Fetch a full POWO (Plants of the World Online, by Kew) taxon record by its fqId (e.g. "urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:304293-2", obtained from search_plants). Returns the taxon's classification, family/genus, taxonomic status, native distribution (TDWG region codes), accepted-name resolution (for synony...
AI agents call get_taxon to retrieve information from Mcp Powo without modifying anything — typically the context-gathering step in research, monitoring, and reporting workflows, before the agent takes action elsewhere.
| Parameter | Type | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
fq_id | string | Yes | A POWO fqId like "urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:304293-2" (from search_plants results). |
Parameters from the server's own tool schema.
This tool retrieves botanical taxonomy data from Plants of the World Online by Kew Gardens. It performs a lookup operation on an authoritative database and returns informational results without any side effects, modifications, or external command execution.
From the tool's definition Tool description explicitly states 'Fetch a full POWO taxon record' and 'Returns the taxon's classification, family/genus, taxonomic status, native distribution...'.
Attacks that exploit this kind of access
Fetch a full POWO (Plants of the World Online, by Kew) taxon record by its fqId (e.g. "urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:304293-2", obtained from search_plants). Returns the taxon's classification, family/genus, taxonomic status, native distribution (TDWG region codes), accepted-name resolution (for synonyms), and synonym count. Keyless authoritative botanical taxonomy. It is categorised as a Read tool in the Mcp Powo MCP Server, which means it retrieves data without modifying state.
get_taxon accepts 1 parameter: fq_id. Required: fq_id. The full parameter table on this page comes from the server's own tool schema.
Register the Mcp Powo MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for get_taxon: allow, deny, rate-limit, or require approval. Point your MCP client at the PolicyLayer proxy URL and the rule is enforced on every call, before it reaches Mcp Powo. Nothing to install.
get_taxon is a Read tool with low risk. Read-only tools are generally safe to allow by default.
Yes. Add a rate_limit block to the get_taxon rule in your PolicyLayer policy. For example, setting max: 10 and window: 60 limits the tool to 10 calls per minute. Rate limits are tracked per agent session and reset automatically.
Set action: deny in the PolicyLayer policy for get_taxon. The AI agent will receive a policy violation error and cannot call the tool. You can also include a reason field to explain why the tool is blocked.
get_taxon is provided by the Mcp Powo MCP server (pipeworx-io/mcp-powo). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.
Every MCP server has a record like this.
Type a name, get the same breakdown: verified identity, auth posture, risk grade, capabilities, recommended policy.
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