Plant Sciences

The BRAHMS project is part of the plant diversity and systematics research group at Oxford.

The group's focus is to understand plant diversity and provide innovative solutions that assist with its documentation and analysis.

The group also develops methods, guides and websites that assist with plant identification and revisional work.




  • Map directly to Google Earth with options to control colours, symbols, size, labels, points and polygons using map style settings. Click image for more details...


  • Darwin Initiative project 16-004 is looking at conservation priorities in the cerrados of Eastern Bolivia. BRAHMS is used to store data of the plants of this region, among which are many new and rare species. Click image for more details...


  • Collaborative work is underway with Kew's Millennium seed bank extending the BRAHMS module for documenting all aspects of seed storage, processing and testing. Click image for more details...


  • Calculations of species range. Results generated by an ArcView extension created by the GIS unit at Kew can be linked to the relevant taxa in BRAHMS. Click image for more details...


  • The Living Collections module, new to Version 6.9, developed in collaboration with Oxford and Leiden botanic gardens, is designed for all projects wishing to track data and images for individual living plants. Click image for more details...


  • The conifer database, a comprehensive resource on conifer names and specimens, can be downloaded from the Samples menu above. Click image to visit conifer website...


  • The PBI Solanum project uses BRAHMS for the assembly and editing of Solanum names, specimens and images, producing a range of reports and maps and feeding the Solanum website. Click image for more details...


  • Calculate options summarise data in single and multiple columns as well as cross-tabulate. Results can be graphed and charted in Excel. Click image for more details...


  • Diversity calculations generated within BRAHMS can be map-styled and plotted to Google Earth to display grid cell content. Click image for more details...


  • The Embrapa (IAN) herbarium (shown above), the Museu Goeldi (MG) and the Amazonian National Research Institute (INPA) are all fully data-based as are many of the smaller herbaria. Click image for more details...


  • Databases can be published online either individually or in linked groups using the online publishing options found on the main Administration menu. Click image for more details...


  • BRAHMS training held at the Tropical Forest Biodiversity Centre, Kepong, Malaysia in 2009 funded by the Flora of Peninsular Malaysia project. Click image for more details...


  • The sample plot module stores and processes data from botanical survey areas, forest inventories and other categories of sample plot. Click image for more details...


  • The Leucaena database can be downloaded from this site. It includes geo-referenced specimens, types, synonomy, protologues, descriptions, literature and more. Click image for more details...


  • Jan Wieringa working with Ludovic Ngok Banak (LBV herbarium, Gabon). The Gabon database is available online. Click image for more details...

Publish online from BRAHMS

A growing number of BRAHMS databases are going online on their own or on the BRAHMS server. Promote your project and data, design your own site and publish online using BRAHMS WebConnect. Optionally join databases into online groups of research projects or regional herbaria. Websites can be designed directly from the BRAHMS PublishOnline menu.




Contact us if you require help with BRAHMS or have any comments on this site.

Welcome to the BRAHMS website

BRAHMS is a powerful and flexible database management system for botanical researchers and herbaria, providing wide-ranging and innovative functionality to assemble, manage, edit, analyse and publish your data.

The BRAHMS project works globally with herbaria, research institutions, individual scientists and NGOs supporting collection management, taxonomic studies, botanical survey, diversity analysis and numerous botanical research initiatives. You can find out more in the About BRAHMS documentation.

Version 6.9 - 30 May 2011

[Version 6.9 Build 5 added 26 February 2012]

Upgrade notes in English, French, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish. Further upgrade details are provided in the documentation section. Download the latest software and install using a few simple steps. Register to gain access to activation keys and regular software upgrades.


Resources for BRAHMS training

Resources include the illustrated BRAHMS for beginners training guide, a comprehensive help file and sample databases for all of the conifers as well as the genera Inga and Leucaena.


Optimized data and image capture

Rapid Data Entry (RDE) provides a flexible, efficient and secure data entry environment with options to link images to data right from the start.

Managing collections

Maximise the use and value of data from herbarium specimens, field observations, botanical survey plots, seed banks and other botanical records.

Botanic gardens and living collections

The living collections module stores data on garden accessions, tracking supplier details, material origin, identification and vouchering, garden location and management events including inventories and garden stock-checks.

Species lists and nomenclature

The taxonomic framework lies at the heart of BRAHMS allowing you to build and refine your central species list with the required level of nomenclatural detail, text descriptions, literature links, images and more.

Design your own report templates

Reports can be designed with almost limitless flexibility to print labels and lists or to format data for checklists and monographs to send to your word processor.

Flexible map and map style setting functions

Prepare maps directly from BRAHMS using ArcView, DIVA, Google Earth or your preferred GIS using style setting functions to apply colours, symbols and labels to points or polygons.

Distribution summaries and diversity indicators

Process your data to generate distribution summaries and diversity indices for the selected geographic scale. Results are displayed in spread sheets and can be mapped graphically.

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