Request for Proposal

Plant Genus Description – Review Guide

v.2.0.2-20220228

Writing Guide: https://article.picturethisai.com/writing-guide/

 

Update (Feb 28, 2022)
  • Please treat all the Genus Common Names(_COMMON_NAME_) as Plural in these languages: English, Spanish, German, French, Portuguese. If your writing language is not included, then please treat the Genus Common Names as Singular. See Special Attention – 3 –
What's this content for?

This task is to create a series of creative content describing genus-level plant units. These pieces of content will show to our users when we identified to the genus level, so we should avoid detailed species-level information.

In these pieces of content, we would like to give the users a general understanding of the whole genus: are they commonly used in some fields, their breeding/cultivation history, representing species/cultivars, etc. (but NOT the taxonomical characters).

Requirements

1. Check the General Requirements

1.1 Word Count: Each description should consist of around 50 words. (For Japanese and Korean, around 100 characters, for Chinese, around 80.)
Reject entries did not meet 60% of the requirement (e.g., 30 words in English).

1.2 Introduce the genus as a whole, instead of a collection of unrelated plants. Try to find the commonplaces of the plants in the genus and key unique traits. E.g.: azaleas actually consist of several species and their crossed offsprings, but introductions often treat them as a whole. we’d like to have genus introductions like this.
Reject entries that just list or highlight different species in the genus.

1.3 Avoid talking about only one or a few species of the genus.
Reject entries that talk about the characters of one or some selected species.

1.4 Avoid Formulaic Expression: Try to change the choice of content and expression appropriately, preventing similar content with a similar structure from appearing repeatedly within one working set. Overly formulaic content (>50% content is written in the same form) will be rejected.
Reject the overly formulaic content (>50% content is written in the same form)

1.5 Avoid simple listing: including but not limited to geographical distribution and habitat. Try to use generalized terms, e. g., we should use “Northeast Asia” instead of “Japan, Korea, Inner Mongolia, and Russian Far East”. A simple listing of more than 3 items (countries, habitats) at one time is NOT ALLOWED.
Reject simple listings of more than 3 items (countries, habitats) at one time.

1.6 Avoid botanical terms: remember most readers have no biological background. If in some cases you have to use some, please simply explain them.
Reject entries that have too many unexplained difficult words for normal readers.

1.7 Sufficient Facts: Each description should consist of 2 or more facts in different aspects.
Reject entries that did not have sufficient facts.

2. Check the Facts

2.1 These topics are encouraged (Dos):

  • If there’s any commonplace in the plants within the genus that connects to our daily life (e.g.: Rhododengons are used as ornamental plants, and many Brassica species are cultivated as vegetables), it will be a great topic.
  • Edibility, but be aware that when talking about the edibility of some genus, a reliable reference is needed. Make sure to use the expression of “some species of this genus are edible” or sth like this, unless you have a piece of strong evidence or have checked all the species.
    Special attention should be taken when there are some toxic species in the same genus. In this case, “Some species of this genus are edible, such as A, B, and C, while E, F are toxic” is a recommended expression.
  • Unique structural features, blooming season (if in common), growth form, habitat preferred, or some other characteristic biological features.
  • Name story, both common name, and Latin name.

2.2 Do not mention these pieces of information (Don’ts)

  • Scientific synonym, alternative common name. These names are listed in our system in another section, please DO NOT mention them unless there’s an interesting name story behind it.
  • Please TRY NOT to list species contained in the genus unless (1) when talking about which are edible and which are toxic or (2) when there’s only one species under the genus.
  • Taxonomy information is neither interesting to common readers nor can it be wrong (because of the taxonomy system that has changed frequently recently), please DO NOT mention it here.
  • Any form of medicinal use is NOT allowed in this section.
  • Detailed measurements and botanical descriptions are NOT recommended.
  • Definite species number contained in the genus is NOT suggested to mention because the number may be different in different taxonomy systems. But an approximate number or order of magnitude (hundreds, thousands, etc.) CAN be provided.
  • Widely cited “NASA Research” supporting the air-cleaning effects of plants is flawed. The air-cleaning efficiency of all the plants is later proven to be too low to be practical. Using any plant to absorb toxic chemicals in your room is not realistic, so please DO NOT mention any air-cleaning effects of plants in this section.
3. Check the Sensitive Expressions

3.1 Non-toxic

  • Reject the contents with no supporting link attached.
  • Reject the contents that their supporting link is not reliable.
  • Reject the contents if only you can find any information on the internet that claims that it is toxic.

3.2 Edible

  • Any expression related to eating should be considered as a piece of “Edible information”. Including but not limited to declare one plant can be a source of food, can make a salad, can make tea, work as an ingredient of wine/spirit/beer/cocktail, grown as a crop or a spice, its taste (is sweet, bitter, salty) without declaring it’s toxic. Of course, simply declaring some plant is edible is a piece of “edible information” too.
  • Reject the contents with no sales link from a large local or international commerce website. Unless it is a daily vegetable/fruit.
  • Reject the contents that their supporting link pointed to medical or other usages instead of eating.
4. Check the Political or Legal Issues
  • Plagiarism: Reject
  • Politics, pornography, religion or racial discrimination, drugs, etc.: Reject
  • Marijuana, tobacco, etc. any positive description of their usage as an addict: Reject. E.g., Nicotiana is a source of cigarettes (nurture, OK), a source of premium Cuban cigars (“premium” has a positive meaning, reject), a great experimental material in molecular biology (positive, but not as an addict, OK).
  • Alcohol: writers could state that tequila is made from blue agave, but are Not Allowed to introduce how “good” tequila is.
5. Check the Usage of System Placeholders

If the writer failed to use the placeholders systematically, Reject the workspace.

Special Attentions
  • Local information in your country is highly recommended
  • Use common names instead of Latin names whenever possible
  • Please treat all the Genus Common Names(_COMMON_NAME_) as Plural in these languages: English, Spanish, German, French, Portuguese – This applies even to a genus with only one species. If your writing language is not included, then please treat the Genus Common Names as Singular.
  • Italicize any Latin words (except the ones already represented by placeholders) that appear (e.g., genus names, etc.)
  • If there’s only one species under the genus, you could (1) declare there’s only one species, then (2) describe the species contained briefly.
  • If you believe that the common name of the writing target is wrong (including singular or plural form), please Report it in the link below and we will change it in time.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1vO4wADpXiyJdfwnO4FWJiu0CL_1etZ4zdxapqGraE2U/edit?usp=sharing

Example of Plant Genus Description in English

【The text inside brackets is just for explanation】

  • Grape hyacinths (Muscari) 45 words
    _COMMON_NAME_ grow from bulbs and reproduce rapidly 【common growth characteristics】. These plants produce spikes of dense, grape-shaped flowers that provide vivid color for most of the spring blooming season 【structure feature and blooming time】. Their musk-like fragrance, colorful blossoms, and little maintenance requirements make them popular plants for gardeners and plant enthusiasts 【their garden usage】.
    (_COMMON_NAME_ = Grape hyacinths) their common name in plural form in English.