System and method for plant selection

A process for plant selection, comprising:

• providing a database of plant species, wherein said database comprises:
• an image database comprising
• a) a plurality of images of plant species including an image of an above-ground apical complex for each plant, wherein said image has sufficient resolution such that the user can see distinguishing characteristics of the apical complex sufficient to distinguish each plant species from all other plant species in the same genus in the database, and
• b) a knowledge database, cross-referenced to said image database, for the purpose of assisting in the selection process;
• eliminating a portion of the plant species using at least two search criteria to further eliminate unsuited plant species using a user-interface to solicit, from a user in a sequential manner, a plurality of descriptive traits of a desired plant, and a selection tree, responsive to each of said traits, wherein said traits are employed by an engine to select, from a plurality of possible matches, a subset of matches that are consistent with the traits, and using the subset of matches, reorganizing an information space of said image database for concurrent presentation of a plurality of images for user review via the user-interface;
• wherein the user-interface is configured to continue to solicit descriptive traits based on the new subset of matches until the traits to be processed by the selection tree reduces the number of potential candidates below a predetermined level;
• and wherein the user-interface is configured to continue soliciting distinguishing characteristics until a sufficient number of candidates below the predetermined level remain;
• and
• displaying to the user at least one image of the plant species meeting the search criteria, at least one of said images being of distinguishing characteristics of the apical complex typical for the plant species.