Note: No special software or plug-in required.

Rainforest Plants of Australia (Rockhampton to Victoria) key enables rapid identification of rainforest plants of Australia. Covering 1156 species, it includes extensive information about eastern Australian rainforests and has close to 14,000 stunning photographs. It enables anyone with an interest in rainforest trees, shrubs, ferns, vines and conifers to easily identify species found between Rockhampton in Central Queensland, through NSW, to southern Victoria. It is an easy to use interractive digital key powered by Lucid technology. Authors: Gwen Harden, Hugh Nicholson, Bill McDonald, Nan Nicholson, Terry Tame and John Williams Published by: Terania Rainforest Publishing by Nan & Hugh Nicholson (this site) & Gwen harden Publishing Available as downloadable Desktop App (2.0 New Release March 2024) or Mobile App (2014) What is the Rainforest Plants of Australia Key & Information System? Who is this Key & Information System for? Which rainforest species are included? Which distribution area is covered? What species information does it include? Why is it easy to use? Why is it called an Information System? What is the benefit of the 14,000 photos? What is the difference between the desktop/laptop app and the mobile app? How many times can I download the app? Can I download the app on mobile devices? What is the RAINFOREST PLANTS of AUSTRALIA Key & Information System? This interactive digital key (desktop and mobile app) is Lucid-powered and enables rapid identification of rainforest plants of Australia (Rockhampton to Victoria). It covers 1156 species (increase of 16 species in new release desktop app), includes extensive information about eastern Australian rainforests and has close to 14,000 stunning photographs. It enables anyone with an interest in rainforest trees, shrubs, ferns, vines and conifers to easily identify species found between Rockhampton in Central Queensland, through NSW, to southern Victoria. The 2nd edition is based on the successful USB (2014) and the Mobile app (2016) Rainforest Plants of Australia, which in turn were based on the well-known “Red Book” Rainforest Trees & Shrubs, and the “Green Book” Rainforest Climbing Plants, both by Gwen Harden, Bill McDonald and John Williams. Nan and Hugh Nicholson are author and photographer of Australian Rainforest Plants I-VI. This new release 2.0 of the Rainforest Plants of Australia interactive digital key includes substantial updates and improvements on the USB version. An additional 16 species, 70 name changes for species or family names, and many updates on geographical distributions are among the changes. This key took 13 years in preparation by botanists Gwen Harden, Bill McDonald, Nan Nicholson and photographer Hugh Nicholson. Terry Tame and John Williams also contributed.

A species list of 450 Australian trees and shrubs, ordered by common names with links to photos and descriptions. In alphabetical order from A - Z (below). All tree species shown in yellow font are links to web pages which provide the relevant images for the full tree, leaf characteristics, bark, flower and / or fruit samples. Additionally, there are 26 introduced, invasive (noxious) species listed, which pose a threat to native Australian forests. Detailed descriptions of every tree species are given to assist in identification of native trees and shrubs found on Australia's east coast. The tree identification web pages explain growth habits, give distribution ranges and advice on special leaf features, such as domatia, stipules and scent for identification. View the Leaf Characteristics Page for comprehensive information on how to identify native tree species by leaf features. Species in the following genera are listed in groups on our web pages: Australian Fig trees (Ficus spp.), Australian Eucalypts (Eucalyptus spp.), Grevilleas (Grevillea spp.) and Lilly Pillies/Satinashes (Syzygium spp.). We hope to raise the awareness to the high conservation value of remaining old growth forests in Australia with these web pages. Rainforests of Australia's East Coast, HAND SIGNED BOOKS; (Out of Stock) A practical and informative field guide to the identification of native rainforest species. More than 800 colour photographs, informative graphics, maps and detailed description of more than 300 species. This book is a valuable information source for bushwalkers, students, gardeners and anyone with an interest in Australia’s native flora. The book was written and illustrated by the author of the tree identification web pages. New Holland Publishers: May 2019 Rainforests: Identification - Evolution - Reproduction Dedicated photography of rainforest species including; mosses, mushrooms, lichens, slime moulds, ferns, conifers, flowering trees, climbing plants, orchids and palms enable the reader to identify commonly encountered species. Species list of 450 Australian trees and shrubs, common name index with links to relevant web page showing pictures and descriptions to assist in identification of species.

What is the RAINFOREST PLANTS of AUSTRALIA Interactive Identification Key & Information System? This interactive rainforest key enables rapid identification of rainforest plants of Australia (Rockhampton to Victoria), covering 1139 species and including extensive information about eastern Australian rainforests. It is a user-friendly digital system, using Lucid 3.5 technology, provided on a key-shaped USB in a DVD-sized package. Over 12,000 photographs are included. This key has been 13 years in preparation by botanists Gwen Harden, Bill McDonald, Nan Nicholson and photographer Hugh Nicholson. Terry Tame and John Williams also contributed. The key is based on updated and expanded information from the “Red Book” Rainforest Trees & Shrubs, and the “Green Book” Rainforest Climbing Plants, both by Gwen Harden, Bill McDonald and John Williams. Nan and Hugh Nicholson are author and photographer of Australian Rainforest Plants I-VI. It is the combination of expertise and enthusiasm for rainforests that makes this key not only exceptionally thorough and accurate but a thing of beauty and a joy to use. Which rainforest species are included? All 1139 species of rainforest trees, shrubs, climbers and mistletoes within the distribution area. This includes 104 species of weeds naturalised in rainforest, and 201 rare & threatened species. What area is covered? Eastern and southern mainland Australia, from Rockhampton in Queensland to southern Victoria. What species information does it include? Each of the 1139 species has a detailed botanical description, a detailed line drawing and up to 15 photographs showing habit, leaf, flower, fruit, bark and other distinguishing features. Why is it easy to use? The key can be searched using 160 different features. These include botanical features such as habit, leaves, stems, bark, flowers, fruits and many other characteristics, eg. spines, climbing mechanisms or type of sap. It can even be searched on new leaf colour or old leaf colour or leaf scent. It can also be searched on geographical area, rainforest type, rare or threatened status, weed status or family. Why is it called an Information System? Rainforest types from wet subtropical and cool-temperate to dry inland vine scrubs. Who is this Interactive Identification Key and Information System for? This key is for everyone interested in rainforest, whether they are professional botanists or ecologists, or plant lovers with little or no knowledge of botanical terms. Those who would find this resource useful:

Two online keys are available to facilitate the identification of this vast and diverse flora. The Australian Tropical Rain Forest Plants – Edition 8 and the Australian Tropical Rainforest Orchids are interactive multiple-entry identification and information systems, where the user decides which characters to choose based on the specimen in hand. “Australian Tropical Rainforest Plants” (the Rain Forest Key, or RFK) – the foremost identification and botanical guide to rainforest plants of northern Australia has reached a new milestone with the release of the eighth edition. For the first time the RFK is available as a mobile application which will enable use in the field without an internet connection. This tool gives everybody, from the enthusiastic amateur through to professional scientists, the power to identify rainforest plants occurring in tropical Australia, from Rockhampton to the Torres Strait and westward as far as the Kimberley Region of Western Australia. The RFK provides descriptions of 2762 species of plants, over 14,000 images to assist identification and an interactive identification key using Lucid TM software. As far as this key is concerned, rainforest encompasses a wide variety of closed forest types in the higher rainfall areas of northern Australia. It does not include eucalypt forests or all mangrove forests. The following commonly used terms are encompassed in our broad rainforest category: Monsoon Forest, Softwood Scrub, Vine Thicket, Gallery Forest, Scrub, Jungle and Vine Forest. The RFK is also now available for the first time as a mobile app. Users can download the app for IOS and Android devices from the AppStore and Google Play respectively, for a fee (search for 'RFK'). Once installed, all key content including images may be downloaded to the device for offline use in areas lacking network coverage. This greatly improves the utility of the RFK in the field. The Orchid Key was launched online December 2010. The first online edition of the RFK was Edition 6 which was launched in December 2010 and included 2,553 species of trees, shrubs and vines, grasses, sedges, palms, pandans and epiphytes of northern Australian rain forests.

Gwen Harden Publishing produces and distributes books and apps for the identification of trees, shrubs and climbers in rainforest, in Australia from Rockhampton (Qld), south through NSW to southern Victoria. In 2018 Gwen published the 2nd edition of Rainforest Trees and Shrubs (the “Red Book”), authored by Gwen Harden, Bill McDonald and John Williams. Due to changes in technology and the interest of users, the information in the earlier field guides was expanded and developed into interactive keys and multimedia information packages using Lucid Builder. These were prepared by Gwen Harden, Hugh Nicholson, Bill McDonald, Nan Nicholson, Terry Tame and John Williams and released as a USB in 2014 and as a Mobile app in 2016. Following substantial updates and additions, 2nd editions were released in 2024. The “USB”, Rainforest Plants of Australia – Rockhampton to Victoria, was released as a Desktop app for computers and laptops in March 2024. Followed shortly after by the 2nd edition Mobile app (phones and tablets), Rainforest Plants of Australia – Rockhampton to Victoria. The 2nd edition Rainforest Trees and Shrubs book and the interactive digital keys in Rainforest Plants of Australia – Rockhampton to Victoria are based on the earlier field guides developed at the University of New England, Armidale by John Williams, Gwen Harden and Bill McDonald. Detailed guide takes you through the main features of the app and how to use the key. Our common interest is rainforests and the desire to know more about them and the amazing plants that make up these complex communities. Gwen (Gwenneth J.) Harden was a botanist at the University of New England, James Cook University and at the National Herbarium of New South Wales (at the Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney). She graduated from the University of New England with M.Sc. in botany and she is an... Dr W. (Bill) J.F. McDonald joined National Parks Branch, Qld Department of Forestry in 1974 and transferred to Botany Branch, Qld Department of Primary Industries (incorporating the Queensland Herbarium) in 1977. He then worked on botanical survey and mapping projects... John Beaumont Williams, affectionately known to many as JBW, lectured at the University of New England (Armidale) in Taxonomy, Anatomy and Ecology from 1957 until his retirement in 1992. In his retirement he continued to be actively involved in many research and... Terry (Terrence Michael) Tame was a high school manual arts teacher with a life-long interest in the Australian flora having been nurtured by the naturalist Dr Edward Chisholm.

The rain forest key is a multiple-entry identification system, where the user decideswhich characters to choose based on the specimen in hand. This is a simpler identification process than with conventional botanical keys where the user has to work through a series of questions, in which the features to be used in the identification are pre-determined. Description of the interactive CD to identify rainforest trees and shrubs.

Written by Gwen Harden, Hugh Nicholson, Bill McDonald, Nan Nicholson, Terry Tame and John Williams The Rainforest Plants of Australia app follows on from the USB version of the much loved and used red and green books. These books were the go-to resource for anyone wanting to identify a rainforest tree, shrub or vine back before computers or mobile phones helped organise our lives and plant ID! The app covers rainforest plants – trees, shrubs, climbers, conifers, palms, mistletoes and tree ferns and climbing ferns – from Victoria to Rockhampton. It details 1140 species including 104 exotic species from subtropical rainforest, warm and cool temperate rainforest, dry rainforest and vine thickets and littoral rainforest. There is extensive information and photographs on the features used to identify plants including line drawings. Like the USB, the app follows a Lucid key where you select different features that your plant has and, based on these features, it eliminates those that don’t match your specimen’s features. Features used can include leaf, flower, fruit, seed and bark characteristics and geographic distribution, rainforest type and plant family. The more features you put in the less options remain, until you are left with your one plant identified or a few plant profiles to refer to before you decide on your identification. For those not used to the USB and using a Lucid key, this will be a change from using the red and green books’ dichotomous keys based on leaf characteristics. However, all the plant identification terms remain the same. The main strength of a Lucid key is that other features like flower and fruit colour can be entered to speed up identification. The app has many images (over 8000) that help with plant identification and each plant has its own fact sheet (see screenshot lower right of a fern fact sheet). Not all the photos from the USB have been included in the app due to storage restrictions. At 400MB to download, you may need to free up some space on your device.

Terania Rainforest Publishing specializes in providing information about Australian rainforests. Photographer/botanist duo Hugh and Nan Nicholson have been involved in rainforest horticulture, regeneration and protection since 1974. Their well-known publications on the indentification and cultivation of Australian rainforest plants have complemented their work as activists endeavouring to conserve all remaining rainforests. Substantially revised & updated with 16 new species, 70 name changes. This digital identification key is comprehensive, easy-to-use, and stunning. With 14,000 photos, it covers 1156 species of tree, shrub & vine from Rockhampton to southern Victoria. These 6 volumes provide an attractive and easily understood reference for gardeners, students, farmers, botanists and other plant lovers. Each book contains over 100 species of rainforest trees, shrubs, vines, ground covers and epiphytes, providing easy to understand information, identification & growing features of Australian rainforest. More information & to ORDER This book has been an indispensable text reference since its first printing in 1989. This long-awaited second edition has been fully updated with new species, name changes and additional distributions. *NOTE: Hard copy is now out of print. A pdf ebook of the resource will be released soon. The Essential Guide to Collecting, Processing and Propagation ~ How to sustainably collect, process and germinate the seeds of 300 subtropical rainforest species. More information & to ORDER Why grow rainforest plants? Rainforest species display a staggering diversity of shape, colour, size and appearance. Their attractiveness is due not only to their flowers, spectacular as some of these are, but to the plant forms, leaf shapes, colourful new growth... Getting To Know Rainforests Review of interactive key: Rainforest Plants of Australia – Rockhampton to Victoria by Tim Low Identification of rainforest plants has become much easier with the arrival of an impressive new identification guide. Those who are...

The Australian Tropical Rainforest Plants website is an interactive information system for identifying and learning about plants in Australian tropical rainforests. It has had a long history of development, but this 7th online edition includes 2753 taxa in 176 families, illustrated with 13 800 photographs. All tropical rainforest flowering plant species are included. That is, trees, shrubs, vines, forbs, grasses and sedges, epiphytes, palms and pandans; however, the orchids are covered in a separate website for practical reasons of identification. The site includes botanical descriptions of all families, genera and species, as well as an interactive identification key to species level. This is an outstanding botanical scientific resource. Website link: Australian Tropical Rainforest Plants website The Australian Tropical Rainforest Plants website is a free information system for identifying and learning about plants in Australian tropical rainforests.