The Species Identification Task Force is under the supervision of the Judging Committee of the American Orchid Society. The task force will try to improve and simplify the processing of awards, with the goal of ensuring that awarded species are correctly named. Members of the Task Force are not necessarily taxonomic experts but individuals who use reference material to confirm the identity of submitted awards. When the SITF collective expertise and reference collections are not adequate, members of the task force turn to a network of qualified experts.

The task force replaces the previous cumbersome identification and verification procedure, which often involved shipping plant material to a taxonomic expert. The SITF, using today’s electronic communications capabilities and readily available high quality digital images, hopes to facilitate the process of identifying awarded plants and to get the process done in a timely manner. Most awarded species do not need a taxonomist for identification, if reference material is available. When reference material is not available we use taxonomic experts who are willing to give opinions based on digital photographs. Occasionally awards will require in depth investigation by a taxonomic specialist, and SITF coordinates this when it is required.

Current members of the SITF:
Patricia Harding, Chair; Steve Beckendorf; Ron McHatton; Tom Mirenda; Jay Norris; Jean Stefank