Tables

BG-BASE is composed of over 300 database tables. The major tables and the functions that they perform are listed in the table below. Also listed are the number of data fields¹ and symbolic fields¹ in each database table as well as the module(s)² in which the database table is found.

Major BG-BASE database tables
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Database table # of fields¹  Modules²	Description
ACCESSIONS 121 data fields 414 symbolic field(s)	The ACCESSIONS table stores a record for each accession (living or dead) entering the living collections of an institution. An accession must represent only one taxon acquired from one source in one form (seed vs. cutting, etc.) at one time. These records track the genetic lineage, propagule type, genetic sampling of the original material, provenance type, wild collecting details, source or donor of the material, justification for why the accession is being grown, and special characteristics of the accession. Each accession is uniquely identified by its accession number. These "numbers" must not include any quotation marks ("), apostrophes ('), asterisks (*), exclamation points (!), at-signs (@), dollar signs ($), percent signs (%), ampersands (&), commas (,) curly braces ({}), or spaces. They may, however, be composed of both numbers and letters, as long as they are unique within this table. Individuals - or massed plantings - within an accession are tracked separately in the PLANTS table. When an accession dies (or, more precisely, all the individuals of the accession die), do NOT remove the record from the ACCESSIONS table. BG-BASE needs to keep track of ALL accessions, living or dead, as other tables contain links to this table.
ACCOUNTS 2 data fields 3 symbolic field(s)	The ACCOUNTS table stores a record for each finance account used within an institution for membership and accounting purposes. The key field is CODE, assigned by the user. There is also a field to describe the account.
ACTIVITIES 11 data fields 25 symbolic field(s)	The ACTIVITIES table contains information on work undertaken by an individual. These records can be used to create daily time sheets as well as to track horticultural activities such as spraying, pruning, etc. Each record is uniquely identified by a two-part key composed of the person's initials (key field in the STAFF table) and the date. Within each record, there are multivalue fields for project code, number of hours worked, a description of the activity, and the person that should be billed for this work.
ACTIVITY.CODES 5 data fields 11 symbolic field(s)	The ACTIVITY.CODES table stores a record for each type of activity being tracked. Create a record for each activity by assigning a 1-3 letter code and then explain the code in the MEANING field (required). You can optionally enter one or more keywords to further describe the activity. Each word in the MEANING and KEYWORD field is indexed.
ADDITIVE.CODES 5 data fields 11 symbolic field(s)	The ADDITIVE.CODES table stores a record for each additive used in the propagation or micropropagation activities of the institution. Create a record for each additive by assigning a 1-2 letter code and then explain the code in the MEANING field (required). You can optionally enter one or more keywords to further describe the additive. Each word in the MEANING and KEYWORD field is indexed.
AMINO.ACID.CODES 6 data fields 11 symbolic field(s)	The AMINO.ACID.CODES table stores a record for each amino acid used in the propagation or micropropagation activities of the institution. The key field is a 1-2 letter CODE assigned by the user. There is also a required MEANING field and an optional KEYWORD field.
ARTISTS 15 data fields 27 symbolic field(s)	The ARTISTS table stores a record for each artist or photographer associated with the images tracked by an institution. The key field is the ARTIST.ID, a unique alphanumeric code assigned to each artist. In addition, there are fields for the artist's first and last names as well as the birth and death date.
ASSOCIATIONS 8 data fields 12 symbolic field(s)	The ASSOCIATIONS table stores a record for each type of association that ties together records in the CONTACTS table. These associations might involve status as a volunteer or trustee, interests shared by individuals, and do on. Create a record for each association by assigning a 1-4 character alphanumeric code and then explain the code in the DESCRIPTION field.
AUTHORS 33 data fields 22 symbolic field(s)	The AUTHORS table stores a record for each author of scientific names. The key field is the AUTHOR.NUM, a sequential number assigned to each author. In addition, there are fields for the author's first, middle and last names, the abbreviation that should be used for the author, the major taxa in which the author published scientific names, and the birth and death date as well as a date range when the author flourished (when the birth and death dates are not known).
AUTOCAD 8 data fields 3 symbolic field(s)	The AUTOCAD table stores a record for each plant within the living collections along with the map number and x-, y-, and z-coordinates for the plant. These data are derived from an AutoCAD aplication written for and used by the Arnold Arboretum to map their collections; they are not entered or changed by the user through this table. The key field is composed of two parts - ACC.NUM and ACC.NUM.QUAL.
AWARD.ORGANIZATIONS 22 data fields 12 symbolic field(s)	The AWARD ORGANIZATIONS table stores a record for each organization granting horticultural awards. The key field is the CODE, a unique alphanumeric code assigned to each such organization. In addition, there are multivalue fields for the actual awards given out by the organization as well as the committees making the awards.
AWARD.SITES 7 data fields 12 symbolic field(s)	The AWARD SITES table stores a record for each site at which awards are given. The key field is the SITE.NUM, a number that uniquely identifies the site. In addition, there are fields for the name of the site and the country.
AWARDS 43 data fields 58 symbolic field(s)	The AWARDS table stores a record for each award given to a taxon. The key field is CODE, a sequential number that uniquely identifies the award. In addition, there are fields for the name of the taxon (NAME.NUM), part(s) of plant awarded, type of award, award organization, award site, date of award, and role(s) of people involved in the award.
BAILEY.ECOREGIONS 7 data fields 13 symbolic field(s)	The BAILEY.ECOREGIONS table stores a record for each Bailey ecoregion. This table derives from Bailey, R.G., P.E. Avers, T. King, W.H. McNab (eds.) 1994. Ecoregions and subregions of the United States (map). Washington, DC: USDA Forest Service. 1:7,500,000. With supplementary table of map unit descriptions, compiled and edited by W.H. McNab and R.G. Bailey. Its contents should not be edited by the user.
BARCODES 12 data fields 20 symbolic field(s)	The BARCODES table stores a record for each barcode assigned to a data source, an image, a plant, a propagation, or a specimen. It is maintained automatically by the system via an index from the BARCODE field in the DS, IMAGES, PLANTS, PROPAGATIONS and SPECIMENS tables. If there is more than one record associated with this barcode, then there has been a data entry error, which should be corrected from the DS, IMAGES, PLANTS, PROPAGATIONS tables, not from this table.
BERN.NAMES 5 data fields 25 symbolic field(s)	The BERN.NAMES table stores a record for each plant and animal taxon listed in Appendices I, II and III of the Bern Convention (Council of Europe. 5 March 1998). The key field is the NAME.NUM, which must exist as the key field in the NAMES table before a record can be created in this table. In addition, there are fields for the Appendix on which the taxon is listed and for the name under which the taxon was listed (if it was not listed under the currently accepted name as stored in the NAMES table) and common names used by the Bern Convention.
BRUS 49 data fields 45 symbolic field(s)	The BRUS table stores a record for each Biological Recording Unit as assigned in Hollis, S. & Brummitt, R.K. 1992. World geographical scheme for recording plant distributions. Plant Taxonomic Database Standards No. 2, Version 1. These BRUS records are hierarchically arranged and are assigned one of four levels - from 1 (continent) to 4 (sub-country unit). The key field is CODE, a numeric or alphabetic code assigned to each unit. In addition, there are fields for the level, name of unit (in English, French, German, Spanish), country, the unit(s) of which this unit is a part, as well as latitude and longitude.
BUSINESS.CODES 5 data fields 11 symbolic field(s)	The BUSINESS.CODES table stores a record for each type of business tracked within the NURSERIES table. Create a record for each business by assigning a 1-4 letter code and then explain the code in the MEANING field (required). You can optionally enter one or more keywords to further describe the business. Each word in the MEANING and KEYWORD field is indexed.
CAMERAS 5 data fields 11 symbolic field(s)	The CAMERAS table stores a record for each combination of camera and lens. The key field is CODE, a unique numeric code assigned to each combination of camera and lens. In addition there are fields for meaning and keyword.
CARBOHYDRATE.CODES 5 data fields 11 symbolic field(s)	The CARBOHYDRATE.CODES table stores a record for each carbohydrate used in the propagation or micropropagation activities of the institution. Create a record for each carbohydrate by assigning a 1-3 letter code and then explain the code in the MEANING field (required). You can optionally enter one or more keywords to further describe the carbohydrate. Each word in the MEANING and KEYWORD field is indexed.
CITATION.FORMAT.ITEMS 48 data fields 37 symbolic field(s)	The CITATION.FORMAT.ITEMS table stores a record for the formatting rules used for a particular type of data source (book, journal article, etc.) in a particular publication (in-house publications, Nature, Science, etc.) The key field is composed of two parts - CODE, a unique numeric code used as the key field in the CITATION.FORMATS table specifying the format rules, and DS.TYPE, the type of data source being formatted (book, chapter, journal article, etc.). In addition, there are fields for the name of the format and multivalue fields for the DS fields to be shown in the format as well as attributes (bold, italic, etc.) of each such field.
CITATION.FORMATS 7 data fields 14 symbolic field(s)	The CITATION.FORMATS table stores a record for each set of formatting rules for citing bibliographic references in different publications. These citations come from the DS (data sources) table. The key field is CODE, a numeric code assigned to each format. In addition, there are fields for the name of the format and keywords. Once you have set up a code in this table, you will need to create separate records for each of the types of data source (books, chapters in books, journal articles, etc.) in another table, CITATION.FORMAT.ITEMS.
CITES.NOTICES 24 data fields 73 symbolic field(s)	The CITES.NOTICES table contains a record for each notice produced by the CITES Secretariat. The key field is NOTICE.NUM, a sequential number assigned by the system. There are also fields for LAW.NUM, NAME.NUM, COUNTRY.CODE, APPENDIX and NOTICE.DT.
CLASSES 10 data fields 12 symbolic field(s)	The CLASSES table stores a record for each taxonomic class tracked by an institution. The key field is the name of the class. There is also a field for the major taxon (monocot, dicot, etc.) to which the class belongs. There are also multivalue fields listing the families, orders and subclasses that are part of this class; these are maintained automatically by the system. To see a list of classes, press F2 at the key field.
COLL.BOOKS 101 data fields 154 symbolic field(s)	The COLL.BOOKS table stores information about collections of plants or animals. It is used to store all the locality, altitude, precipitation, and descriptive information made when a collection is made. It can be used as a stand-alone table for capturing this information in the field. The key field is composed of two parts - COLL.ID and COLL.NUM (a unique number assigned by this collector). The COLL.ID must exist as the key field in the COLLECTORS table before a record can be created in this table. Once a record has been created in this table, information from it can be used to flood-fill similar fields in the ACCESSIONS and SPECIMENS tables.
COLLECTORS 39 data fields 63 symbolic field(s)	The COLLECTORS table stores information about individual collectors, collector groups and expeditions. It is used to standardize the citation of collectors and to facilitate making collector and expedition itineraries. The key field is the COLL.ID, an alphanumeric code assigned by the institution. Each collector id unique identifies one collector, a collection group, or an expedition. In addition, there are fields for first, middle, and last name(s), participants (for expedition records), as well as birth and death dates for collectors and beginning and ending dates for expeditions.
COLLNUMS 16 data fields 64 symbolic field(s)	The COLLNUMS table stores information about collection numbers assigned by a collector. It is created automatically by the system and cannot be edited by the user. The key field is composed of two parts - COLL.ID and COLL.NUM (a unique number assigned by this collector). Whenever the COLL.ID and COLL.NUM fields in the ACCESSIONS, GERMPLASM, IMAGES, PROPAGATIONS, SPECIMENS, or VERIFICATIONS tables are filled in, a record is either created or updated in this table. This allows you to see all accessions, germplasm, images, propagations, specimens, or verifications relating to any specific combination of collector id and collector number. This facility can be used to track down NAME.NUM inconsistencies in these tables.
COLLSTATS 19 data fields 11 symbolic field(s)	The COLLSTATS table stores information about collection statistics. It is updated automatically by the system when a user issues the COUNT.TAXA command and cannot be edited by the user. These counts can be performed for the ACCESSIONS, DISTRIBUTIONS, GERMPLASM, NAMES, PLANTS, PROPAGATIONS and SPECIMENS tables. The key field is composed of three parts - MAJOR.TAXON, NAME OF FILE, and type of count (alive, in-collection, or total). In addition, there are multivalue fields for families, genera, species, taxa, and records which hold information on the number of records in each of these categories; in addition, there are date fields associated with each of these fields. The first value in each field is the most recent count.
COLORS 5 data fields 18 symbolic field(s)	The COLORS table contains a code for each color, as used in the NAMES table. The key field is CODE.
CONFIGURATION 18 data fields 8 symbolic field(s)	The CONFIGURATION table stores records for institution-specific configuration options. The key field is CONFIGURATION. In addition, there is a multivalue field for the actual configuration value(s) and a description of what each record controls.
CONSNAMES 56 data fields 74 symbolic field(s)	The CONSNAMES table stores a record for every scientific name for which the "new" IUCN Red Data Book categories are tracked. The key field is composed of two parts - NAME.NUM (key field in the NAMES table) and COUNTER (a sequential counter to distinguish between disparate rankings assigned to the same taxon at different times). In addition, there are fields for the "new" IUCN category being assigned, and multivalue fields for the criteria used to assign CR, EN, and VU categories. There are also fields for storing the data source(s) and threats associated with this conservation assessment.
CONS_AREAS 33 data fields 125 symbolic field(s)	The CONS_AREAS table stores a record for each conservation area of interest to an institution. The key field is PADU.CODE, a number assigned to conservation areas by the Protected Areas Data Unit (PADU) of the World Conservation Monitoring Centre (WCMC). In addition, there are fields for the name of the area, the IUCN category, the type of area (National Park, Nature Reserve, Sanctuary, etc.), latitude/longitude, BRU code, year of designation, area, altitudinal range, realm, biome, and province.
CONS_AREAS_DESIGNATIONS 4 data fields 7 symbolic field(s)	The CONS_AREAS_DESIGNATIONS table stores a record for each kind of conservation area. The key field is CODE, an alpha code which is case-sensitive. These codes are assigned by the Protected Areas Data Unit (PADU) of the World Conservtion Monitoring Centre (WCMC). In addition to the code, there is a MEANING field. These records should never be altered by a user of BG-BASE.
CONS_AREAS_INFO 154 data fields 81 symbolic field(s)	The CONS_AREAS_INFO table stores various kinds of published and unpublished information concerning conservation areas. The key field is CODE, the key field in the CONS_AREAS table. There are also fields for habitat information, as well as a series of fields for the number of endemic/total taxa, species, genera, and families across a range of taxonomic groups (plants, monocots, dicots, trees, birds, mammals, large mammals, reptiles, amphibians). In addition, there are fields for the data sources that supply this information.
CONS_AREAS_LINKS 20 data fields 61 symbolic field(s)	The CONS_AREAS_LINKS table stores information about plants and animals known or suspected to be in conservation areas. The key field is composed of two parts - NAME.NUM (the key field in the NAMES table) and CODE (the key field in the CONS_AREAS table). There are also fields for the data source supplying this information, area qualifier, flags for occurrence, endemism, and introduced status, abundance, vegetation, habit, year last seen, use and altitude.
CONTACT.LISTS 6 data fields 16 symbolic field(s)	The CONTACT.LISTS table stores a record for each kind of list with which one or more CONTACTS records can be associated. Individual CONTACTS records can then be linked to one or more of these lists. The key field is CODE, a 1-5 character code assigned by the user. In addition there is a DESCRIPTION field that is required.
CONTACTS 136 data fields 251 symbolic field(s)	The CONTACTS table stores a record for each individual (or institution) that is of interest to an institution using BG-BASE. These records might be members, Friends, professional contacts, collaborating institutions, and so on. The key field is CODE, a sequential number assigned by the system. There are also fields for first, middle, and last names, formal and informal salutation, work and home address, work and home phone/fax, email, source, keyword, links to other CONTACTS records, membership status, membership category, next billing date, and multivalue fields for the lists of which this record is a part, membership benefits, associations, geographic area of expertise and taxonomic expertise. This table can be used to create merge letters (either through BG-BASE or by exporting them in dBASE format for a word processing package) and for producing mailing labels and envelopes.
CONTAINER.CODES 6 data fields 10 symbolic field(s)	The CONTAINER.CODES table stores a record for each container type used in the propagation or micropropagation activities of the institution. Create a record for each container type by assigning a 1-4 letter code and then explain the code in the MEANING field (required). You can optionally enter one or more keywords to further describe the container type. Each word in the MEANING and KEYWORD field is indexed.
CORINE.NAMES 5 data fields 25 symbolic field(s)	The CORINE.NAMES table stores a record for each taxon listed or proposed for listing on the CORINE list. The key field is the NAME.NUM, which must exist as the key field in the NAMES table before a record can be created in this table. In addition, there are fields for whether the taxon has been listed or proposed for listing and for the name under which the taxon was listed (if it was not listed under the currently accepted name as stored in the NAMES table) as well as the common name(s) used in CORINE.
COUNTRIES 90 data fields 78 symbolic field(s)	The COUNTRIES table stores a record for each country recognized by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO 3166). The key field is the 2-letter COUNTRY.CODE assigned by ISO in its standard 3166. There are also fields for the 3-letter ISO code, the ISO number for the country, a short name, the official name, the capital, the region to which the country belongs, the latitude, longitude, the country's international telephone code, and its unit of currency. Data in this table are supplied as part of BG-BASE and should not be edited by the user.
COURSE.NUMS 18 data fields 12 symbolic field(s)	The COURSE.NUMS table stores a record for each course offered by an institution. The key field is COURSE.NUM, an alphanumeric code assigned by the user. There are also fields for the title and short title of the course, cost for members, cost for non-members, cost for docents, materials cost, minimum and maximum enrollments, and required text(s). The use of this table is optional, but using it speeds up data entry when creating records in the COURSES table since the fields noted above can be copied into each COURSES record (COURSES records have a two-part key - the COURSE.NUM field as in this table and the semester in which the course is being offered).
COURSES 55 data fields 89 symbolic field(s)	The COURSES table stores a record for each course offered in each semester by an institution. The key field is composed of two parts - COURSE.NUM, an alphanumeric code assigned by the user, and SEMESTER. There are also fields for the title and short title of the course, cost for members, cost for non-members, cost for docents, cost for staff, cost for volunteers, cost for associates, materials cost, minimum and maximum enrollments, required text(s), certificate credit, meal types, instructors, meeting dates, times, and places, income from the course and expenses incurred. The system stores multivalue lists of students who are confirmed wait-listed, and denied for each course. The information that is not specific to a particular semester (such as the name of the course) can be pulled from the appropriate record in the COURSE.NUMS file. The COURSES table is linked to students via the REGISTRATIONS table. The information in this table is used to create class lists and attendance sheets.
CREDIT.CARDS 6 data fields 10 symbolic field(s)	The CREDIT.CARDS table stores a record for each type of credit card tracked by an institution. The key field is a 1-6 letter CODE assigned by the user. There is also a required MEANING field and an optional KEYWORD field.
CURRENT.USERS 7 data fields 1 symbolic field(s)	The CURRENT.USERS table stores a record for each user currently using BG-BASE. It is maintained automatically by the system and can be used to ensure that no one using the system before various network or backup activities are begun. The key field is STATION, assigned by AREV to each workstation session in a networking environment.
DATEFACILITIES 6 data fields 22 symbolic field(s)	The DATES table stores a record for each date for which there are events scheduled (through the EVENTS table). The key field is DATE.NUM, the integer serving as the internal representation of a date (the number of days before or after a certain system date). There is also a multivalue field storing the key field values for all events linked to this date.
DATES 6 data fields 23 symbolic field(s)	The DATES table stores a record for each date for which there are events scheduled (through the EVENTS table). The key field is DATE.NUM, the integer serving as the internal representation of a date (the number of days before or after a certain system date). There is also a multivalue field storing the key field values for all events linked to this date.
DELCHARS 29 data fields 43 symbolic field(s)	The DELCHARS table stores a record for each DELTA character. The key field is NUM, a number sequentially assigned by the system. There are fields for character type, name of character/feature, unit, and an associated multivalue set of fields for character state code, state, and whether that state is implicit for this character. There are also fields to control dependent characters and character states, multivalue/single value flag, user-defined help for the character, an exclude flag, a mandatory flag, character heading, and range (for numeric characters).
DELETED.RECORDS.INFO 5 data fields 1 symbolic field(s)	The DELETED.RECORDS.INFO table stores information about who deleted a record and when the deletion occcured; it is maintained by the system by means of a subroutine that is called when the user asks to delete a record. The key field is composed of three parts - the name of the table, a counter, and the name of the key in the table. The counter is determined by looking for previous deletions of this same record and then incrementing the counter (which is set at 0 initially) if necessary to make this record unique in this table. There are also fields for the initials of the person deleting the record as well as the date and time the deletion occurred. There is a comparable record in the DELETED.RECORDS table that contains the actual record that was deleted.
DELIDS 3 data fields 2 symbolic field(s)	The DELIDS table stores a record for each combination of DELSPEC and ID that has been used to create DELITEMS records. These ID values may be name numbers, accession numbers, or names of genera or families, depending on the information stored in the DELSPECS table. The key field is composed of 2 parts, DELSPEC (the key field in the DELSPECS file) and ID. As noted above, the ID is the key field in one of several tables (NAMES, ACCESSIONS, GENERA, FAMILIES). There is also a multivalue field storing the DELITEMS record keys; these are maintained by the system through relational indexes and cannot be changed by the user. This table cannot be altered by the user; it is maintained soley via relational indexes from the DELITEMS table.
DELITEMS 13 data fields 46 symbolic field(s)	The DELITEMS table stores a record for each DELTA coding of an 'item' (usually a taxon, but an 'item' could be a herbarium specimen, a living accession, etc.) There may be more than one coding per item, each stored as a separate record. The key field is composed of three parts - DELSPEC, ID and COUNTER. There are also fields for a qualifying phrase about this description as well as a set of associated multivalue fields storing the character number (key field in the DELCHARS table) and the coded or free-text value associated with that character.
DELSITES 69 data fields 57 symbolic field(s)	The DELSITES table stores a record for each institution/person who is using BG-BASE or who has expressed interest in it. The key field is CODE. There are also fields for address, phone, fax, email, contact name, status, newsletter status, support agreements, tagname, etc.
DELSPECS 13 data fields 9 symbolic field(s)	The DELSPECS table stores a record for DELTA specifications. The key field is RECID, a number that uniquely identifies this DELTA data set. There are also fields for the BG-BASE file name with which this data set is associated as well as various DELTA directives necessary to export or use a DELTA-encoded character set.
DEPARTMENT.CODES 7 data fields 12 symbolic field(s)	The DEPARTMENT.CODES table stores a record for each department (or other administrative unit) within an institution. The key field is a 1-4 character code assigned by the user. There is also a required MEANING field and an optional KEYWORD field.
DESIDERATA 58 data fields 105 symbolic field(s)	The DESIDERATA table stores a record for each request for new or repropagated plants for the living collections. The key field is REQ.NUM, a sequential number assigned by the system. There are also fields for type of request, priority, the person making the request, the date of request, the date that the material is needed, the amount needed, the original accession number, the country of origin, approval status, and completion flag.
DESITEMS 39 data fields 72 symbolic field(s)	The DESITEMS table stores a record for each item in an request for new or repropagated plants for the living collections. The key field is composed of two parts -- REQ.NUM (the key field in the DESIDERATA table) and ITEM, a sequential counter assigned to each item in a request. There are also fields to link the record to the ACCESSIONS, GERMPLASM, NAMES and SPECIMENS tables, as well as for MATERIAL.TYPE, NUM.SENT, and reminders.
DIE.WHY.CODES 7 data fields 10 symbolic field(s)	The DIE.WHY.CODES table stores a record for each possible cause of death of material in the living collections. The key field is a 1-3 letter code assigned by the user. In addition, there is a required MEANING field and an optional KEYWORD field.
DISTRIBUTIONS 104 data fields 113 symbolic field(s)	The DISTRIBUTIONS table stores a record for each taxon/BRU combination. It is automatically updated when the user fills in the BRU.DISTRIBUTIONS field in the NAMES file, although records can be created directly as well. The key field is composed of two parts - NAME.NUM (key field in NAMES table) and BRU.CODE (key field in BRUS table). There are also fields for the data source of this distribution information, a free-text qualifier for the exact distribution within the area, flags for occurrence and introduced status within the area, flag for whether there is a map of the distribution within the area, conservation status, number of individuals left, threats, date last seen, protected areas, habitats, and legal status.
DONATIONS 95 data fields 183 symbolic field(s)	The DONATIONS table stores a record for each donation, gift, grant, or other contribution to the institution. The key field is DONATION.NUM, a sequential number automatically assigned by the system. There are also fields for the contact number (key field in the CONTACTS table; required), membership category, amount, date, how paid, solicitation, who paid, membership for, who bill, acknowledgment letter, and flags for do not bill and anonymous.
DS 87 data fields 169 symbolic field(s)	The DS table stores a record for each data source of relevance to an institution. These data sources may be bibliographic (books, journals, journal articles, chapters in books, unpublished manuscripts, etc.), or otherwise (phone conversations, site visits, etc.) The key field is DS.NUM, a sequential number assigned by the system. There are also fields for the type of data source, medium, names of authors, publication date, title, subtitle, source, volume/number, pagination, publisher, place, ISBN, ISSN, call number/shelf mark, location, sublocation, price, purchase place, countries of relevance, geographic areas of relevance, families, genera, and scientific names of relevance, keyword, abstract, relevance codes, access flag, and flag for accuracy of citation.
DS.LISTS 6 data fields 16 symbolic field(s)	The DS.LISTS table stores a record for each kind of list with which one or more DS records can be associated. Individual DS records can then be linked to one or more of these lists. The key field is CODE, a 1-5 character code assigned by the user. In addition there is a DESCRIPTION field that is required as well as an optional STAFF and RESTRICTED fields.
DS.LOCATIONS 3 data fields 5 symbolic field(s)	The DS.LOCATIONS table stores a record for each location in which data sources can be found within. Usually these are areas within an institution (such as the library, a staff member's office, etc.), but they may refer to locations outside the institution if desired. The key field is CODE, a unique code assigned by the user. In addition, there is a field for the description of the location as well as a multivalue field of data source sublocations associated with this location. These sublocations might be shelf numbers in a library, box files in an office, etc.; they are maintained automatically by the system from the DS.SUBLOCATIONS table.
DS.RELEVANCE 5 data fields 14 symbolic field(s)	The DS.RELEVANCE table stores a record for system-defined as well as user- defined relevance codes that can be applied to data sources (DS table). The key field is CODE, an alphanumeric code assigned by the user or by BG-BASE, Inc. In addition, there is a description field.
DS.SUB.LOCATIONS 14 data fields 18 symbolic field(s)	The DS.SUB.LOCATIONS table stores a record for each portion of a data source location, such as a shelf number within a library, or a box file in an office. The key field is composed of two parts - LOC.CODE (key field in the DS.LOCATIONS table) and CODE (a unique code within this location). There is also a field for describing the sublocation, contents, and keyword.
DUPLICATE.NAMES 4 data fields 13 symbolic field(s)	The DUPLICATE.NAMES table stores a record for each duplicate name pair that was located by running the DUPLICATE.NAME.SEARCH program. The key field is a sequential number assigned by running the program. There are also fields for the two name numbers that are duplicate.
ECOSYSTEM.CODES 5 data fields 11 symbolic field(s)	The ECOSYSTEM.CODES table stores a record for each ecosystem tracked by an institution. Create a record for each ecosyste by assigning a 1-3 letter code and then explain the code in the MEANING field (required). You can optionally enter one or more keywords to further describe the ecosystem. Each word in the MEANING and KEYWORD field is indexed.
EEC.NAMES 6 data fields 27 symbolic field(s)	The EEC.NAMES table stores a record for each taxon listed by the EEC (European Economic Community). The key field is the NAME.NUM, which must exist as the key field in the NAMES table before a record can be created in this table. In addition, there are fields for the Annex on which the taxon is listed, for the name under which the taxon was listed (if it was not listed under the currently accepted name as stored in the NAMES table), and common name.
ENVIRONMENT.CODES 6 data fields 10 symbolic field(s)	The ENVIRONMENT.CODES table stores a record for each environmental regime under which plants in the propagation or micropropagation units of the institution are grown. Create a record for each environmental regime by assigning a 1-letter code and then explain the code in the MEANING field (required). You can optionally enter one or more keywords to further describe the environmental regime. Each word in the MEANING and KEYWORD field is indexed.
EQUIPMENT 9 data fields 15 symbolic field(s)	The EQUIPMENT table stores a record for each piece of equipment that can be reserved using BG-BASE's calendar facilities. The key field is CODE, a numeric code sequentially assigned by the system. There also fields for the description of the equipment, barcode, and keyword.
EU.DECISIONS 31 data fields 72 symbolic field(s)	The EU.DECISIONS table stores a record for each decision made by the European Union concerning the conservation and legal status of threatened plants and animals. The key field is DECISION.NUM, a sequential number assigned by the system. There are also fields for LAW.NUM, NAME.NUM, COUNTRY.CODE, ANNEX, DECISION.DT, LISTING.DT, RESTRICTION.DT, RESTRICTION and LEVEL.
EVENTS 70 data fields 151 symbolic field(s)	The EVENTS table stores a record for each institutional or personal event (visitor, meeting, seminar, tour, class, school group, etc.). The key field is EVENT.NUM, a sequential number automatically assigned by the system. There are also fields for the type of event, beginning date, ending date, beginning time, ending time, facility/room, description, staff involved, group size, group grade, contact name, special needs, reservation date, confirmation date, charge, and payment.
EXPERTISE.CODES 6 data fields 10 symbolic field(s)	The EXPERTISE.CODES table stores a record for each expertise being tracked. Create a record for each expertise by assigning a 1-3 letter code and then explain the code in the MEANING field (required). You can optionally enter one or more keywords to further describe the expertise. Each word in the MEANING and KEYWORD field is indexed.
FACILITIES 10 data fields 16 symbolic field(s)	The FACILITIES table stores a record for each institutional facility (room, hall, trail, etc.) in which events can be scheduled. The key field is CODE, a 1-4 character code assigned by the user. There are also fields for the description of the facility, capacity, and keyword.
FAMILIES 72 data fields 72 symbolic field(s)	The FAMILIES table stores a record for each botanical or zoological family. The key field is FAMILY, the name of the family. There are also fields for code, the preferred name (for those botanical families that have two equally correct family names, such as Asteraceae and Compositae), common name(s), subfamilies within the family, kingdom, and major taxon, subclass, and order to which the family belongs. In addition, fields to store numbering schemes used by various major institutions for the family as well as information on the family's status on CITES or EEC regulations.
FAQS 11 data fields 23 symbolic field(s)	The FAQS table stores a record for each frequently asked question about BG-BASE. It is supplied by BG-BASE, Inc., and should not be changed by the user. The key field is CODE, a sequential number assigned by the system. There are also fields for the question, the answer, and keywords.
FILMS 6 data fields 10 symbolic field(s)	The FILMS table stores a record for each type of film used. The key field is CODE, a sequential number assigned by the system. There is also a required MEANING field and an optional KEYWORD field.
GARDEN.COLLECTIONS 8 data fields 20 symbolic field(s)	The GARDEN.COLLECTIONS table stores a record for each type of collection within the institution. These collections are often thematic ones, such as arid plants, epiphytes, plants from China, etc. The key field is GARDEN.CODE, a code assigned by the user. There is also a field for the description of the collection. The system keeps a multivalue list of all plants associated with this collection.
GENERA 77 data fields 82 symbolic field(s)	The GENERA table stores a record for each genus. The key field is GENUS, the name of the genus. In the case of generic homonyms, use a .1, .2, etc. appended to the generic name to make the records unique (these will be stripped out by the system before the genus is displayed). There are also fields for the author, the family and subfamily to which the genus is assigned, publication place and year, common names, accept status, homonym flag, accepted genus (if a generic synonym), parentage (if a hybrid genus), and keyword. In addition, there are fields for the genus's status on CITES or EEC regulations.
GERMINATIONS 69 data fields 41 symbolic field(s)	The GERMINATIONS table stores a record for each germination test carried out by an institution. The key field is composed of two parts - LOT.NUM (key field in the GERMPLASM table) and TEST.NUM, a sequential counter for tests within the germplasm. There are also fields for type of material, medium code and concentration. There are multivalue fields for matrix code(s) and concentration, matrix water supply, carbohydrate code(s) and concentration, vitamin code(s) and concentation, amino acid code(s) and concentration, regulator code(s) and concentration, and additive code(s) and concentration, In addition, there are fields for miscellaneous information about this medium, environment code, temperature regime, photoperiod regime, time left in this medium, and results. Finally, there is a set of multivalue fields tracking observations of germination dates, number of seeds germinated, number that have molded, number removed, person making the observation, miscellaneous information about the observation, starting date, ending date and where the material was sent.
GERMPLASM 86 data fields 165 symbolic field(s)	The GERMPLASM table stores a record for frozen seeds, spores and DNA. The key field is LOT.NUM, a sequential number assigned by the system. There are also fields for type of germplasm, accession number, accession number qualifier, name number, name of taxon, type of provenance, code for genetic sample, location, storage date, amount left, moisture content, recollection flag, pretreatment(s), environment code, light regime code, temperature regime, minimum/maximum temperature, viability test results, and germinability test results.
GLOSSARY 9 data fields 13 symbolic field(s)	The GLOSSARY table stores a record for definitions of various words and phrases dealing with computing and biology. The key field is CODE, a sequential number assigned by the system. There are also fields for the word or phrase, definition, the subject category, keywords, and a see also field.
GRAFT.CODES 6 data fields 10 symbolic field(s)	The GRAFT.CODES table stores a record for each graft type used in the propagation or micropropagation activities of the institution. Create a record for each graft type by assigning a 2-letter code and then explain the code in the MEANING field (required). You can optionally enter one or more keywords to further describe the graft type. Each word in the MEANING and KEYWORD field is indexed.
HAB.DIR.NAMES 5 data fields 25 symbolic field(s)	The HAB.DIR.NAMES table stores a record for each taxon listed by the Habitats Directive. The key field is the NAME.NUM, which must exist as the key field in the NAMES table before a record can be created in this table. In addition, there are fields for the Annex on which the taxon is listed, for the name under which the taxon was listed (if it was not listed under the currently accepted name as stored in the NAMES table), and common name.
HERBARIA 43 data fields 21 symbolic field(s)	The HERBARIA table stores a record for each herbarium or other institution with which this institution is involved in exchanging preserved collections. The key field is CODE. For herbaria recognized in Index Herbariorum, this code should be the code given in IH; for other herbaria this should be a unique number. There are also fields for name of the herbarium, address, phone, fax, email, contact name, contact position, keyword, starting balance (for keeping track of the number of specimens given to/owed by an institution), and flags for the countries and families in which the herbarium has an interest if there is duplicate material.
HORMONE.CODES 9 data fields 12 symbolic field(s)	The HORMONE.CODES table stores a record for each hormone regime used in the propagation or micropropagation activities of the institution. Create a record for each hormone regime by assigning a 1-2 letter code and then explain the code in the MEANING field (required). You can optionally enter one or more keywords to further describe the hormone regime. There is also a RECIPE field for storing the components of this hormone or growth regulator.
HORT.TASK.CODES 5 data fields 11 symbolic field(s)	The HORT.TASK.CODES table stores a record for each type of horticultural task that is undertaken by an institution. The key field is CODE, a code assigned by the user. There is also a field for the description of the task.
HORT.TASKS 34 data fields 50 symbolic field(s)	The HORT.TASKS table stores a record for each specific horticultural task that is requested or undertaken. The key field is CODE, a sequential number assigned by the system. There are also fields for the task code (key field in the HORT.TASKS table), the plant(s) involved (key field in the PLANTS table), the location(s) involved (key field in the LOCATIONS table), the genera involved (key field in the GENERA table), description, request date, requested by, completion date, and completed by.
IMAGE.LOAN.ITEMS 10 data fields 14 symbolic field(s)	The IMAGE.LOAN.ITEMS table stores a record for each image that is sent out on loan. The key field is LOAN.NUM, a sequential number assigned by the system. There are also fields for loan date, return date, condition when returned, and barcode. This table can be used with a barcode reader to ensure accurate and efficient data entry. When images are returned, the record is appropriately annotated; it is NOT deleted from this file (in other words, this file stores a complete loan history of the image).
IMAGES 84 data fields 100 symbolic field(s)	The IMAGES table stores a record for each image (photograph, drawing, painting, map, SEM micrograph, etc.) tracked by the institution. It can be used to store information about an image and/or to link the image information to a digitized version of the image. The key field is IMAGE.NUM, a sequential number assigned by the system. There are also fields for copy number, barcode, location of image, monochrome/color, copy/original, format, process, quality, orientation, dimensions, scale, magnification, camera, accession number(s), scientific name(s), flags for whether the image shows root, bark, flower, fruit, seed for each taxon in the image, subject category, subject, title of image, group to which the image belongs, people in the image, country and other geographic location fields, collector, collector number, artist/photographer, date of image, source of image, copyright, credit line, and keywords. If the image is stored electronically, there is a field for the file name and path.
INSTITUTIONS 30 data fields 42 symbolic field(s)	The INSTITUTIONS table stores a record for each institution, organization, agency, group or business with which one or more contacts are associated. It can be used to standardize and simplify data entry in the CONTACTS table. The key field is CODE, a sequential number assigned by the system. There are also fields for name of institution, acronym, address, phone, fax, email, Index Herbariorum code (key field in HERBARIA table), and keywords.
INTCODES 7 data fields 12 symbolic field(s)	The INTCODES table stores a record for each kind of interaction between two taxa. The key field is a 1-7 letter CODE assigned by the user. There is also a required MEANING field and an optional KEYWORD and RECIPROCAL field.
INTERACTIONS 21 data fields 32 symbolic field(s)	The INTERACTIONS table stores a record for each interaction between two taxa. The key field is composed of three parts: NAME.NUM1 (the key field to a record in the NAMES table), INTCODE (the key field in the INTCODES table), and NAME.NUM2 (the key field to a record in the NAMES table). In addition, there are fields for data source, specimen number, observation number, and miscellaneous information.
INTERESTS 6 data fields 10 symbolic field(s)	The INTERESTS table stores a record for each interest that can be linked to records in the CONTACTS table. The key field is a 1-3 letter CODE assigned by the user. There is also a required MEANING field and an optional KEYWORD field.
IUCN.CATS 9 data fields 10 symbolic field(s)	The IUCN.CATS table stores a record for each of the so-called 'old' IUCN Red Data Book category of threat. These categories are defined by IUCN - the World Conservation Union and should not be changed by the user. The key field is CATEGORY, an alphabetic code. There are also fields for the meaning of the code, a full description, and a sorting order.
JOB.NUMS 10 data fields 16 symbolic field(s)	The JOB.NUMS table stores a record for each job number tracked in the propagation or micropropagation units. The key field is a JOB.NUM, a sequential number assigned by the system. There is also a field for the name number, the name, a multivalue field for the accession numbers, and a multivalue keyword field.
JOURNALS 34 data fields 23 symbolic field(s)	The JOURNALS table stores a record for each journal or other serial with which one or more data sources might be associated. It can be used to standardize and simplify data entry in the DS table. The key field is CODE, a sequential number assigned by the system. There are also fields for the name of the journals, 5 abbreviation formats, preferred abbreviation flag, publisher, first publication year, last publication year, followed by, preceded by, ISSN, and keyword.
LABEL.FORMATS 55 data fields 23 symbolic field(s)	The LABEL.FORMATS table stores a record for each label format used by an institution to create specimen labels. The key field is CODE, a sequential number assigned by the system. There are also fields for the name of the label, type of label, paper size, margins, number to print across the page, typeface, owner, database table from which the label information is to be drawn, project number (key field in the PROJECT.NUMS table), display/suppress horizontal lines separating header and footer from the body of the label, 2 header lines, and footer. There is a series of multivalue fields describing the order and attributes of each field to be displayed on the label: field name, field tag, justification, maximum length, bold, italics, underlined, force first letter uppercase, force all uppercase, suppress/display nulls, relative position, relative point size, bracket character, multivalue character, termination character, gap before next field, and continuation flag. Once a label has been defined in this table, as many SPECIMENS can be attached to the label format as necessary, thereby producing user- or project-specific labels consistently.
LABEL.REQUESTS 29 data fields 146 symbolic field(s)	The LABEL.REQUESTS table stores a record for each label that has been requested through the system. Label requests can be made for engraved, embossed, barcoded, or laser printer labels. The key field is REQUEST.NUM, a sequential number assigned by the system. There are also fields for the type of label (key field in LABEL.TYPES table), label format (key field in the LABEL.FORMATS table), number needed, justification, propagation number, accession number, accession number qualifier, name of taxon, requested by, requested date, where to send, stand size, number of holes, reversed engraving, color of label stock, status of request (pending, sent, completed), batch number, and completion date. Records in this table can be generated semi-automatically from the PLANTS and PROPAGATIONS tables.
LABEL.TYPES 19 data fields 13 symbolic field(s)	The LABEL.TYPES table stores a record for each type of label used by an institution. The key field is CODE, an alphanumeric code assigned by the user. There is also a field for the description of the type of label.
LAWS 32 data fields 34 symbolic field(s)	The LAWS table stores a record for each law tracked by an institution. Generally, these are environmental laws, but the system makes no assumption that this is necessarily true. The key field is CODE, a sequential number assigned by the system. There are also fields for the official name of the law, the country code (the key field in the COUNTRIES table), the BRU (Biological Recording Unit, the key field in the BRUS table), description of the law, flags for whether the law is specific or general and for whether it is current or has been superceded, data source (key field in the DS table), flags for whether the law covers girth limits, felling bans, export bans, and other limits, a multivalue field for genera covered by the law and a multivalue field for the individual taxa covered by the law; for each taxon, there is also a field to track the name of the taxon as stated in the law.
LCCALLNUMS 20 data fields 20 symbolic field(s)	The LCHEADS table stores a record for Library of Congress subject headings that can be applied to data sources (DS table). The key field is CODE, a sequential counter assigned by the system. There are also fields for STATUS, SUBJECT.HEADING, LCCALL (Library of Congress call number), SYN.OF, SEE.ALSO, PART.OF and KEYWORD. The only source of information for this table should be the official Library of Congress publications concerning LC Subject Headings.
LCSUBHEADS 23 data fields 21 symbolic field(s)	The LCSUBHEADS table stores a record for Library of Congress subject headings that can be applied to data sources (DS table). The key field is CODE, a sequential counter assigned by the system. There are also fields for STATUS, SUBJECT.HEADING, LCCALL (Library of Congress call number), SYN.OF, SEE.ALSO, PART.OF and KEYWORD. The only source of information for this table should be the official Library of Congress publications concerning LC Subject Headings.
LIBINDEXES 31 data fields 80 symbolic field(s)	The LIBINDEXES table stores a record for each word or phrase that should be indexed for one or more bibliographic references. This file can be used to generate single-issue or cumulative index listings for magazines, journal articles, books, etc. The key field is REC.ID, a sequential number assigned by the system. There are also fields for the word or phrase to be indexed (required), page number (required), formatting flag, DS number, and project code (required).
LIBLOANS 14 data fields 33 symbolic field(s)	The LIBLOANS table stores a record for each library item (book, journal, image, etc.) that is borrowed. It is used with a barcode reader to ensure accurate and efficient data entry. The key field is LOAN.NUM, a sequential number assigned by the system. There are also fields for the kind of item being loaned, contact number (key field in the CONTACTS table), barcode, data source number (key field in the DS table), image number (key field in the IMAGES table), date of loan, duration of loan, return date, and condition upon return. When loans are returned, the record is checked back in; it is NOT deleted from this table (in other words, this file stores a complete loan history of all library items).
LIGHT.CODES 6 data fields 10 symbolic field(s)	The LIGHT.CODES table stores a record for each lighting regime used in the propagation or micropropagation activities of the institution. The key field is a 1-letter CODE assigned by the user. There is also a required MEANING field and an optional KEYWORD field.
LINEAGES 3 data fields 18 symbolic field(s)	The LINEAGES table stores a record for each genetic lineage represented within the living collections. Genetic lineages are defined and maintained as follows: When a new accession is first entered into BG-BASE, the system asks for the "lineage number" (LIN.NUM) - this is the accession number under which this genetic material first came into the collections. If this material has just been received from an outside source (either wild-collected or from another institution) then the LIN.NUM will be the same as the ACC.NUM (accession number). If, however, the accession has been propagated asexually from an existing accession then the LIN.NUM should be set to the original ACC.NUM. (If your institution does not re-assign accession numbers to propagated plants (which we think you SHOULD do), then the LIN.NUM and ACC.NUM will always match.) Once this is done in the ACCESSIONS table, a record is automatically created in the LINEAGES file, and it is this lineage record that you can examine (but not alter) through the current table, LINEAGES. NOTE: You should not try to add, delete, or alter any lineage information through the LINEAGES table; such alterations must be done through the ACCESSIONS file.
LOAN.ITEMS 9 data fields 46 symbolic field(s)	The LOAN.ITEMS table stores a record for each specimen that is sent out on loan. It is used with a barcode reader to ensure accurate and efficient data entry. Loaned specimens (as stored in this table) are linked to the LOANS table, in which details are kept on the person and institution to whom the loan is being sent. The key field is composed of two parts - the LOAN.NUM (key field in the LOANS table) and BARCODE. There are also fields for date sent, return date, and condition upon return. When loans are returned, the record is appropriately annotated; it is NOT deleted from this table (in other words, this file stores a complete loan history of the specimens).
LOANS 49 data fields 76 symbolic field(s)	The LOANS table stores a record for each loan, gift, or exchange involving preserved collections at an institution. Note that despite its name, this table handles more than loans. The key field is LOAN.NUM, a sequential number assigned by the system. There are also fields for transaction type (outgoing loan, incoming gift, etc.), status (shipped complete, received incomplete, etc.), herbarium code (key field in the HERBARIA table), attention of, requested by, loan date, duration, expected date, processed by, description, families and genera making up loan, how sent, carried by, number of boxes, number of items, extensions requested and granted, extension dates, transfers requested and granted, and transfer dates. The system keeps track of how many items are part of a loan (through the LOAN.ITEMS table) and displays its calculation of how many specimens are still outstanding in the loan. When loans are returned, the record is appropriately annotated; it is NOT deleted from this table. To see a list of existing loans, press F2 at the key field.
LOCATION.GROUPS 9 data fields 11 symbolic field(s)	The LOCATION.GROUPS table stores a record for grouping of location codes used by an institution to track its living collections. The key field is LOC.GROUP.CODE, an alphanumeric code assigned by the user. There are also fields for the name of the group, the short name of the group, and a multivalue field holding the individual location codes (key field in the LOCATIONS table) assigned to this location group. Although using this table is optional, if you keep it up to date with any changes made to the LOCATIONS table, it can be used to produce inventory/stocktaking bed lists for whole areas at a time instead of location by location. To see a list of existing location groups, press F2 at the key field.
LOCATIONS 36 data fields 52 symbolic field(s)	The LOCATIONS table stores a record for each location in which plants can be found in the living collections of an institution. The key field is LOC.CODE, an alphanumeric code assigned by the user. There are also fields for the short and full name of the location, abbreviation, location order, inventory date, flag for whether or not the location has been mapped, image number(s) (key field in the IMAGES table), and plant source number (key field in the PSOURCES table). To see a list of existing locations, press F2 at the key field.
MAJOR.TAXA 12 data fields 9 symbolic field(s)	The MAJOR.TAXA table stores a record for each major taxon tracked by an institution. These are supplied by BG-BASE, Inc., and should not be changed by the user. The key field is CODE assigned by BG-BASE, Inc. There are also fields for the name of the major taxon, the Latin name of the taxon, the plural form of this taxon, the kingdom to which the taxon belongs, and multivalue fields for the orders and subclasses assigned to this taxon; these are maintained automatically by the system. To see a list of major taxa, press F2 at the key field.
MATERIALS 8 data fields 12 symbolic field(s)	The MATERIALS table stores a record for each type of material used to maintain the living collections of an institution. It is used with the HORT.TASKS table. The key field is CODE, assigned by the user. There are also fields for meaning, keyword, unit, and unit cost.
MATRIX.CODES 6 data fields 10 symbolic field(s)	The MATRIX.CODES table stores a record for each matrix used in the propagation or micropropagation activities of the institution. The key field is a 1-4 letter CODE assigned by the user. There is also a required MEANING field and an optional KEYWORD field.
MEDIUM.CODES 10 data fields 12 symbolic field(s)	The MEDIUM.CODES table stores a record for each medium or substrate used in the propagation or micropropagation activities of the institution. The key field is a 1-3 letter CODE assigned by the user. There is also a required MEANING field and an optional KEYWORD field as well as a RECIPE field for storing the exact recipe, a RECIPE.NEEDED field, and a multivalue DS field for linking this medium to one or more data sources.
MEDIUM.TRANSFERS 45 data fields 29 symbolic field(s)	The MEDIUM.TRANSFERS table stores a record for each successive transfer of micropropagation material from one medium to another. The key field is composed of two parts - PROTOCOL.NUM (key field in the MP.PROTOCOLS table) and SEQUENCE.NUM, a sequential number within the protocol. There are also fields for type of material, stage, medium code and concentration. There are multivalue fields for matrix code(s) and concentration, matrix water supply, carbohydrate code(s) and concentration, vitamin code(s) and concentation, amino acid code(s) and concentration, regulator code(s) and concentration, and additive code(s) and concentration, In addition, there are fields for miscellaneous information about this medium, environment code, temperature regime, photoperiod regime, time left in this medium, and results. Although this table was designed specifically to track the complex sequence of transfers in micropropagation activities, it could also be used for regular propagation.
MEMBER.BENEFITS 4 data fields 10 symbolic field(s)	The MEMBER.BENEFITS table stores a record for each benefit accruing to a certain membership category. The key field is a 1-4 character CODE assigned by the user. There is also a required DESCRIPTION field. One or more MEMBER.CATEGORIES records can be linked to each MEMBER.BENEFITS record. To see a list of member benefit codes and their meaning, press F2 at the key field.
MEMBER.CATEGORIES 24 data fields 13 symbolic field(s)	The MEMBER.CATEGORIES table stores a record for each membership category assigned by the institution. The key field is a 1-3 character CODE assigned by the user. There is also a required DESCRIPTION field as well as the minimal amount for membership dues for this category, amount to be coded as development, amount to be coded as service, amount to be coded as contribution, text to display when a member joins or renews at this category, and a multivalue list of membership benefits associated with this category (key field in the MEMBER.BENEFITS table).
MICROSATS 33 data fields 43 symbolic field(s)	The LOCI table stores a record for each gene locus studied in the molecular research activities of an institution. Create a record for each locus by assigning a sequential numeric key. Enter the name of the locus as it should be printed in the LOCUS field. You can further explain the code in the MEANING field. You can optionally enter one or more keywords to further describe the locus. Each word in the MEANING and KEYWORD field is indexed.
MP.PROTOCOLS 39 data fields 46 symbolic field(s)	The MP.PROTOCOLS table stores a record for each micropropagation "protocol" determined for a taxon. These protocols provide a summary of what should be done to micropropagate a particular taxon. The key field is PROTOCOL.NUM, a sequential number assigned by the system. There are also fields for the year of completion of the protocol, the NAME.NUM (key field in the NAMES table), name of the protocol, type of material used, and quality of that material. There are multivalue fields for accession number(s), job number(s), author(s) of the protocol, contact name(s) for the protocol, data source(s) for the protocol, pretreatment code(s) and results, sterilant code(s), concentration, time, and results, and pretreatment code(s), concentration and results. One or more MEDIUM.TRANSFERS records can be attached to each MP.PROTOCOLS record.
NAMES 185 data fields 580 symbolic field(s)	The NAMES table stores a record for each scientific name. These records can represent accepted names, unchecked names, full or partial synonyms, invalid names, and orthographic variants (variations in spelling). In the case of the synonyms invalid names and orthographic variants, these records are linked to an accepted name. An accepted name may have any number of these records attached to it. You may also associate as many common (vernacular) names to a scientific name as you wish. For each common name, there is a language and a data source field. The key field is NAME.NUM, a sequential number assigned by the system. The name is split into many separate fields: genus, specific epithet, author of the species name, a multivalue list of infraspecific ranks, epithets and authors, hybrid indicators, cultivar group, cultivar, selling name, descriptor, identification qualifier, hybrid indicators, and similar fields for the second parent of a hybrid. These fields are then combined to form what is normally thought of as the species or infraspecies name. Records in the NAMES table are not assigned directly to families; this is handled through the GENERA table. There are also fields for applicable taxonomic ranks between genus and species. General descriptions such as the taxon's phenology, flower and fruit color, hardiness, habit, range (free text), distribution (linked to the BRUS table), ultimate size, growth form, conservation status are also stored in this table. In addition, there are fields for any awards or patents given to the taxon, Many other tables are linked to the NAMES table, including the ACCESSIONS, DISTRIBUTIONS, DS, GERMPLASM, IMAGES, PROPAGATIONS, SHIPMENTS, and SPECIMENS tables.
NOTIFICATIONS 7 data fields 8 symbolic field(s)	The NOTIFICATIONS table stores a record for each notification issued by the CITES Secretariat. The key field is NOTIFICATION.NUM, which may be either strictly numeric or alphanumeric. There are also fields for the URLs for English-, Spanish- and French-language web sites for these notices.
NURSERY.ITEMS 14 data fields 75 symbolic field(s)	The NURSERY.ITEMS table stores a record for each nursery item tracked by the institution. It is used by the Royal Horticultural Society to produce The RHS Plant Finder and is not relevant outside the context of producing such works. The key field is composed of four parts - NURS.NUM (key field in the NURSERIES table), NAME.NUM (key field in the NAMES table), COLL.ID (key field in the COLLECTORS table) and COLL.NUM. If there is no collector ID or collector number, then the last two parts of the key store a dash (-). The COLLECTION field is filled in automatically by the combination of COLL.ID and COLL.NUM, but it may be edited if required. There are also multivalue fields to track the year(s) in which a taxon is carried by the nursery, a flag to track the status of this listing in this year, and a problem flag. There is also a field for tracking the name as actually listed by the nursery.
ORDERS 6 data fields 5 symbolic field(s)	The ORDERS table stores a record for each botanical or zoological order. The key field is TAX.ORDER, the name of the order. There are also fields for the subclass and major taxon (key fields in the SUBCLASSES and MAJOR.TAXA tables, respectively) and a multivalue field that tracks all families assigned to this order; this is maintained automatically by the system.
PADU.DESIGNATIONS 4 data fields 7 symbolic field(s)	The PADU.DESIGNATIONS table stores a record for each type of conservation area as tracked by the Protected Areas Data Unit (PADU) of the World Conservation Monitoring Centre. These codes are agreed with IUCN - The World Conservation Union as well as with the United Nations. The key field is CODE, assigned by PADU. There is also a field for the meaning of this code.
PERMITS 29 data fields 28 symbolic field(s)	The PERMITS table stores a record for each permit issued by an institution to use that institution's collection. The key field is RECORD.NUM, a sequential counter assigned by the system. There are also fields for the permit number, type of permit, contact, institution, starting and ending dates, purpose, location code, location group, accession number, keyword, and data source, as well as flags for valid status and financial gain.
PF.NAMES 13 data fields 107 symbolic field(s)	The PF.NAMES table stores a record for each name found in The RHS PLant Finder. It is used by the Royal Horticultural Society and is not relevant outside of this context.
PLACE.TYPES 12 data fields 13 symbolic field(s)	The PLACE.TYPES table stores a record for each type of record found in the PLACES table. The key field is CODE, a 1-4 character code assigned by the user. There are also fields for the description of the place type, a flag for whether this is a political unit, and a multivalue field for the countries in which this type of place is found.
PLACES 53 data fields 39 symbolic field(s)	The PLACES table stores a record for each defined area or site of interest to an institution. It functions, therefore, as an electronic gazetteer. The key field is PLACE.NUM, a sequential number assigned by the system. There are also fields for the type of place (key field in the PLACE.TYPES table), name, region, country, 3 subcountry units, geographic area, biological recording unit (key field in the BRUS table_, latitude, longitude, national grid, accuracy, reliability, habitat, vegetation, altitude, geology, and a multivalue field for collector ids (key field in the COLLECTORS table) that are associated with this place. Although the use of this table is optional in the Living and Preserved Collections modules of BG-BASE, using it can save a tremendous amount of work when entering data into either the ACCESSIONS or SPECIMENS tables, as these tables can pull data from the PLACES table if the PLACE.NUM is filled in; it must be used in order to use the OCCURRENCES file in the Conservation module.
PLANT.REQ.CODES 6 data fields 10 symbolic field(s)	The PLANT.REQ.CODES table stores a record for each "kind" of plant that can be requested from the propagation or micropropagation units - for example, plants in test tubes, plants in pots, etc. The key field is a 1-2 letter CODE assigned by the user. There is also a required MEANING field and a KEYWORD field.
PLANTS 99 data fields 316 symbolic field(s)	The PLANTS table stores a record for each plant or massed planting (living or dead) that are - or have been - in the living collections of an institution. These PLANTS records track the current and previous location(s), the current and previous health of the plant, measurements of the plant, etc. Each PLANTS record is very tightly linked to an ACCESSIONS record. Because BG-BASE stores current as well as historical information, each PLANTS record may be associated with one or more LOCATIONS records. The key field is composed of two parts - ACC.NUM (the accession number, which must already exist as the key field in the ACCESSIONS file) and ACC.NUM.QUAL, a combination of letters and/or numbers. Most instituitons simply assign a series of numbers - A, B, C, going on to AA, BB, etc. - within an accession. When asked for the ACC.NUM.QUAL, you can press F2 for a popup of all ACC.NUM.QUAL values that have already been assigned within this accession. When a plant (or all individuals within a massed planting) dies, do NOT remove the record from the PLANTS table; simply enter the appropriate code (D=dead, R=removed, U=unable to locate) in the first position of the CONDITION field. Likewise, when a plant (or all individuals of a massed planting) is moved, do NOT create a new record in the PLANTS file; simply enter the new location code and date as the first value of the LOCATION field, leaving the historical location(s) and date(s) as part of these multivalue fields. If, however, you split a massed planting and move some of the plants to a new location code, you must create a new record in the PLANTS file for plants that were moved (you also would modify the NUM.PLANTS field in both the new and old records accordingly).
POSTSTER.CODES 8 data fields 12 symbolic field(s)	The POSTSTER.CODES table stores a record for each post-sterilization regime used in the propagation or micropropagation units. The key field is a 1-4 letter CODE assigned by the user. There is also a required MEANING field and an optional KEYWORD field. In addition, there is an abbreviation field and a multivalue field for data sources relating to this pretreatment.
PRETREATMENT.CODES 8 data fields 12 symbolic field(s)	The PRETREATMENT.CODES table stores a record for each pretreatment regime used in the propagation or micropropagation units. The key field is a 1-4 letter CODE assigned by the user. There is also a required MEANING field and an optional KEYWORD field. In addition, there is an abbreviation field and a multivalue field for data sources relating to this pretreatment.
PRIMERS 8 data fields 13 symbolic field(s)	The PRIMERS table stores a record for each primer used in the molecular research activities of an institution. Create a record for each primer by assigning a 1-10 letter code. Enter the exact name of the primer as you wish it to be printed in the PRIMER field and then explain the code in the MEANING field. You can optionally enter one or more keywords to further describe the primer. Each word in the MEANING and KEYWORD field is indexed.
PROJECT.CODES 14 data fields 12 symbolic field(s)	The PROJECT.CODES table stores a record for each project with which an institution is involved. These projects can be internal or external to the institution. There is also a PROJECTS table that handles full bibliographic, monetary, and personnel information about specific conservation projects. The key field is CODE, a sequential number assigned by the system. There are also fields for the name of the project, description, keywords, and department code (key field in the DEPARTMENTS table).
PROJECTS 68 data fields 54 symbolic field(s)	The PROJECTS table stores a record for various kinds of projects being undertaken. These may be internal or external to the institution. There is also a PROJECT.CODES table that handles information on general projects (usually those being undertaken by the institution); the PROJECTS table, on the other hand, is designed to handle monetary, contact, bibliographic and image information about projects. The key field is CODE, a sequential number assigned by the system. There are also fields for the title of the project, description, relevance codes, internal/external flag, status, starting/ending dates, duration, run by, funders, collaborators, Biological Recording Units, counties, taxa, genera, families, data source for proposal, and name and address information for the contact.
PROPAGATIONS 107 data fields 99 symbolic field(s)	The PROPAGATIONS table stores a record for each propagation attempt, whether or not it was successful. The key field is PROP.NUM, a sequentially assigned number. In addition, there are fields for the accession number (most institutions accession material - assign accession numbers - before it is sent to be propagated, but BG-BASE does not force an institution to do so; therefore, this is an optional field), the propagule type (seed, cutting, graft, etc.), location where the material is being grown, collector and donor information (supplied by the ACCESSIONS table if the accession number is filled in), person requesting the material, date and quantity needed, and a series of codes for the environment, medium, and pretreatments. Then, depending upon the propagule type, there are fields for sowing date, scarification, germination date(s),
PROPAGULE.CODES 6 data fields 10 symbolic field(s)	The PROPAGULE.CODES table stores a record for each type of propagule. It is supplied by BG-BASE, Inc., and should not be changed by the user. The key field is CODE, a alphanumeric code. There are also fields for the meaning of the code and keywords.
PSOURCES 86 data fields 90 symbolic field(s)	The PSOURCES (plant sources) table stores a record for each individual or organization with which this institution exchanges living materia. There is a comparable table, HERBARIA, for tracking institutions with which preserved collections are exchanged, and there may be a record in both the PSOURCES and HERBARIA tables for the same institution. The key field is CODE, a sequential number assigned by the system. There are also fields for the name of the person, name of institution, type, status, and multivalue fields for contact(s), position(s), status, phone(s), and email(s), as well as for specialty families, genera, and special groups. This table keeps a list of all accessions coming from this psource and a list of all shipments sent to this psource.
Q.BATCHES 21 data fields 18 symbolic field(s)	The Q.BATCHES (quarantine batches) table stores a record for each batch of material coming into the quarantine facilities of an institution. The key field is BATCH.NUM, a sequential number assigned by the system. There are also fields for the source of the material (key field in the PSOURCES table), inspected by, handled by, days in transit, arrival date, estimated date when the material will be cleared from quarantine. One or more QUARANTINES records can be linked to a single Q.BATCHES record.
QUADRANTS 20 data fields 33 symbolic field(s)	The QUADRANTS table stores a record for each quadrant into which the living collection is divided for mapping purposes. It is used by institutions using BG-Map, and is of no relevance to other users. The key field is QUAD.CODE, a user-defined code. There are also fields for the name of the quadrant, an abbreviation, accessions and names in this quadrant, and a mapped flag. This information is handled directly through BG-Map and should not be changed by the user.
QUARANTINES 30 data fields 50 symbolic field(s)	The QUARANTINES table stores a record for each individual that enters the quarantine facilities of an institution. The key field is composed ot two parts - BATCH.NUM (the key field in the Q.BATCHES table) and BATCH.QUAL, a sequential number within this quarantine batch. There are also fields for received how, accession number (key field in the ACCESSIONS table), name number (key field in the NAMES table), scientific name, condition of material, collector code (key field in the COLLECTORS table) and number, location within quarantine, required treatments, medium in which it is potted, approval date for release, location of material after it leaves quarantine, and cause of death.
QUOTAS 6 data fields 49 symbolic field(s)	The QUOTAS table stores a record for each export quota tracked. There can be several export quotas per country, depending on the taxon, and there can be several exports for a taxon, depending on the country. The key field is a sequential counter. There are also fields for the NAME.NUM (the number in the NAMES table that uniquely identifies the taxon), the country code, and the listing level (whether the quotas applies to the taxon listed, to the genus, to the family, etc.)
REGIONS 8 data fields 15 symbolic field(s)	The REGIONS table stores a record for each geographic or floristic/faunistic region recognized by the institution. These codes are used in the SPECIMENS file to place specimens in the correct part of the world. The key field is a code assigned by the user. There is also a required MEANING field and an optional KEYWORD field.
REGISTRATIONS 37 data fields 117 symbolic field(s)	The REGISTRATIONS table stores a record for each registration event in which a student can register for one or more courses. The key field is REGISTRATION.NUM, a sequential number assigned by the system. There are also fields for semester, registration date, contact number (key field in the CONTACTS table), a multivalue list of courses (key field in the COURSES table), registration status (confirmed, wait-listed, denied), amount due, meal type, grade, method of payment, and the amount due to/from the student. The information in this table is used to create confirmation letters.
REGULATOR.CODES 6 data fields 10 symbolic field(s)	The REGULATOR.CODES table stores a record for each growth regulator that is used in the propagation or micropropagation activities of the institution. The key field is a 1-3 letter code assigned by the user. There is also a required MEANING field and an optional KEYWORD field.
SCARIFICATION.CODES 6 data fields 10 symbolic field(s)	The SCARIFICATION.CODES table stores a record for each scarification technique used in the propagation or micropropagation activities of the institution. The key field is a 1-2 letter code assigned by the user. There is also a required MEANING field as well as an optional KEYWORD field.
SEQUENCES 43 data fields 60 symbolic field(s)	The SEQUENCES table stores a record for each gene sequence. The key field is the SEQ.NUM, a number sequentially assigned by the system to the record. There are also fields for the date the sequence was analyzed, the gene sequenced, accession number and qualifier, specimen number, germplasm number, name number, data source and page, where the sequence was submitted and date of submission, a flag to keep certain record private, staff involved in the sequence, and a miscellaneous field. The sequence itself is imported from a text file and is then protected from being edited. There are symbolic fields that determine the length of the gene, the number of unresolved pairs and the number of adjusted pairs.
SERVICE.CODES 5 data fields 11 symbolic field(s)	The SERVICE.CODES table stores a record for each type of service tracked within the NURSERIES table. Create a record for each service by assigning a 1-4 letter code and then explain the code in the MEANING field (required). You can optionally enter one or more keywords to further describe the service. Each word in the MEANING and KEYWORD field is indexed.
SHIP.INVOICES 42 data fields 45 symbolic field(s)	The SHIP.INVOICES table stores a record for each shipment of living material sent from an institution. Despite the table's name, use of this table does not imply that money is involved in these shipments. The key field is INVOICE.NUM, a sequential number assigned by the system. There are also fields for the recipient number (key field in the PSOURCES table), contact name, shipping date, shipping charge, type of material, phytosanitation permit, import permit, and a miscellaneous field. One or more SHIPMENTS records can be attached to each SHIP.INVOICES record.
SHIPMENTS 38 data fields 46 symbolic field(s)	The SHIPMENTS table stores a record for each individual living collections item shipped sent from an institution. The key field is CODE, a sequential number assigned by the system. There are also fields for the accession number and qualifier, name number, invoice number (key field in SHIP.INVOICES table), recipient number (key field in the PSOURCES table), contact name, number sent, type of material, how sent, shipping date, permit number, restrictions placed on the use of this material. Although the use of the SHIP.INVOICES table is optional, using it will fill in many of the appropriate fields in this table. One or more SHIPMENTS records can be attached to each SHIP.INVOICES record.
SOLICITATIONS 19 data fields 32 symbolic field(s)	The SOLICITATIONS table stores a record for each solicitation for money made by an institution. The key field is SOL.ID, a code created by the user. There are also fields for a description of the solicitation, the person making the request, status of the solicitation, date of solicitation, tickler date, type of solicitation, and a code for the envelope type used. The system also keeps a multivalue list of all contacts to whom the solicitation was made as well as all donations arising from this solicitations.
SPEC.CHARS 12 data fields 23 symbolic field(s)	The SPEC.CHARS table stores a record for each special characteristic that is important within an institution. The key field is a 2-3 letter code assigned by the user. There are also a required DESCRIPTION field and an optional KEYWORD field. In addition there are multivalue lists of NAMES, ACCESSIONS, and PLANTS that share this special characteristic; these are maintained automatically by the system.
SPEC.GROUPS 10 data fields 15 symbolic field(s)	The SPEC.GROUPS table stores a record for each special group that helps to characterize different taxa (such as acid-loving, vegetables, alpines, etc.) The key field is a 2-letter code assigned by the user. In addition, there is a required DESCRIPTION field. There are also multivalue fields display those NAMES and PSOURCES records associated with each special group.
SPEC.TREATMENTS 9 data fields 13 symbolic field(s)	The SPEC.TREATMENTS table stores a record for each special treatment used within an institution. The key field is a 2-letter code assignged by the user. In addition, there is a DESCRIPTION field (required) and an optional keyword field.
SPECIES.INVENTORIES 42 data fields 25 symbolic field(s)	The SPECIES.INVENTORIES table stores a record for every species inventory of a country, a BRU, a protected area, or a defined site. The key field is INVNUM, a sequential counter assigned by the system. There are also fields for geographic unit (country, BRU, protected area, defined site), taxonomic group and habitat code. For each taxonomic group/habitat code combination, there are multivalue fields to store the number of species, threatened species, endemic species, and threatened endemic species, along with a data source field for each figure.
SPECIMEN.LOCATIONS 3 data fields 5 symbolic field(s)	The SPECIMEN.LOCATIONS table stores a record for each location in which specimens are stored. In large collections, specimens may be stored in several ways (by taxonomic group, or liquid-preserved vs. dried, or in separate buildings). In these cases, create a location code for each of these major areas in which specimens are stored. The key field is CODE, a unique alphanumeric code assigned by the user. In addition, there is a field for the description of the location as well as a multivalue field of specimen sublocations associated with this location. These sublocations might specify trays, cabinets, boxes, etc. - any place in which specimens are actually stored. it is maintained automatically by the system from the SPECIMEN.SUB.LOCATIONS table.
SPECIMEN.SUB.LOCATIONS 10 data fields 12 symbolic field(s)	The SPECIMEN.SUB.LOCATIONS table stores a record for each subset of a specimen storage location, such as a box, shelf, or cabinet, where specimens are actually stored. The key field is composed of two parts - LOCATION (key field in the SPECIMEN.LOCATIONS table) and CODE (a unique code within this location). There are also fields for describing the sublocation, contents, and keyword.
SPECIMENS 142 data fields 339 symbolic field(s)	The SPECIMENS table stores information about preserved specimens. These specimens may be one of several types, such as herbarium specimens (H), seed collections (S), and so on. Specimens may be made directly from the wild, or they may represent vouchers from the living collection, in which case information about the wild collection as well as the garden collection can be maintained. The key field is SPECIMEN.NUM, a sequential number assigned by the system. In addition, there are fields for the institution where the specimen is housed, sheet number, barcode, number of sheets in a set, number of duplicates, collector code, collector, collector number, date of collection, wild collecting details, garden collecting details, associated material, type status, citation of specimen, among many others. The SPECIMENS table may be used to create herbarium labels, as long as the labels are printed on a Hewlett-Packard LaserJet printer or compatible (these labels are produced using the PCL 4 printer language). If you have acquired the graphics module for BG-BASE, you will also be able to manipulate and display images of the taxon represented by the specimen. For instance, you could show one to many photographs (black and white or color) or line drawings, a scanned image of the original herbarium label, and so on.
STAFF 60 data fields 41 symbolic field(s)	The STAFF table contains a record for each staff member (past or present) in an institution that has had anything to do with BG-BASE at that institution. The key field is the staff member's initials (no more than 3), which must be unique within the institution. If the person only has a first and last name enter these two initials separated by a dash or underscore (no spaces are allowed in the key field). In addition, there are fields for the first, middle, and last names of the person, the logon name (which serves as the link to the USERS table), the department, work phone, and home phone. There are also fields that allow a user to configure BG-BASE for personal preferences, including how scientific names should be displayed, whether to display the institutional calendar on logon, whether to prompt for the user to fill in a timesheet upon logging out of the system, the default printer queue, whether to display or suppress network messages while in BG-BASE, the preferred data source citation format and the preferred language.
STAFF.GROUPS 8 data fields 13 symbolic field(s)	The STAFF.GROUPS table stores a record for each grouping of staff members. It is used by the calendar program to help set up meetings and group activities. Create a record for each staff group by assigning a 3-4 letter code and then explain the code in the DESCRIPTION field (required). You can optionally enter one or more keywords to further describe the group. Finally, fill in the multivalued field STAFF with the initials of each staff member who is part of this group. Press F2 for a popup of all staff members.
STERILANT.CODES 9 data fields 12 symbolic field(s)	The STERILANT.CODES table stores a record for each sterilant used in the propagation or micropropagation activities of the institution. Create a record for each sterilant by assigning a 1-6 character code and then explain the code in the MEANING field (required). You can optionally enter one or more keywords to further describe the amino acid.
SUBCLASSES 8 data fields 9 symbolic field(s)	The SUBCLASSES table stores a record for each subclass tracked by an institution. The key field is the name of the subclass. There is also a field for the major taxon (monocot, dicot, etc.) to which the subclass belongs. There are also multivalue fields listing the families and orders that are part of this subclass; these are maintained automatically by the system. To see a list of subclasses, press F2 at the key field.
SUBCOUNTRIES 29 data fields 33 symbolic field(s)	The SUBCOUNTRIES table stores a record for each political unit below the ISO country level. It is based on a 3-tier hierarchical scheme. The key field is CODE, a sequential number assigned by the system. In addition, there are fields for the name of the area, the name as it should be printed on specimen labels, the country of which the area is a part, the level, capital, population, national code, and abbreviation. There are also links to the next higher level in this table as well as to the appropriate BRU record.
THREATS 6 data fields 12 symbolic field(s)	The THREATS table stores a record for each defined threat to a taxon's survival. Create a record for each threat by assigning a unique code and then explain the code in the MEANING field (required). You can optionally enter one or more keywords to further describe the threat.
TRIALENTRIES 53 data fields 89 symbolic field(s)	The TRIALENTRIES table stores a record for each entry in a horticultural trial. Records in this table can be entered manually, or they can be created through a softkey in the TRIALS table. The key field is composed of two parts - TRIALNUM (which must already exist as the key field in the TRIALS table) and ID, a sequential counter assigned by the system to each entry in a particular trial. When asked for the TRIALNUM, you may press F2 for a popup of all trials. When asked for the ID, you may press F2 for a popup of existing entries in this trial; to create a new entry, press to assign the next available number. There are also fields for the name of the plant (NAME.NUM values must already exist as the key field in the NAMES table), name received as, source of the material, function within the trial (judged, border, standards), location, submit and withdraw dates.
TRIALNAMES 7 data fields 35 symbolic field(s)	The TRIALNAMES table stores a record for every taxon associated with a particular horticultural trial. Records in this table can be entered manually, or they can be created through a softkey in the TRIALS table. The key field is composed of two parts - TRIALNUM (which must already exist as the key field in the TRIALS table) and NAME.NUM (which must already exist as the key field in the NAMES table). When asked for the TRIALNUM, you can press F2 for a popup of all trials. When asked for the NAME.NUM, you can press F2 for a popup of all taxa currently attached to this trial, or you can enter the name of the taxon to have the system retrieve the relevant record. If the taxon is later dropped from a trial, either delete the appropriate TRIALNAMES record, or change the KEEP field's value from Y to N.
TRIALREPS 18 data fields 55 symbolic field(s)	The TRIALREPS stores a record for each representative ('rep') within a horticultural trial. The key field is composed of three parts - TRIALNUM (the key field in the TRIALS table), ID (which, when combined with TRIALNUM, is the key field in the TRIALENTRIES table) and REP, a sequential number assigned by the system. There are also fields for barcode and MISC.
TRIALS 95 data fields 60 symbolic field(s)	The TRIALS table stores a record for each horticultural trial - planned, on-going or completed - tracked by an institution. There are fields for the name of the trial, starting and ending dates, organizations and committees involved, status, contacts, planting dates, judging dates, and fields for various horticultural information pertinent to that trial. The key field is TRIALNUM, a unique number assigned by the system. To see a popup of existing trials, press F2; press to assign the next available number for a new trial record. Only one record should be created per trial, even if that trial spans several years, but if a trial is repeated using different criteria, then a new record is required.
TRIALSOURCES 10 data fields 55 symbolic field(s)	The TRIALSOURCES table stores a record for every potential and real source of material for a horticultural trial. Records in this table can be entered manually, or they can be created through a softkey in the TRIALS table. The key field is composed of two parts - TRIALNUM (which must already exist as the key field in the TRIALS table) and CONTACT.NUM (which must already exist as the key field in the CONTACTS table). When asked for the TRIALNUM, you can press F2 for a popup of all trials. When asked for the CONTACT.NUM, you can press F2 for a popup of all sources currently attached to this trial, or you can enter the name of a source to have the system retrieve the relevant record. If a source is not able to supply plants for a trial, either delete the appropriate TRIALSOURCES record, or change the KEEP field's value from Y to N.
UDFS 23 data fields 6 symbolic field(s)	The UDFS table stores help information for each user-defined field in each BG-BASE table as well as non-English help for 'regular' BG-BASE fields. The key field is composed of three parts - FILENAME, FIELD and LANGUAGE.CODE. This table contains information essential to the proper operation of BG-BASE. It must never be changed by the user except through the BG-BASE tools provided. Doing so is in violation of BG-BASE, Inc.'s copyright.
UNECE.NAMES 5 data fields 25 symbolic field(s)	The UNECE.NAMES table stores a record for each taxon listed by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE). The key field is the NAME.NUM, which must exist as the key field in the NAMES table before a record can be created in this table. In addition, there are fields for the list (A - single country endemics, or B - non endemics) on which the taxon is listed and for the name under which the taxon was listed (if it was not listed under the currently accepted name as stored in the NAMES table), and common name.
VERIFICATIONS 53 data fields 109 symbolic field(s)	The VERIFICATIONS table stores a record for each verification of either the living collections or preserved collections. This table also serves to store information about verifications that have been requested but not actually completed. The key field is VERIF.NUM, a sequential number assigned by the system. There are also fields for the person asking for the verification, the suggested name, the accession number and qualifier, the person to whom the material was taken, the level of verification, date of verification, name number, whether more material is needed, references used, etc. To see a list of existing verifications, press F2 at the key field prompt.
VITAMIN.CODES 5 data fields 11 symbolic field(s)	The VITAMIN.CODES table stores a record for each vitamin used in the propagation or micropropagation activities of the institution. Create a record for each vitamin by assigning a 1-3 letter code and then explain the code in the MEANING field (required). You can optionally enter one or more keywords to further describe the vitamin.

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