Ontology-based representation and query colour descriptions from botanical documents

A proper representation of the semantics of colour descriptions is necessary when colour information needs to be processed semantically, such as in the area of information integration. Semantics–based methods can help information from different sources to be integrated more easily and make final results more accurate and understandable among different sources. This paper introduces an ontology–based representation of the semantics of colour descriptions. By using a quantitative colour model and a Description Logic (DL) with datatype support, the semantics of a single colour term can be represented. Multiple such terms are then combined to generate the semantics of a complex colour description, which is interpreted by using morpho–syntactic rules derived from the analysis of colour descriptions in botanical documents. A colour reasoner, interacting with the FaCT-DG DL reasoner, can support colour–related queries and give domain–oriented results