,500 pages of any list.
next_pagenumber
The next page's number, or null on the last page Trefle serves: the value to loop on.
pagenumber
This page's number.
totalnumber
How many genera match, over all pages.
Example output
{
  "genera": [
    {
      "family": {
        "common_name": null,
        "id": 67,
        "links": {
          "division_order": null,
          "genus": "/api/v1/families/fagaceae/genus",
          "self": "/api/v1/families/fagaceae"
        },
        "name": "Fagaceae",
        "slug": "fagaceae"
      },
      "id": 10459,
      "links": {
        "family": "/api/v1/families/fagaceae",
        "plants": "/api/v1/genus/castanea/plants",
        "self": "/api/v1/genus/castanea",
        "species": "/api/v1/genus/castanea/species"
      },
      "name": "Castanea",
      "slug": "castanea"
    },
    {
      "family": {
        "common_name": null,
        "id": 67,
        "links": {
          "division_order": null,
          "genus": "/api/v1/families/fagaceae/genus",
          "self": "/api/v1/families/fagaceae"
        },
        "name": "Fagaceae",
        "slug": "fagaceae"
      },
      "id": 10322,
      "links": {
        "family": "/api/v1/families/fagaceae",
        "plants": "/api/v1/genus/castanopsis/plants",
        "self": "/api/v1/genus/castanopsis",
        "species": "/api/v1/genus/castanopsis/species"
      },
      "name": "Castanopsis",
      "slug": "castanopsis"
    }
  ],
  "last_page": 1,
  "next_page": null,
  "page": 1,
  "total": 9
}

List plants

List plants, one per species, 20 to a page, narrowed by exact common name, family or genus and by traits: edible, vegetables, edible parts, flower colour, bloom month, life cycle and growth habit (tree, shrub, herb). Trefle records traits for a small share of plants, so a trait filter finds only those that have it. Sorts by name, year, completeness or number of pictures.

Inputs

Common namecommon_nametext
Only plants with exactly this common name, in any case, such as 'beach strawberry'. Part of a name finds nothing here: Search plants finds plants by part of a name.
Familyfamilytext
Only plants of this family, by its scientific name (Rosaceae) or its common name (Rose family).
Genusgenustext
Only plants of this genus, by its scientific name, such as Abies.
Edible onlyedible_onlytrue/false
Only plants Trefle records as edible. Trefle records this for few plants, so turning it on leaves a short list; leave it off to include every plant.
Vegetables onlyvegetables_onlytrue/false
Only plants Trefle records as vegetables.
Edible partsedible_partstext
Only plants with any of these parts recorded as edible.One or more of: roots, stem, leaves, flowers, fruits, seeds, tubers.
Flower coloursflower_colorstext
Only plants whose flowers are recorded in any of these colours.One or more of: white, red, brown, orange, yellow, lime, green, cyan, blue, purple, and 3 more.
Bloom monthsbloom_monthstext
Only plants recorded as flowering in any of these months.One or more of: jan (January), feb (February), mar (March), apr (April), may, jun (June), jul (July), aug (August), sep (September), oct (October), nov (November), dec (December).
Life cycledurationstext
Only plants with any of these life cycles. Trefle records a life cycle for very few plants so far.One or more of: annual (Annual (one growing season)), biennial (Biennial (two growing seasons)), perennial (Perennial (more than two years)).
Growth habitgrowth_habitstext
Only plants of any of these forms, as the USDA classes them. The way to find trees or shrubs: Trefle has this for far more plants than their height or woodiness.One or more of: Tree, Shrub, Subshrub, Vine, Forb/herb (Herb (forb)), Graminoid (Grass or grasslike (graminoid)), Nonvascular (Moss or liverwort (nonvascular)), Lichenous (Lichen).
Only with a pictureonly_with_imagetrue/false
Leave out plants Trefle has no picture of.
Only with a common nameonly_with_common_nametrue/false
Leave out plants with no common name in English, which is most of them: many are known by their scientific name alone.
Sort bysort_bytext
Sort by this instead of Trefle's own order. Plants with no value for it are left out, so sorting by common name lists only plants that have one.One of: common_name (Common name), scientific_name (Scientific name), year (Year first described), family_name (Family), completion_ratio (How complete the record is), images_count (Number of pictures).
Sort ordersort_ordertext
Ascending unless set. Only used with Sort by.One of: asc (Ascending (A to Z, lowest first)), desc (Descending (Z to A, highest first)).
Pagepagenumber
Which page of 20 to return, starting at 1. Leave empty for the first page. A page past the last one comes back empty but still gives the total. Trefle serves at most 2,500 pages of any list.From 1 to 2500.

Outputs

last_pagenumber
The last page's number. Trefle serves at most 2,500 pages of any list.
next_pagenumber
The next page's number, or null on the last page Trefle serves: the value to loop on.
pagenumber
This page's number.
plantslist
The plants on this page.
totalnumber
How many plants match, over all pages.
Example output
{
  "last_page": 1,
  "next_page": null,
  "page": 1,
  "plants": [
    {
      "author": "A.Juss.",
      "bibliography": "M\u00e9m. Mus. Hist. Nat. 19: 221 (1830 publ. 1831)",
      "common_name": "Neem",
      "complete_data": false,
      "completion_ratio": 12,
      "family": "Meliaceae",
      "family_common_name": null,
      "genus": "Azadirachta",
      "genus_id": 7715,
      "id": 149420,
      "image_url": "https://bs.plantnet.org/image/o/17144c14bb8454c452ca33d6cefe57ac509b207e",
      "links": {
        "genus": "/api/v1/genus/azadirachta",
        "plant": "/api/v1/plants/azadirachta-indica",
        "self": "/api/v1/species/azadirachta-indica"
      },
      "rank": "species",
      "scientific_name": "Azadirachta indica",
      "slug": "azadirachta-indica",
      "status": "accepted",
      "synonyms": [
        "Melia japonica",
        "Melia fraxinifolia"
      ],
      "year": 1831
    },
    {
      "author": "L.",
      "bibliography": "Sp. Pl.: 1188 (1753)",
      "common_name": "Coconut",
      "complete_data": false,
      "completion_ratio": 33,
      "family": "Arecaceae",
      "family_common_name": null,
      "genus": "Cocos",
      "genus_id": 11446,
      "id": 236068,
      "image_url": "https://bs.plantnet.org/image/o/a0c4045351cd7e31ed6c4a338c4fd7f0be5c1a2f",
      "links": {
        "genus": "/api/v1/genus/cocos",
        "plant": "/api/v1/plants/cocos-nucifera",
        "self": "/api/v1/species/cocos-nucifera"
      },
      "rank": "species",
      "scientific_name": "Cocos nucifera",
      "slug": "cocos-nucifera",
      "status": "accepted",
      "synonyms": [
        "Cocos nucifera var. humilis",
        "Calappa nucifera"
      ],
      "year": 1753
    }
  ],
  "total": 7
}

List plants in a zone

List the plants recorded in a botanical country: a country, or a state or province of a large one (France, California, Queensland), 20 to a page, optionally only the native or the introduced ones. Takes the same family, genus, trait and sort options as List plants.

Inputs

ZonezonetextRequired
The botanical country to list: a country, or a state or province of a large one, such as France, California or Queensland, the unit Trefle records where plants grow by. Also takes its code (FRA), its name, or a zone link from another Trefle step. A region or continent is refused, naming the botanical countries it is made of.One of: AFG (Afghanistan (AFG)), ALA (Alabama (ALA)), ASK (Alaska (ASK)), ALB (Albania (ALB)), ABT (Alberta (ABT)), ALD (Aldabra (ALD)), ALU (Aleutian Is. (ALU)), ALG (Algeria (ALG)), ALT (Altay (ALT)), ASP (Amsterdam-St.Paul Is (ASP)), and 359 more.
Establishmentestablishmenttext
Only plants recorded there this way: native, introduced by people, doubtful, extinct there, or absent (recorded there in error). Leave empty for all of them.One of: native, introduced, doubtful, absent (Absent (recorded there in error)), extinct (Extinct there).
Familyfamilytext
Only plants of this family, by its scientific name (Rosaceae) or its common name (Rose family).
Genusgenustext
Only plants of this genus, by its scientific name, such as Abies.
Edible onlyedible_onlytrue/false
Only plants Trefle records as edible. Trefle records this for few plants, so turning it on leaves a short list; leave it off to include every plant.
Vegetables onlyvegetables_onlytrue/false
Only plants Trefle records as vegetables.
Edible partsedible_partstext
Only plants with any of these parts recorded as edible.One or more of: roots, stem, leaves, flowers, fruits, seeds, tubers.
Flower coloursflower_colorstext
Only plants whose flowers are recorded in any of these colours.One or more of: white, red, brown, orange, yellow, lime, green, cyan, blue, purple, and 3 more.
Bloom monthsbloom_monthstext
Only plants recorded as flowering in any of these months.One or more of: jan (January), feb (February), mar (March), apr (April), may, jun (June), jul (July), aug (August), sep (September), oct (October), nov (November), dec (December).
Life cycledurationstext
Only plants with any of these life cycles. Trefle records a life cycle for very few plants so far.One or more of: annual (Annual (one growing season)), biennial (Biennial (two growing seasons)), perennial (Perennial (more than two years)).
Growth habitgrowth_habitstext
Only plants of any of these forms, as the USDA classes them. The way to find trees or shrubs: Trefle has this for far more plants than their height or woodiness.One or more of: Tree, Shrub, Subshrub, Vine, Forb/herb (Herb (forb)), Graminoid (Grass or grasslike (graminoid)), Nonvascular (Moss or liverwort (nonvascular)), Lichenous (Lichen).
Only with a pictureonly_with_imagetrue/false
Leave out plants Trefle has no picture of.
Only with a common nameonly_with_common_nametrue/false
Leave out plants with no common name in English, which is most of them: many are known by their scientific name alone.
Sort bysort_bytext
Sort by this instead of Trefle's own order. Plants with no value for it are left out, so sorting by common name lists only plants that have one.One of: common_name (Common name), scientific_name (Scientific name), year (Year first described), family_name (Family), completion_ratio (How complete the record is), images_count (Number of pictures).
Sort ordersort_ordertext
Ascending unless set. Only used with Sort by.One of: asc (Ascending (A to Z, lowest first)), desc (Descending (Z to A, highest first)).
Pagepagenumber
Which page of 20 to return, starting at 1. Leave empty for the first page. A page past the last one comes back empty but still gives the total. Trefle serves at most 2,500 pages of any list.From 1 to 2500.

Outputs

last_pagenumber
The last page's number. Trefle serves at most 2,500 pages of any list.
next_pagenumber
The next page's number, or null on the last page Trefle serves: the value to loop on.
pagenumber
This page's number.
plantslist
The plants on this page.
totalnumber
How many plants match, over all pages.
Example output
{
  "last_page": 3,
  "next_page": 2,
  "page": 1,
  "plants": [
    {
      "author": "Lam.",
      "bibliography": "Encycl. 1: 723 (1785)",
      "common_name": "Evergreen oak",
      "complete_data": false,
      "completion_ratio": 22,
      "family": "Fagaceae",
      "family_common_name": null,
      "genus": "Quercus",
      "genus_id": 3519,
      "id": 77116,
      "image_url": "https://d2seqvvyy3b8p2.cloudfront.net/40ab8e7cdddbe3e78a581b84efa4e893.jpg",
      "links": {
        "genus": "/api/v1/genus/quercus",
        "plant": "/api/v1/plants/quercus-rotundifolia",
        "self": "/api/v1/species/quercus-rotundifolia"
      },
      "rank": "species",
      "scientific_name": "Quercus rotundifolia",
      "slug": "quercus-rotundifolia",
      "status": "accepted",
      "synonyms": [
        "Quercus ilex var. oleoides",
        "Quercus ilex subvar. rotundifolia"
      ],
      "year": 1785
    },
    {
      "author": "L.",
      "bibliography": "Sp. Pl.: 984 (1753)",
      "common_name": "Common nettle",
      "complete_data": false,
      "completion_ratio": 41,
      "family": "Urticaceae",
      "family_common_name": null,
      "genus": "Urtica",
      "genus_id": 5550,
      "id": 109482,
      "image_url": "https://bs.plantnet.org/image/o/9db58cbb3538a6b77384f972971d51869228e545",
      "links": {
        "genus": "/api/v1/genus/urtica",
        "plant": "/api/v1/plants/urtica-dioica",
        "self": "/api/v1/species/urtica-dioica"
      },
      "rank": "species",
      "scientific_name": "Urtica dioica",
      "slug": "urtica-dioica",
      "status": "accepted",
      "synonyms": [
        "Urtica dioica var. vulgaris",
        "Urtica dioica var. ramosa"
      ],
      "year": 1753
    }
  ],
  "total": 46
}

List species

List species, subspecies, varieties, forms and hybrids, 20 to a page, with the same filters and sorting as List plants and a choice of ranks, e.g. every variety in the genus Abies.

Inputs

Common namecommon_nametext
Only plants with exactly this common name, in any case, such as 'beach strawberry'. Part of a name finds nothing here: Search plants finds plants by part of a name.
Familyfamilytext
Only plants of this family, by its scientific name (Rosaceae) or its common name (Rose family).
Genusgenustext
Only plants of this genus, by its scientific name, such as Abies.
Ranksrankstext
Only these ranks: species, or the subspecies, varieties, forms and hybrids below them.One or more of: species, ssp (Subspecies), var (Variety), form, hybrid, subvar (Subvariety).
Edible onlyedible_onlytrue/false
Only plants Trefle records as edible. Trefle records this for few plants, so turning it on leaves a short list; leave it off to include every plant.
Vegetables onlyvegetables_onlytrue/false
Only plants Trefle records as vegetables.
Edible partsedible_partstext
Only plants with any of these parts recorded as edible.One or more of: roots, stem, leaves, flowers, fruits, seeds, tubers.
Flower coloursflower_colorstext
Only plants whose flowers are recorded in any of these colours.One or more of: white, red, brown, orange, yellow, lime, green, cyan, blue, purple, and 3 more.
Bloom monthsbloom_monthstext
Only plants recorded as flowering in any of these months.One or more of: jan (January), feb (February), mar (March), apr (April), may, jun (June), jul (July), aug (August), sep (September), oct (October), nov (November), dec (December).
Life cycledurationstext
Only plants with any of these life cycles. Trefle records a life cycle for very few plants so far.One or more of: annual (Annual (one growing season)), biennial (Biennial (two growing seasons)), perennial (Perennial (more than two years)).
Growth habitgrowth_habitstext
Only plants of any of these forms, as the USDA classes them. The way to find trees or shrubs: Trefle has this for far more plants than their height or woodiness.One or more of: Tree, Shrub, Subshrub, Vine, Forb/herb (Herb (forb)), Graminoid (Grass or grasslike (graminoid)), Nonvascular (Moss or liverwort (nonvascular)), Lichenous (Lichen).
Only with a pictureonly_with_imagetrue/false
Leave out plants Trefle has no picture of.
Only with a common nameonly_with_common_nametrue/false
Leave out plants with no common name in English, which is most of them: many are known by their scientific name alone.
Sort bysort_bytext
Sort by this instead of Trefle's own order. Plants with no value for it are left out, so sorting by common name lists only plants that have one.One of: common_name (Common name), scientific_name (Scientific name), year (Year first described), family_name (Family), completion_ratio (How complete the record is), images_count (Number of pictures).
Sort ordersort_ordertext
Ascending unless set. Only used with Sort by.One of: asc (Ascending (A to Z, lowest first)), desc (Descending (Z to A, highest first)).
Pagepagenumber
Which page of 20 to return, starting at 1. Leave empty for the first page. A page past the last one comes back empty but still gives the total. Trefle serves at most 2,500 pages of any list.From 1 to 2500.

Outputs

last_pagenumber
The last page's number. Trefle serves at most 2,500 pages of any list.
next_pagenumber
The next page's number, or null on the last page Trefle serves: the value to loop on.
pagenumber
This page's number.
specieslist
The species on this page.
totalnumber
How many species match, over all pages.
Example output
{
  "last_page": 2,
  "next_page": 2,
  "page": 1,
  "species": [
    {
      "author": null,
      "bibliography": "Unknown",
      "common_name": null,
      "complete_data": false,
      "completion_ratio": 6,
      "family": "Pinaceae",
      "family_common_name": "Pine family",
      "genus": "Abies",
      "genus_id": 7230,
      "id": 411847,
      "image_url": null,
      "links": {
        "genus": "/api/v1/genus/abies",
        "plant": "/api/v1/plants/abies-sachalinensis",
        "self": "/api/v1/species/abies-sachalinensis-var-sachalinensis"
      },
      "rank": "var",
      "scientific_name": "Abies sachalinensis var. sachalinensis",
      "slug": "abies-sachalinensis-var-sachalinensis",
      "status": "accepted",
      "synonyms": [
        "Abies akatodo",
        "Abies sachalinensis var. corticosa"
      ],
      "year": 1879
    },
    {
      "author": null,
      "bibliography": "Unknown",
      "common_name": "Veitch\u2019s fir",
      "complete_data": false,
      "completion_ratio": 8,
      "family": "Pinaceae",
      "family_common_name": "Pine family",
      "genus": "Abies",
      "genus_id": 7230,
      "id": 410055,
      "image_url": null,
      "links": {
        "genus": "/api/v1/genus/abies",
        "plant": "/api/v1/plants/abies-veitchii",
        "self": "/api/v1/species/abies-veitchii-var-veitchii"
      },
      "rank": "var",
      "scientific_name": "Abies veitchii var. veitchii",
      "slug": "abies-veitchii-var-veitchii",
      "status": "accepted",
      "synonyms": [
        "Abies veitchii var. reflexa",
        "Abies veitchii var. nikkoensis"
      ],
      "year": 1861
    }
  ],
  "total": 39
}

Search plants

Find plants by part of a name: a common name in any language, a scientific name or a synonym, best matches first, with one result per species. Takes the same trait filters as List plants. Returns each plant's names, family, picture and slug, which Get a plant takes for everything else.

Inputs

Search textquerytextRequired
What to look for: part of a plant's common name in any language, its scientific name, or one of its synonyms. Best matches come first.
Edible onlyedible_onlytrue/false
Only plants Trefle records as edible. Trefle records this for few plants, so turning it on leaves a short list; leave it off to include every plant.
Vegetables onlyvegetables_onlytrue/false
Only plants Trefle records as vegetables.
Edible partsedible_partstext
Only plants with any of these parts recorded as edible.One or more of: roots, stem, leaves, flowers, fruits, seeds, tubers.
Flower coloursflower_colorstext
Only plants whose flowers are recorded in any of these colours.One or more of: white, red, brown, orange, yellow, lime, green, cyan, blue, purple, and 3 more.
Bloom monthsbloom_monthstext
Only plants recorded as flowering in any of these months.One or more of: jan (January), feb (February), mar (March), apr (April), may, jun (June), jul (July), aug (August), sep (September), oct (October), nov (November), dec (December).
Life cycledurationstext
Only plants with any of these life cycles. Trefle records a life cycle for very few plants so far.One or more of: annual (Annual (one growing season)), biennial (Biennial (two growing seasons)), perennial (Perennial (more than two years)).
Growth habitgrowth_habitstext
Only plants of any of these forms, as the USDA classes them. The way to find trees or shrubs: Trefle has this for far more plants than their height or woodiness.One or more of: Tree, Shrub, Subshrub, Vine, Forb/herb (Herb (forb)), Graminoid (Grass or grasslike (graminoid)), Nonvascular (Moss or liverwort (nonvascular)), Lichenous (Lichen).
Only with a pictureonly_with_imagetrue/false
Leave out plants Trefle has no picture of.
Only with a common nameonly_with_common_nametrue/false
Leave out plants with no common name in English, which is most of them: many are known by their scientific name alone.
Results per pagelimitnumber
How many results to return at once, from 1 to 100. Leave empty for 20.From 1 to 100.
Pagepagenumber
Which page of results to return, starting at 1, each as long as Results per page. Leave empty for the first page. A page past the last one comes back empty but still gives the total.From 1 to 2500.

Outputs

last_pagenumber
The last page's number. Trefle serves at most 2,500 pages of any list.
next_pagenumber
The next page's number, or null on the last page Trefle serves: the value to loop on.
pagenumber
This page's number.
plantslist
The plants on this page.
totalnumber
How many plants match, over all pages.
Example output
{
  "last_page": 14,
  "next_page": 2,
  "page": 1,
  "plants": [
    {
      "author": "Lam.",
      "bibliography": "Encycl. 1: 723 (1785)",
      "common_name": "Evergreen oak",
      "complete_data": false,
      "completion_ratio": 22,
      "family": "Fagaceae",
      "family_common_name": null,
      "genus": "Quercus",
      "genus_id": 3519,
      "id": 77116,
      "image_url": "https://d2seqvvyy3b8p2.cloudfront.net/40ab8e7cdddbe3e78a581b84efa4e893.jpg",
      "links": {
        "genus": "/api/v1/genus/quercus",
        "plant": "/api/v1/plants/quercus-rotundifolia",
        "self": "/api/v1/species/quercus-rotundifolia"
      },
      "rank": "species",
      "scientific_name": "Quercus rotundifolia",
      "slug": "quercus-rotundifolia",
      "status": "accepted",
      "synonyms": [
        "Quercus ilex var. oleoides",
        "Quercus ilex subvar. rotundifolia"
      ],
      "year": 1785
    },
    {
      "author": "L.",
      "bibliography": "Sp. Pl.: 996 (1753)",
      "common_name": "Pedunculate oak",
      "complete_data": false,
      "completion_ratio": 27,
      "family": "Fagaceae",
      "family_common_name": null,
      "genus": "Quercus",
      "genus_id": 3519,
      "id": 77107,
      "image_url": "https://bs.plantnet.org/image/o/0d16977470dfdcd37d495a5b33c2f343224ebe98",
      "links": {
        "genus": "/api/v1/genus/quercus",
        "plant": "/api/v1/plants/quercus-robur",
        "self": "/api/v1/species/quercus-robur"
      },
      "rank": "species",
      "scientific_name": "Quercus robur",
      "slug": "quercus-robur",
      "status": "accepted",
      "synonyms": [
        "Quercus robur var. vulgaris",
        "Quercus robur subsp. eurobur"
      ],
      "year": 1753
    }
  ],
  "total": 279
}

Search species

Find species, subspecies, varieties, forms and hybrids by part of a name, best matches first. Like Search plants, but returns every taxon rather than one result per species, and can keep to chosen ranks.

Inputs

Search textquerytextRequired
What to look for: part of a species's common name in any language, its scientific name, or one of its synonyms. Best matches come first.
Ranksrankstext
Only these ranks: species, or the subspecies, varieties, forms and hybrids below them.One or more of: species, ssp (Subspecies), var (Variety), form, hybrid, subvar (Subvariety).
Edible onlyedible_onlytrue/false
Only plants Trefle records as edible. Trefle records this for few plants, so turning it on leaves a short list; leave it off to include every plant.
Vegetables onlyvegetables_onlytrue/false
Only plants Trefle records as vegetables.
Edible partsedible_partstext
Only plants with any of these parts recorded as edible.One or more of: roots, stem, leaves, flowers, fruits, seeds, tubers.
Flower coloursflower_colorstext
Only plants whose flowers are recorded in any of these colours.One or more of: white, red, brown, orange, yellow, lime, green, cyan, blue, purple, and 3 more.
Bloom monthsbloom_monthstext
Only plants recorded as flowering in any of these months.One or more of: jan (January), feb (February), mar (March), apr (April), may, jun (June), jul (July), aug (August), sep (September), oct (October), nov (November), dec (December).
Life cycledurationstext
Only plants with any of these life cycles. Trefle records a life cycle for very few plants so far.One or more of: annual (Annual (one growing season)), biennial (Biennial (two growing seasons)), perennial (Perennial (more than two years)).
Growth habitgrowth_habitstext
Only plants of any of these forms, as the USDA classes them. The way to find trees or shrubs: Trefle has this for far more plants than their height or woodiness.One or more of: Tree, Shrub, Subshrub, Vine, Forb/herb (Herb (forb)), Graminoid (Grass or grasslike (graminoid)), Nonvascular (Moss or liverwort (nonvascular)), Lichenous (Lichen).
Only with a pictureonly_with_imagetrue/false
Leave out plants Trefle has no picture of.
Only with a common nameonly_with_common_nametrue/false
Leave out plants with no common name in English, which is most of them: many are known by their scientific name alone.
Results per pagelimitnumber
How many results to return at once, from 1 to 100. Leave empty for 20.From 1 to 100.
Pagepagenumber
Which page of results to return, starting at 1, each as long as Results per page. Leave empty for the first page. A page past the last one comes back empty but still gives the total.From 1 to 2500.

Outputs

last_pagenumber
The last page's number. Trefle serves at most 2,500 pages of any list.
next_pagenumber
The next page's number, or null on the last page Trefle serves: the value to loop on.
pagenumber
This page's number.
specieslist
The species on this page.
totalnumber
How many species match, over all pages.
Example output
{
  "last_page": 1,
  "next_page": null,
  "page": 1,
  "species": [
    {
      "author": null,
      "bibliography": "Unknown",
      "common_name": "Balsam fir",
      "complete_data": false,
      "completion_ratio": 6,
      "family": "Pinaceae",
      "family_common_name": "Pine family",
      "genus": "Abies",
      "genus_id": 7230,
      "id": 411810,
      "image_url": null,
      "links": {
        "genus": "/api/v1/genus/abies",
        "plant": "/api/v1/plants/abies-balsamea",
        "self": "/api/v1/species/abies-balsamea-var-balsamea"
      },
      "rank": "var",
      "scientific_name": "Abies balsamea var. balsamea",
      "slug": "abies-balsamea-var-balsamea",
      "status": "accepted",
      "synonyms": [
        "Abies balsamea var. macrocarpa",
        "Abies minor"
      ],
      "year": null
    },
    {
      "author": null,
      "bibliography": "Unknown",
      "common_name": "Poison-grub commiphora",
      "complete_data": false,
      "completion_ratio": 6,
      "family": "Burseraceae",
      "family_common_name": null,
      "genus": "Commiphora",
      "genus_id": 6953,
      "id": 418235,
      "image_url": null,
      "links": {
        "genus": "/api/v1/genus/commiphora",
        "plant": "/api/v1/plants/commiphora-africana",
        "self": "/api/v1/species/commiphora-africana-var-africana"
      },
      "rank": "var",
      "scientific_name": "Commiphora africana var. africana",
      "slug": "commiphora-africana-var-africana",
      "status": "accepted",
      "synonyms": [
        "Commiphora loandensis",
        "Commiphora nkolola"
      ],
      "year": 1883
    }
  ],
  "total": 5
}

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