# Some key functions in taxize, what they do, and their data sources.

Function name | What it does | Source
--- | --- | ---
`children` | Get direct children | COL, NCBI, ITIS
`classification` | Upstream classification | COL, NCBI, ITIS, Tropicos, EOL, GBIF, NBN
`comm2sci` | Get scientific from common names | EOL, NCBI, ITIS, Tropicos
`downstream` | Downstream taxa to specified rank | COL, ITIS, GBIF
`get_ids` | Get taxonomic identifiers | COL, NCBI, ITIS, Tropicos, EOL, GBIF, NBN
`resolve` | Resolve names using many resolvers | GNR, TNRS, iPlant
`gnr_resolve` | Resolve names using Global Names Resolver | GNR
`tnrs` | Phylotastic Taxonomic Name Resolution Service | NCBI, iPlant, MSW3
`tol_resolve` | Resolve names using any resolver | TOL
`iplant_resolve` | iPlant name resolution | iPlant
`sci2comm` | Get common from scientific names | EOL, NCBI, ITIS
`synonyms` | Retrieve synonyms given input names/identifiers | COL, NCBI, ITIS, Tropicos
`upstream` | Retrieve upstream taxa given names/identifiers | COL, ITIS
`lowest_common` | Retrieve the lowest common taxon and rank for a given taxon name or ID | COL, ITIS, GBIF, TOL, NCBI
`genbank2uid` | Get NCBI taxonomy UID from GenBankID | NCBI
`tax_name` | Get taxonomic names for a given rank | NCBI, ITIS
`tax_rank` | Get rank for a given taxonomic name | BOLD, COL, EOL, GBIF, NATSERV, NBN, TOL, TROPICOS, ITIS, NCBI, WORMS
`tpl_get` | Get The Plant List csv files | TPL

### Acronyms

- COL: Catalogue of Life
- NCBI: National Center for Biotechnology Information
- ITIS: Integrated Taxonomic Information Service
- EOL: Encylopedia of Life
- GBIF: Global Biodiversity Information Facility
- NBN: National Biodiversity Network (UK)
- iPlant: iPlant Name Resolution Service
- GNR: Global Names Resolver
- TNRS: Taxonomic Name Resolution Service
- TOL: Open Tree of Life
- MSW3: Mammal Species of the World, 3rd Edition
- TPL: The Plant List
- BOLD: Barcode of Life
- NATSERV: Natureserve
- TROPICOS: Tropicos plant database
- WORMS: World Register of Marine Species