Development of an image-assisted interactive key to Lamiaceae in Korea

Abstract

Despite the advancements in techniques for species identification, morphology-based classification remains essential in various research fields. Lamiaceae, the sixth largest family of angiosperms, is widely used for medicinal and ornamental purposes and is a familiar taxonomic group in Korea. In this study, we reviewed 166 taxa and 165 morphological characters of Korean Lamiaceae, selecting 85 taxa and summarizing them into 56 key characters. Based on this data, we developed an interactive identification key using Lucid Central Builder v4.0, enabling nonspecialists to quickly identify Korean Lamiaceae plants in the field based on observed characteristics (Access URL: http://amborella.net/LamiaceaeProject/02-KoreanLamiaceae/korean_lamiaceae_interactive_key_player.html). Although the interactive key created in this study is limited to native Korean Lamiaceae, it has the potential to expand to neighboring countries such as Japan and China. This expansion would facilitate the identification of diverse Lamiaceae taxa and provide a foundational resource for studying taxonomically and geographically related groups. Moreover, it could contribute to resolving cross-border inconsistencies in classification.