For quick and accurate access to information about a flora of a country it is becoming increasingly important to develop databases. Databases developed and provided by international organisations are expensive to use and difficult to maintain without outside help. It is therefore important for developing countries to develop their own plant databases best suited to their requirements. One such example is the Turkish Plant Data Service (TUBIVES), designed by Turkish systematists. This database is described with some samples, and the possibility of creating a South-West Asian Plants Information Service (SWAP-IS) is briefly discussed.

For quick and accurate access to information about a flora of a country it is becoming increasingly important to develop databases. Databases developed and provided by international organisations are expensive to use and difficult to maintain without outside help. It is therefore important for developing countries to develop their own plant databases best suited to their requirements. One such example is the Turkish Plant Data Service (TUBIVES), designed by Turkish systematists. This database is described with some samples, and the possibility of creating a South-West Asian Plants Information Service (SWAP-IS) is briefly discussed.