CDM Taxonomic Name Search API

This web service endpoint serves as a search engine for scientific name-related taxonomic information.

The request parameters are :

  • 'query' [mandatory] : this could either be the base scientific name or the complete scientific name.
  • 'type' [optional, default value = name] : this parameter could have the values,
    • name : to be used in the case of scientific names without authorship strings other other markers (e.g. Abies alba).
    • title : to be used in the case of scientific names with authorship strings and other markers (e.g. Abies alba Mill.).

The response format can be set by appending the format extension to the service endpoint. Currently this web service supports JSON (fully implemented) and XML (partially implemented).

The response objects returned by this web service endpoint have the following structure:

  • request
    • query : scientific name provided as input.
  • response
    • acceptedTaxonUuids : list of uuids of all accepted taxa related to the taxa corresponding to the taxonConceptUuids list.
    • name : base scientific name.
    • nameUuids : list of uuids of all scientific names corresponding to this name.
    • taxonConceptUuids : list of uuids of all taxa corresponding to this name.
    • title : complete scientific name.

Features:

  • Possibility to perform multiple queries in one single web service call.
  • Standardised and structured error messages.

Example Requests :

Example Responses :

  • Base scientific name search : query=Platalea leucorodia [back] 
    [{
    "request": {
        "query": "Platalea leucorodia"
    },
    "response": [{
        "acceptedTaxonUuids": ["f50e5d94-fa75-45a7-905e-091c1cfb3fa8"],
        "name": "Platalea leucorodia",
        "nameUuids": ["711f436d-aea6-4b19-b024-c51fad00afd1"],
        "taxonConceptUuids": ["f50e5d94-fa75-45a7-905e-091c1cfb3fa8"],
        "title": "Platalea leucorodia Linnaeus, 1758"
    }]
}]
  • Complete scientific name search : query=Platalea leucorodia Linnaeus, 1758&type=title [back] 
    [{
    "request": {
        "query": "Platalea leucorodia Linnaeus, 1758"
    },
    "response": [{
        "acceptedTaxonUuids": ["f50e5d94-fa75-45a7-905e-091c1cfb3fa8"],
        "name": "Platalea leucorodia",
        "nameUuids": ["711f436d-aea6-4b19-b024-c51fad00afd1"],
        "taxonConceptUuids": ["f50e5d94-fa75-45a7-905e-091c1cfb3fa8"],
        "title": "Platalea leucorodia Linnaeus, 1758"
    }]
}]
  • Multiple queries : query=Platalea leucorodia&query=Tara spinosa [back] 
    [{
    "request": {
        "query": "Platalea leucorodia"
    },
    "response": [{
        "acceptedTaxonUuids": ["f50e5d94-fa75-45a7-905e-091c1cfb3fa8"],
        "name": "Platalea leucorodia",
        "nameUuids": ["711f436d-aea6-4b19-b024-c51fad00afd1"],
        "taxonConceptUuids": ["f50e5d94-fa75-45a7-905e-091c1cfb3fa8"],
        "title": "Platalea leucorodia Linnaeus, 1758"
    }]
}, {
    "request": {
        "query": "Tara spinosa"
    },
    "response": [{
        "acceptedTaxonUuids": ["b1f44778-45bb-4537-8eb5-d2bd8ce698aa"],
        "name": "Tara spinosa",
        "nameUuids": ["44b0d888-68ae-42e3-b44a-ab66c59e4423"],
        "taxonConceptUuids": ["d2afbe0b-9e14-44d6-acbd-d3fd2e426bfe"],
        "title": "Tara spinosa (Molina) ritton & Rose"
    }]
}]
  • Multiple queries : query=Platalea leucorodia Linnaeus, 1758&query=Tara spinosa (Molina) ritton & Rose&type=title [back] 
    [{
    "request": {
        "query": "Platalea leucorodia Linnaeus, 1758"
    },
    "response": [{
        "acceptedTaxonUuids": ["f50e5d94-fa75-45a7-905e-091c1cfb3fa8"],
        "name": "Platalea leucorodia",
        "nameUuids": ["711f436d-aea6-4b19-b024-c51fad00afd1"],
        "taxonConceptUuids": ["f50e5d94-fa75-45a7-905e-091c1cfb3fa8"],
        "title": "Platalea leucorodia Linnaeus, 1758"
    }]
}, {
    "request": {
        "query": "Tara spinosa (Molina) ritton & Rose"
    },
    "response": [{
        "acceptedTaxonUuids": ["b1f44778-45bb-4537-8eb5-d2bd8ce698aa"],
        "name": "Tara spinosa",
        "nameUuids": ["44b0d888-68ae-42e3-b44a-ab66c59e4423"],
        "taxonConceptUuids": ["d2afbe0b-9e14-44d6-acbd-d3fd2e426bfe"],
        "title": "Tara spinosa (Molina) ritton & Rose"
    }]
}]
  • Error : query=Platalea leucorod [back] 
    [{
    "errorMessage": "No Taxon Name for given query : Platalea leucorod"
}]
  • Error : query=Platalea leucorodia&query=Tara spin [back] 
    [{
    "request": {
        "query": "Platalea leucorodia"
    },
    "response": [{
        "acceptedTaxonUuids": ["f50e5d94-fa75-45a7-905e-091c1cfb3fa8"],
        "name": "Platalea leucorodia",
        "nameUuids": ["711f436d-aea6-4b19-b024-c51fad00afd1"],
        "taxonConceptUuids": ["f50e5d94-fa75-45a7-905e-091c1cfb3fa8"],
        "title": "Platalea leucorodia Linnaeus, 1758"
    }]
}, {
    "errorMessage": "No Taxon Name for given query : Tara spin"
}]