Capacity building in crucifer research - from BrassiBase to a taxonomic expert network (BrassiTEN)

Networks of scientists working in coordinated efforts to advance plant systematics and taxonomy are becoming increasingly vital. Beyond the necessity of cataloguing and naming plant diversity—which is fundamental for supporting and safeguarding threatened biodiversity—there is also a growing need for robust comparative analyses across all taxonomic levels. Such endeavours rely heavily on a dependable taxonomic framework, ideally embedded within a solid phylogenetic context. BrassiBase, a taxonomic knowledge platform, was launched in 2012. Since then, significant progress has been made in phylogenetic research and taxonomic revisions, leading to the availability of comprehensive evolutionary concepts. A newly developed version of BrassiBase is presented here, now integrated with World Flora Online (WFO) and underpinned by the most current phylogenetic analyses. This version features an updated species checklist encompassing 61 tribes, 363 accepted genera, 4148 accepted species, 428 subspecies, 58 varieties (excluding nominotypical taxa), and a total of 10,725 synonyms. The phylogenetic placement tool (PPT), which utilises ITS sequence data, has been significantly enhanced and now incorporates off-target ITS sequences obtained through next-generation sequencing. These achievements are the result of collaborative work by a large, well-connected community of scientists dedicated to serving the broader scientific community. We advocate for interdisciplinary collaboration within coordinated networks to advance the taxonomy, systematics, and evolutionary research of crucifers, thereby laying the groundwork for future cross-disciplinary research in plant biology and beyond.

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