Glad you found what you were looking for Brandon, but
to me it seems hopelessly complicated--guess I should have taken Latin...Ha.

It is a huge undertaking and I wish them well, but it doesn't seem like they have accomplished a great deal since I was at that site 5 or 6 years ago.

I find most of what I am looking for on one of three sites---hortiplex on this gardenweb site, the plants database at usda and NCSU plants database.

Is that what a plant key is???by phylum,class,species, whatever?

Here is a link that might be useful: usda plants database

I'm not sure how the project was going a few years back, but I am very impressed with how much information is there. I know it's not complete, but every plant I have checked so far is there, so it is definitely an extremely valuable resource!

A plant key is a flowchart that allows you to identify a plant by examining its characterizes and comparing them to those listed in the key. In the case of efloras, if you know the genus, or even the family in most cases, of a particular unidentified plant, you can pinpoint which species you have. Instead of just having some type of large oak tree, you'll know you have a Quercus alba. Instead of wondering what type of white and yellow daisy you found, you'll know you have a Leucanthemum vulgare.

If you're into plants and not yet enough of an expert to positively identify most of the species you come in contact with from site, you need plant keys!

BTW, you don't have to know latin at all to use a key, and without using a key, you might have to look at hundreds of pictures and descriptions on sites like "hortiplex on this gardenweb site, the plants database at usda, and NCSU plants database" to be able to identify a particular plant. Also, some of these sites (Dave's Garden is a good example) have a lot of errors that might throw you off even if you did find relating information.

Using efloras is pretty easy once you go through it once. You just have to think of the entries as flowcharts. If you are interested in how to use it and need help, I'd be glad to answer questions.

Basically, here's how it works:

1. Does the plant have characteristic A? If yes, go to 2. If not, go to 4.

2. Does the plant have characteristic B? If yes, the plant is Plant I. If not, go to 3.

3. Does the plant have characteristic C? If yes, the plant is Plant II. If not, it's Plant III.

4. Does the plant have characteristic D? If yes, it's Plant IV. If not, it's Plant V.

Thanks for the reference, Brandon.
I've used the Flora China:Roses part of it, but had never backed out to that very good general page.
An example of the content of the roses key is that it is the most recent pub. I've seen for rose species (and it has reduced some generally accepted species to subspecies). So it will become a major reference.

Do you know of any list of on line herbaria with quality images of the plant sheets?

Unfortunately, no. Even with the level of technology we have these days, we sure have a long way to go to get the internet as helpful as it could be.

A good example of that is the lack of a comprehensive random-access plant key. It's hard for me to believe that some group (maybe a university of something) hasn't put one of these into action. There are small ones limited to small geographical areas or to small groups of plants, but nothing approaching somewhat universal yet. Maybe when I grow up.....