The China Oil Plant Species (COPS) Database: A Comprehensive Web-Based Database and Informatics System Providing Ecological and Chemical Traits of Oil Plants in China

The China Oil Plant Species (COPS) database is the first to provide comprehensive and systematic web-based classification, search and selection under given criteria of oil plants distributed in China, covering 1409 different species belonging to 139 families in total. The web-based database is constructed on the basis of experimental data and related information from authoritative books and academic journals, using ASP as execution environment with 7 different functions, including data input, multiple searching, statistics, etc. Users of the platform can conveniently acquire abundant information on ecological and biochemical traits of oil plants in China, including basic category, classification, florescence and maturity period, geographical distribution, elevation, climate and terrain of growth, oil content, fatty acid composition and content, besides the related statistical data. The database will be of great value in studying the present situation of utilization of oil plants and the future exploitation of new species adapted in given environment in China.