TLA-185 records what is cited. TLA-VIS names how a plant reads.
TLA-185 is the records and disclosure spine (field registry). TLA-VIS is the visualisation grammar: habit, foliage, lamina, surface, reproductive structure, condition, temporal state, and provenance. It does not replace TLA-185, and it is not a draft orbit.
What it is
A controlled vocabulary that maps botanical form and individual condition to renderable parameters. Plant Ontology describes anatomy for genomics. glTF and USD carry a mesh. Nothing between them names a phyllode, a bottlebrush, or a stag-headed crown. TLA-VIS is that layer.
The term list is generated from the live plant engine so the document cannot drift from the renderer. First-pass definitions are now attached to each term. Cited flora writing is still outstanding. A thin definition is still an index entry until a botanist cites it.
Licence
Vocabulary and specification are published under CC BY 4.0: attribution required; commercial implementation and derivative profiles are permitted. The “TLA-VIS” name and conformance mark stay with the steward. Curated species records, meshes, stills, and the Archive engine are separately licensed and are not covered by this grant.
TLA-185 remains CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. Cite it freely; commercial use of that records grammar still needs an Archive licence. TLA-185 is authored by Mark Norlan Laririt, founder of The Landscape Archive. The two instruments are siblings with different jobs, so they carry different licences on purpose.
Modules
-
Habit & architecture 33 terms
How the plant supports itself and distributes its branches.
Growth form · Crown shape · Trunk habit · Branching gradient · Phyllotaxis · Branch insertion
-
Foliage assembly 150 terms
How organs are seated on the shoot, and which organ type is applied.
Leaf template · Twig cluster · Leaf type · Leaf posture · Foliage render mode · Frond type
-
Lamina morphology 77 terms
Botanical description of the blade, corresponding to flora descriptions.
Lamina outline class · Margin · Apex form · Base form · Phyllotaxis · Attachment · Orientation · Blade complexity · Phenology · Venation architecture · Surface luster
-
Surface & material 14 terms
Surface response of bark and leaf to incident light.
Bark texture / profile · Leaf material class
-
Reproductive structure 16 terms
Flower and fruit organs, and their arrangement on the shoot.
Bloom type · Inflorescence arrangement
-
Condition & state 26 terms
The state of this individual. Scenario grammar: a condition is usually modelled, not asserted of the taxon.
Water & vigour · Decline & senescence · Wound taxonomy · Plant response
-
Temporal state 8 terms
Seasonal position and life-history stage. Neither is a condition.
Season · Age stage
-
Provenance & honesty 6 terms
The evidentiary basis of each term. Required: a term with no basis is not conformant.
Condition basis · Trait provenance
Term definitions
First-pass botanical notes keyed to the live engine. Cited flora writing is still outstanding. A name with a thin definition is still an index entry until a botanist cites it.
Habit & architecture
Growth form
tree- A woody plant with a dominant bole or leader that holds the crown above the ground.
shrub- A woody plant with several stems from near the base and no single tall bole.
palm- An unbranched or weakly branched stem carrying a terminal crown of fronds.
grass- A tufted or rhizomatous monocot with strap or blade leaves and no woody bole.
groundcover- A low plant that spreads across the ground plane rather than forming a crown.
fern- A spore-bearing plant with fronds from a rhizome or fibrous caudex.
climber- A plant that uses another support to ascend; not a self-supporting tree or shrub.
Crown shape
natural- Untrained crown shape left to the species habit.
open- A loose, see-through crown with large gaps between limbs.
spreading- A wide crown whose width is equal to or greater than its height.
domed- A rounded crown that is broader than it is tall, with a convex outline.
round- A near-spherical crown outline.
conical- A tapering crown, widest at the base and pointed above.
columnar- A narrow upright crown with little lateral spread.
vase- An upright crown that widens toward the top.
weeping- A crown whose outer shoots hang below the horizontal.
candelabra- Tiered, upswept limbs that read as stacked candelabra arms.
umbrella- A flat-topped crown on a relatively clean bole.
Trunk habit
single- One persistent bole from the ground to the first major fork.
forked- A bole that divides into two or more co-dominant leaders.
multiStem- Several stems arising near ground level, each carrying canopy.
mallee- Multiple stems from a lignotuber after fire or cutting; not a single-leader gum.
Branching gradient
acrotonic- Strongest branching toward the shoot tips.
mesotonic- Strongest branching in the mid-shoot.
basitonic- Strongest branching toward the base of the plant.
Phyllotaxis
random- No regular leaf or branch spiral is asserted.
alternate- One organ per node, alternating sides along the shoot.
spiral- Organs arranged on a helix around the shoot.
opposite- Two organs at the same node, facing one another.
whorled- Three or more organs at one node.
distichous- Organs in two opposite ranks, forming a flat plane.
Branch insertion
alternate- Successive branches insert on alternating sides of the parent.
whorled- Branches insert in rings at one height on the parent.
Foliage assembly
Leaf template
auto- Engine chooses a leaf-card template from the taxon or family. Not a botanical name.
genericBroad- A generic expanded broadleaf card used when no family template is bound.
eucalyptus- Sickle or lanceolate eucalypt card on the archiveGum core.
smallLeaf- A reduced broadleaf card for small-leaved myrtles and hedges.
needle- A needle card for pines, callitris, and similar.
strap- A strap card for lomandra, dianella, and grass-like clumps.
fernlet- A small frondlet card for ferns and fern-like shoots.
pendulous- A hanging card for weeping or pendant foliage.
acacia- A phyllode-like card for wattles.
casuarina- A jointed sheoak cladode card.
melaleuca- A small opposite myrtle card for paperbarks.
banksia- A serrated sclerophyll card for banksia.
grevillea- A divided or linear proteaceous shrub card.
stenocarpus- A firewheel-tree style card; engine template, not a species claim.
flindersia- A pinnate ash-tree card.
callitris- A scale-needle cypress-pine card.
doryphora- A glossy opposite sassafras card.
syzygium- An opposite glossy lilly-pilly card.
photinia- A broad glossy hedge card, often with a red flush.
pyrus- A simple orchard-pear blade card.
corymbia- A spotted-gum family card; smaller than a blue-gum sickle.
angophora- A spreading apple-gum card, not a single-pole eucalypt.
leptospermum- A tiny tea-tree card.
callistemon- A narrow bottlebrush card.
hakea- A stiff, often terete hakea card.
kunzea- A crowded tiny myrtle card.
tristaniopsis- A water-gum card.
lophostemon- A brush-box elliptic card.
syncarpia- A turpentine ovate-lanceolate card.
westringia- A whorled coastal-rosemary needle card.
pittosporum- A glossy elliptic screening card.
ficus- A large glossy fig card.
toona- A pinnate red-cedar card.
macadamia- A whorled leathery proteaceous card.
nothofagus- A small toothed southern-beech card.
cryptocarya- A glossy laurel card.
lomandra- A strap card for mat-rush.
brachychitonJuvenile- A lobed juvenile kurrajong card.
mangrove- A thick mangrove card.
allocasuarina- A sheoak cladode card for Allocasuarina.
brachychiton- A broad adult kurrajong card.
araucaria- A stiff scale-needle hoop or bunya card.
macrozamia- A cycad frondlet card.
dacrydium- A fine podocarp needle card.
podocarpus- A flattened podocarp needle card.
shrubSmall- A generic small-shrub card. Renderer id, not a species.
shrubMyrtle- A small opposite myrtle shrub card.
shrubHeath- A tiny ericoid heath card.
shrubWattle- A small phyllode shrub card.
shrubWisteria- A pinnate climbing-pea card.
shrubBottlebrush- A small bottlebrush shrub card.
shrubLavender- A small opposite aromatic card named for a lavender-like blade. Renderer id, not Lavandula.
shrubRosemary- A linear aromatic shrub card. Renderer id, not Rosmarinus as a taxon claim.
shrubHawthorn- A toothed rosaceous shrub card.
shrubElaeagnus- A silver-backed oleaster card.
shrubBurgundy- A dark-leaved shrub card used for burgundy hedges.
shrubSilverberry- A silver-tomentose shrub card.
shrubLoropetalum- A slightly oblique witch-hazel shrub card.
shrubCeanothus- A small toothed ceanothus card.
shrubAzalea- A clustered rhododendron-like card.
shrubDaphne- A small entire daphne card.
shrubMolina- Engine shrub-card id. Not a species claim.
shrubDeutzia- A small opposite hydrangea-family card.
shrubForsythia- An opposite olive-family shrub card.
shrubNandina- A bipinnate sacred-bamboo card.
shrubBlueberry- A small ericaceous shrub card.
shrubCotoneaster- A small entire rosaceous card.
shrubEskimo- Engine shrub-card id. Not a cultivar claim.
shrubHibiscus- A broad palmate or ovate mallow card.
shrubIndigofera- A pinnate pea-shrub card.
shrubEremophila- A narrow emu-bush card.
shrubRhagodia- A scurfy saltbush card.
shrubAcacia- A small wattle phyllode card.
shrubLeptodermis- Engine shrub-card id. Not a species claim.
shrubGardenia- A glossy opposite gardenia card.
shrubCitrus- A winged-petiole citrus card.
shrubViburnum- An opposite viburnum card.
shrubPieris- A toothed ericaceous card.
shrubChoisya- A palmate citrus-family shrub card.
shrubSpiraea- A small toothed rosaceous card.
shrubWeigela- An opposite honeysuckle-family card.
shrubHydrangea- A broad opposite hydrangea card.
shrubKerria- A simple rosaceous shrub card.
shrubBerberis- A toothed or spinose barberry card.
shrubCistus- A slightly undulate rockrose card.
shrubGenista- A small broom card.
shrubUlex- A spine-tipped gorse card.
shrubSantolina- A tiny silver cotton-lavender card.
shrubTeucrium- A small germander card.
shrubSarcococca- A glossy box-family card.
shrubDaphneOdora- A daphne card reserved for the winter-daphne template.
shrubPhiladelphus- An opposite mock-orange card.
shrubEscallonia- A glossy toothed escallonia card.
Twig cluster
needle- Needle cards clustered on a short shoot.
strap- Strap blades clustered as a tuft.
broadleaf- Expanded blades on a woody twig.
smallleaf- Reduced blades on a woody twig.
pendulous- Hanging cards on a weeping shoot.
fernlet- Frondlets on a fern shoot.
eucalypt- Eucalypt sickle cards on a terminal shoot.
wattle- Phyllodes on a wattle shoot.
banksia- Serrated banksia cards on a sclerophyll shoot.
paperbark- Small myrtle cards on a paperbark shoot.
snowpaperbark- A paler, smaller paperbark shoot cluster.
melaleucasmallleaf- Tiny paperbark cards on a fine shoot.
sheoak- Jointed cladodes on a casuarina shoot.
grevillea- Divided proteaceous cards on an open shoot.
hakea- Stiff hakea cards on an upright shoot.
macadamia- Whorled leathery cards on a rainforest shoot.
westringia- Whorled needles on a coastal-rosemary shoot.
lophostemon- Spiral tip-whorl of brush-box cards.
pyrus- Simple orchard-pear cards on a fruit-tree shoot.
palmpinnate- Pinnate leaflets on a palm rachis.
palmfan- Fan segments on a palm costa.
foxtailfrond- Plume-like foxtail palm leaflets.
nikaufrond- Engine twig-cluster nikaufrond. How cards are seated on a shoot, not a taxon name.
fishtailfrond- Prawn- or fishtail-shaped palm leaflets.
crownshaftpinnate- Pinnate fronds above a crownshaft.
cycadfrond- Stiff cycad leaflets on a radial rachis.
grassblade- Grass blades from a tiller.
tendril- A climbing tendril with sparse cards.
fernfrond- A whole fern frond cluster.
stolon- Cards on a creeping stolon.
acaciahair- Fine bipinnate wattle hair.
bipinnate- Twice-divided leaflets on a shoot.
caudexskirt- Persistent leaf bases around a caudex.
spearstrap- Upright spear-like straps.
succulentrosette- Fleshy leaves in a rosette.
paddleleaf- Broad paddle succulent leaves.
pandanuscrown- Spiralled pandanus straps.
cactuscolumn- A columnar cactus rib, not a leaf cluster.
cactuspad- A flattened cactus pad.
cactusbarrel- A barrel cactus body.
wollemi- Wollemi-style flattened shoots.
peavine- Tendrilled pea-vine cards.
Leaf type
broadleaf- An expanded dicot or broad monocot blade.
smallleaf- A reduced broadleaf card for small-leaved shrubs and trees.
needle- A conifer or sheoak needle card.
strap- A long parallel-sided monocot blade.
fernlet- A small frondlet used on fern and fern-like shoots.
pendulous- A hanging blade or phyllode card.
Leaf posture
upright- Cards held above the horizontal.
neutral- Cards held near the shoot plane.
droop- Cards with a downward hang.
pendulous- Cards hanging well below the shoot.
Foliage render mode
twig- Foliage is meshed as cards on modelled twigs.
billboard- Foliage is a camera-facing cluster card. Not the preferred Archive path.
hybrid- Twig cards with a limited cluster fallback.
Frond type
pinnate- A feather frond with leaflets along a rachis.
fan- A palmate or costapalmate fan frond.
Lamina morphology
Lamina outline class
lanceolate- A blade several times longer than wide, widest below the middle, tapering to both ends.
falcate- A sickle-shaped blade, curved along its length.
ovate- Egg-shaped in outline, broader toward the base.
obovate- Inverted egg-shaped, broader toward the tip.
elliptic- Widest at the middle and tapering equally to both ends.
orbicular- Circular or nearly circular in outline.
cordate- Heart-shaped, with a notched base.
linear- Many times longer than wide, with nearly parallel sides.
strap- A long, flat, parallel-sided blade used for monocot and lomandra cards.
terete- A needle-like blade that is circular in cross-section.
needle- A narrow, stiff conifer needle.
scale- A small overlapping scale leaf, as in callitris or some chenopods.
cladode- A flattened stem that functions as a leaf.
phyllode- A flattened petiole that functions as a leaf, typical of many acacias.
pinnate- A compound blade with leaflets along a central rachis.
bipinnate- A twice-divided pinnate blade.
palmate- Leaflets or lobes radiating from one point at the apex of the petiole.
Margin
entire- A smooth margin with no teeth or lobes.
serrate- Forward-pointing teeth along the margin.
dentate- Outward-pointing teeth along the margin.
crenate- Rounded teeth along the margin.
lobed- Deep indentations that do not reach the midrib.
undulate- A wavy margin in the plane of the blade.
spinose- A margin armed with spines.
Apex form
acuminate- A long-tapered, sharp tip.
acute- A sharp tip with an angle less than 90 degrees.
obtuse- A blunt tip with an angle greater than 90 degrees.
rounded- A smoothly rounded tip.
emarginate- A shallow notch at the tip.
mucronate- A short abrupt point at an otherwise blunt tip.
pungent- A stiff, piercing tip.
Base form
cuneate- A wedge-shaped base tapering to the petiole.
attenuate- A long-tapered base.
rounded- A rounded junction with the petiole.
cordate- A heart-shaped, notched base.
oblique- An asymmetrical base.
amplexicaul- A base that clasps the stem.
Phyllotaxis
alternate- One leaf per node, alternating along the shoot.
spiral- Leaves arranged on a helix.
distichous- Leaves in two ranks, forming a plane.
opposite- Two leaves at one node.
decussate- Opposite leaves with successive pairs at right angles.
whorled- Three or more leaves at one node.
fascicled- Leaves clustered in a short bundle.
basal- Leaves arising from the base of the plant.
Attachment
petiolate- Blade attached by a distinct petiole.
sessile- Blade attached directly to the stem, without a petiole.
sheathing- Leaf base wraps the stem as a sheath.
amplexicaul- Leaf base clasps the stem.
decurrent- Leaf tissue runs down the stem below the insertion.
Orientation
erect- Blade held upright or nearly so.
spreading- Blade held near the horizontal.
pendulous- Blade hanging below the horizontal.
Blade complexity
simple- A single undivided blade.
compound- A blade divided into distinct leaflets.
pinnate- Leaflets along a rachis.
bipinnate- Leaflets themselves divided along secondary rachises.
palmate- Leaflets radiating from one point.
trifoliate- Three leaflets.
phyllode- The photosynthetic organ is a flattened petiole, not a true blade.
scale- Reduced scale leaves rather than expanded blades.
leafless- No expanded photosynthetic blades are modelled.
Phenology
evergreen- Foliage is retained through the year.
deciduous- Foliage is shed seasonally.
semi_deciduous- Part of the foliage is shed, often under stress.
drought_deciduous- Foliage is shed in response to drought rather than a fixed season.
Venation architecture
pinnate- A midrib with lateral veins.
brochidodromous- Pinnate veins that loop before the margin.
parallel- Veins run the length of the blade, typical of many monocots.
palmate- Several primary veins arise at the base.
obscure- Venation is not expressed as a modelled feature.
Surface luster
glossy- A shiny adaxial surface.
semi_glossy- A moderate sheen.
matte- A dull surface without specular highlight.
glaucous- A waxy blue-grey bloom.
pubescent- A hairy surface that softens the highlight.
scurfy- A scaly or scurfy surface covering.
Surface & material
Bark texture / profile
smooth- A bark surface without deep furrows or persistent plates.
furrowed- Longitudinal ridges and furrows.
mottled- Patchy colour from irregular shedding.
peeling- Bark that sheds in ribbons or flakes.
charcoal- A dark, often fire-blackened fibrous surface.
paperbark- Papery layered bark, typical of many Melaleuca.
sheoak- Fine, tight, often dark Casuarinaceae bark.
ironbark- Hard, deeply furrowed, often dark ironbark.
scribbly- Smooth bark marked by insect scribbles.
Leaf material class
matte- A non-glossy leaf surface class.
waxy- A waxy cuticle that raises specularity.
silvery- A reflective or tomentose silver cast.
autumn- Seasonal colour change expressed as a material class.
dry- A desiccated, low-transmission leaf surface.
Reproductive structure
Bloom type
blossom- An open, radially symmetric flower used as a generic blossom card.
pompom- A dense spherical cluster of many small flowers.
operculum- A eucalypt-style cap that sheds as the flower opens.
spike- Flowers seated on an unbranched axis.
bottlebrush- A cylindrical spike of many stamens, as in Callistemon.
toothbrush- A one-sided spike of stamens, as in some Grevillea.
puff- A powder-puff of many stamens, as in some Acacia.
waratah- A dense terminal head surrounded by involucral bracts.
catkin- A pendulous, often unisexual spike.
daisy- A composite head with ray and/or disc florets.
Inflorescence arrangement
single- Flowers borne singly, not in a compound cluster.
spike- Sessile flowers on an unbranched axis.
raceme- Pedicellate flowers on an unbranched axis.
umbel- Pedicels arising from one point.
head- A dense cluster of sessile flowers.
panicle- A branched raceme.
Condition & state
Water & vigour
well-watered- Modelled high water availability and turgid foliage. Scenario unless basis is observed.
adequate- Modelled sufficient water without luxury growth.
mild-deficit- Modelled early water stress: slight wilt or duller foliage.
deficit- Modelled water stress with reduced turgor.
severe-deficit- Modelled severe drought: leaf roll, drop, or browning.
waterlogged- Modelled saturated soil and reduced aeration.
Decline & senescence
vigorous- Modelled strong extension and dense live crown.
stable- Modelled neither expanding nor declining crown.
early-decline- Modelled first loss of outer shoots or thinning.
stag-headed- Modelled dead upper limbs standing above a reduced live crown.
senescent- Modelled late-life reduction of live crown.
dead-standing- Modelled standing dead wood. Not a taxon trait.
Wound taxonomy
target-cut- A pruning cut outside the branch collar, the preferred arboricultural wound.
flush-cut- A cut flush with the parent stem that removes the collar.
stub-cut- A cut that leaves a stub beyond the collar.
storm-snap- A jagged failure from wind or load.
fork-failure- A split at a co-dominant fork.
natural-shed- A naturally abscised limb, not a pruning cut.
fire-scar- A fire wound on bole or limb.
strike- A mechanical or lightning strike wound.
Plant response
none- No modelled resprout or exudate response.
epicormic-flush- Shoots from dormant buds on bole or limb.
lignotuber-resprout- Shoots from a basal lignotuber.
coppice-regrowth- Shoots after cutting near ground level.
kino-exudate- Gum or kino flow from a wound.
basal-sprout- Shoots from the root crown without a named lignotuber.
Temporal state
Season
spring- Southern or northern spring as a temporal state, not a condition.
summer- Summer as a temporal state.
autumn- Autumn as a temporal state.
winter- Winter as a temporal state.
Age stage
sapling- An early woody stage before a closed crown.
juvenile- A young plant that has not reached mature form.
mature- A plant at the catalogue display age and form.
veteran- An old individual with veteran structure. Not automatically senescent.
Provenance & honesty
Condition basis
observed- The condition term was seen on a named individual.
specified- The condition term is a briefed scenario, not a field observation.
engine- The condition term is an engine default and is not a field claim.
Trait provenance
measured- The trait value was measured on a cited source or specimen.
derived- The trait value was calculated from other filed values.
archetype- The trait value comes from a family or habit archetype, not a measurement.
Honesty
- A term with no provenance basis is not conformant.
- Condition terms are modelled scenarios unless the basis is observed.
- Implementations must not invent a term to fill a gap.
- A growth form that cannot express a declared term must omit it; applying a stag-headed crown to a grass is non-conformant.