Chromosome numbers and information on ploidy level are of great importance for better understanding of plant evolution and taxonomy but also for species identification. Technical developments in flow cytometry dramatically improved the measurement of genome size and triggered a renewed interest in chromosome numbers. Web-based portals make these kind of data accessible for a wide audience in both academia and citizen science. The specialised database of German plant chromosome counts and ploidy estimates comprises to date more than 14,000 records covering 52% of the German taxa. The database is accessed about 70 times per month and became an integral part of several more comprehensive initiatives. One example is the Rothmaler Flora of Germany, which now for the first time features chromosome data with verified origin from the region of interest. Another is the German plant information hub FloraWeb currently amended by several new data sources with the chromosome number database as a major component.
Keywords: Chromosome counts; Citizen science; Flow cytometry; Germany; Identification; Online database; Ploidy; Taxonomy.
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