The World Crops Database groups agricultural plants in many different categories. An individual plant species may belong to several of these categories. Click on one of the links below to read more about the category and to see which crops are classified in that category.
Main use
Main food categories
Vegetable types
Bulb vegetables
Corm vegetables
Flower vegetables
Fruit vegetables
Leaf vegetables
Podded vegetables
Root vegetables
Stem vegetables
Tuber vegetables
Other food-related uses
Alcoholic drinks
Aphrodisiacs
Edible seeds
Herbs
Medicinal plants
Nuts
Pseudocereals
Spices
Stimulants
Sugar crops
Vegetable oils
Non-food uses
Alcohol production
Botanical pesticides
Cover crops
Cut flowers
Dye crops
Energy crops
Erosion prevention
Essential oils
Fiber crops
Forage and Fodder crops
Green manures
Ground cover plants
Ornamental plants
Soil improvement
Timber
Cultivation status
Major crops
Minor crops
Wild-harvested crops
Agroecological zones
Tropical crops
Subtropical crops
Temperate crops
Mediterranean crops
Arid crops
High altitude crops
Cool temperate crops
Marine crops
Other crop groups
Algae
Industrial crops
Legumes
Mushrooms
Staple food
Note that some of the categories used here are very distinct, while for others it is not always clear if a plant should be included or not. For example, cereals are a very distinct group, and it is easy to decide whether a plant is a cereal. But it is much more difficult to decide whether a plant belongs in the ‘medicinal’ or in the ‘subtropical’ category. Many plants belong to several categories, and several categories overlap with each other.
If you have any comments on the way categories are used, or if you want to suggest other categories, please send a message.