Table of Contents

The new taxon belongs to the group Arthopyrenia rhyponta-A. punctiformis, recently transferred to the problematic genus Naetrocymbe Korb. (Naetrocymbaceae Höhn. ex R.C. Harris), as it is a non or weakly lichenized group. This species is characterized by tadpole-shaped 1-septate ascospores with a conical lower cell and perithecia which are 4-8 linearly arranged.

The typification of the name Viola arborescens L. (Violaceae) is discussed. An icon from Barrelier 1714 is designated as the lectotype. A herbarium sheet conserved in VAL and BC is designated as the epitype.

The current investigation presents 701 specific and infraspecific taxa of the vascular flora of Mt Likeo, SW Peloponnisos. From these, 543 are reported from the mountain for the first time, 41 are Greek and 23 Balkan endemics. For each taxon, local distribution and habitat types are presented. Trifolium strictum seems to be a first record for Peloponnisos. Some of the new records concern rare taxa in Greece, in Peloponnisos or regional endemics, which are, therefore, chorologically significant, such as Arenaria guicciardii, Cota brachmannii, Thlaspi graecum, Alkanna methanaea, Campanula topaliana subsp. cordifolia, Sedum laconicum subsp. laconicum, Achillea grandifolia, Scrophularia scopolii. The main vegetation types are also briefly described..

Hieracium hypochoeroides subsp. montis-scuderii, a new subspecies endemic to Sicily, is described and illustrated. It is only known from the carbonate cliffs of Monte Scuderi (Peloritani Mountains, NE-Sicily). Informations on its ecology and taxonomic relationships are provided.

A list of 57 species of rare and red-listed epiphytic lichen-forming and lichenicolous fungi associated to beech forests of Crimean Mountains (Ukraine) is presented. It includes nine species new for Ukraine: Hawksworthiana peltigericola, Heterodermia japonica, Lecania prasinoides, Parmelia ernstiae, Phacographa zwackhii, Plectocarpon lichenum, Stigmidium congestum, Usnea diplotypus and Verrucaria corticola. Other 20 species are new to Crimea. The notes about rarity of the species in Ukraine or taxonomic differences are given. The localities of 21 species were confirmed for Crimean Mts by our study

The Kastellorizo island group, the south-easternmost part of Greece, supports a flora rich in Anatolian elements. Although that flora is relatively well known since 1973, some additional plant taxa are reported here, based on collections made between 1999 and 2012. Among them, Galium pseudocapitatum is a species new for the East Aegean Islands and the whole of Greece. The rare Galanthus peschmenii, previously known from Megisti, was also found on the Strongili island. Daucus conchitae is critically revised and, based on additional material, included in D. guttatus. In total, 64 records are new either for the whole island group or for one of its constituent islands

Oenothera indecora Cambess. (Onagraceae sect. Oenothera, subsect. Munzia ser. Allochroa), native species to South America, was found naturalized close to Messina (NE Sicily) and in Massa in Tuscany. These reports represent the first records of this species from Italy.

About 10% of the indigenous vascular plant flora of Cyprus has been cultivated in order to test how many taxa can be grown ex situ. In about two thirds of the tested taxa cultivation was successful. Generally, taxa showing high germination rates in seed bank testing routines succeeded but exceptions could lead to problems in conservation efforts. Drafting of garden protocols, at least for rare, endemic and endangered taxa is highly recommended.

Armenian standard designations are proposed for the 433 lichen species known from the Republic of Armenia. The introduction of names in Armenian aims to facilitate the use of lichenological data in various kinds of publication (educational, scientific, etc.) in Armenian language.

Volkameria inermis L. (Lamiaceae), originating from India, Ceylon, Burma, Malaya, tropical Australia, Polynesia and Philippine Islands, was found naturalized in a coastal area of Hammamet-South (North-East of Tunisia). This report represents the first record for Tunisia and for the North-Africa.

L’Algérie dispose d’un ensemble d’espèces naturelles et cultivées à gamme phytogénétique importante et variée. Ces ressources représentent tout d’abord un patrimoine phytogénétique de très grande importance vue leur mode de répartition spatiale et leur rôle dans l’équilibre écologique. Elles constituent aussi un véritable patrimoine culturel du fait de leur endémisme et des productions spécifiques (produits de terroir à saveur et à goût particulier) auxquelles, elles donnent naissance. La biodiversité dont nous avons hérité en Algérie, a subi une érosion pour des raisons naturelles, cas des variations climatiques, ayant conduit au confinement de certaines espèces dans des habitats refuges (montagnes, littoral, steppe, désert, etc.). Sur le plan forestier, cette biodiversité inclut des espèces d’intérêt national mais aussi international, cas du sapin de Numidie (Abies numidica L.) aux Babors, qui fait l’objet de notre travail. En plus de la valeur écologique indéniable, cette essence présente un intérêt médicinal grandissant. L’huile essentielle des aiguilles du Sapin de Numidie possède un effet antibactérien sur certaines souches bactériennes pathogènes. Notre étude se fixe pour objectif de déterminer la composition chimique de l’huile essentielle des aiguilles de ce Sapin et d’en dégager les composants majoritaires responsables de son effet antibactérien.

Four Cistanche species are reported from Transcaucasia in the literature: C. flava, C. salsa, C. ambigua, and C. fissa. The first and last of them are undoubted members of the region’s flora, but the occurrence of the other two is at best unconfirmed. Conversely, two additional species are here recorded: C. armena, formerly confused with the quite different C. salsa, and C. ridgewayana, which had on occasion been misidentified as C. ambigua. Together with C. fissa, the two newly recorded species are growing in a smallish area in the Arax River valley, on the border between Armenia and Nahičevan, and should be looked for on the opposite side of the Arax, on Turkish territory, from where none is known so far. Cistanche armena is a new combination, validated here.

The history of Mediterranean vegetation can be outlined using pollen grains contained in lacustrine, marine and other sediments. These sediments have recorded very important vegetation changes during recent geological times. For example, during the last 6 Ma (million years), the effects of different events acting at regional (e.g. the Messinian salinity crisis between 5.96 Ma and 5.33 Ma) and global (expansion of the Arctic ice at ca 2.6 Ma) scales produced a progressive decrease and final disappearance of tropical and subtropical taxa. However, prior to the start of the Quaternary the Mediterranean flora still included a consistent number of tropical and subtropical arboreal taxa accompanying deciduous and partly evergreen trees that have persisted until today. The most important features of the vegetation history of the Quaternary consist in the fact that vegetation adapted to climate changes due to changes in orbital cyclicity, alternating between glacial and interglacial periods. The more widespread vegetation types were steppe and grassland formations during the dry and cold glacial periods whereas either deciduous or evergreen forests were characteristic of interglacial periods. These cold-dry to warmhumid climate cycles became more and more intense towards the present. During the second half of the present interglacial, after the mid-Holocene, joint actions of increasing dryness, climate oscillations and human impact led to the present day Mediterranean plant l...

The species of Primula L. sect. Auricula Duby subsect. Euauricula Pax are mainly distributed in the southern Alps and Pre-Alps, with a very high rate of endemism: of 16-17 species currently recognized, seven are narrowly endemic and restricted to very small areas, four are endemic to various sectors of the southern Alps, and only five have a wider distribution. The subsection extends southwards to reach peninsular Italy with P. auricula-P. balbisii, a species complex distributed across all South European mountain ranges, and with the local endemics P. apennina and P. palinuri. We performed a phylogenetic study employing AFLPs (Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphisms) markers of 260 samples collected in the wild from 33 populations, covering all species, with a focus on the three taxa growing in the Apennine peninsula. We also used DNA sequences of six chloroplast markers of all species. Our purpose was to investigate the relationships of the three peninsular species, and hence to understand whether they are the outcome of a single or of multiple independent colonization events. Our results suggest that: (i) P. apennina belongs to the same calcifuge clade as P. pedemontana and P. cottia, and is the outcome of very recent (late Pleistocene) speciation; (ii) the expansion to peninsular Italy of the problematical P. auricula-P. balbisii species complex represents an independent event; (iii) P. palinuri, the only species of Mediterranean coastal habit...

The texts of four of the six communications presented in the Symposium The present and future of Mediterranean floristics, as a part of the scientific programme of the XIV OPTIMA Meeting which took place in Palermo in September 2013, are included

The main floras and checklists covering the circum-Mediterranean countries are indicated with special reference to those published in the last 25 years (1989 to 2013). Flora iberica which covers the Iberian Peninsula and the Balearic Islands is analized, including its coverage, organization, content and publication data. A total of 17 volumes have already been published; vol. 20 is expected to be printed in 2013, vol. 9 in 2013 or 2014, vols. 16(1) and 16(2) most probably in 2014, vol. 16(3) along 2015 and vol. 19, covering Poaceae by 2018-2020, when all the 21 volumes of the Flora will be completed.

A brief review on the Greek botany and flora study in, approximately, the past 50 years, is presented. The current status of the Greek flora is illustrated through the relevant work conducted in Greek University Institutes and Museums, but also in significant foreign centres, devoted to its study. Species conservation and habitat management are outlined, as well as future priorities that need the support of floristic and phytogeographical work. In the two Red Data Books (1995 & 2009) of the Greek flora, about half of the endemic, rare and threatened taxa are described and discussed.

Mediterranean phytogeographical region of Turkey covers western and southern Turkey. It boats the highest number of endemic taxa and endemism is concentrated to certain specific areas notable Amanos Mountain, Central Taurus Mountain, Taşeli Plateau, Bolkardağı, Aladağlar and SW Anatolia. For the geophyte flora point of view about 1060 taxa occur in Turkey of which 600 taxa are belonging to petaloid monocots. After publication of the second supplement of Flora Turkey during 2000-2013 years, about 900 taxa published either are new taxa or new records. 52 taxa of these additional taxa distributed Mediterranean floristic region. The four main genera are; Crocus with 26 taxa, Allium with 8 taxa, Ophyrs with 10 taxa, and Ornithogalum with 9 taxa.

The importance of Josif Pančić, born in 1814, in the development of Botany in Serbia and the floristic knowledge of this country, particularly by the publication of the Flora Kneževine Srbije (Flora of the Principality of Serbia, 1874) and its Supplement (1884) and the Flora of Belgrade Area, is stressed, as well as the role played by M. Josifović, N. Diklić, N. Nikolić and the new generation of Serbian botanists, particularly V. Stevanović. O. Vasić and M. Niketić in the preparation and publication of the new Flora of Serbia.

The chromosome numbers and the karyotype morphology of five taxa originating from Kephalonia, Ionian Islands, are given. Regarding Saponaria aenesia, a karyotype analysis is reported here for the first time, while for Fritillaria mutabilis it is presented for the first time from Kephalonia island. The remaining data are in accordance with previous references for the respective taxa. Additionally, data for all studied taxa concerning their habitat and potential threats are discussed. Finally, an attempt is done to assess the conservation status of their populations and to suggest measures for their protection and sustainable management.

Four Mediterranean, desiccation-tolerant species were assayed for in vitro culture and subsequent cryopreservation using the encapsulation–dehydration method. Two of them are rare species endemic to the Mediterranean area, where they are distributed in several countries or islands (Entosthodon commutatus and Funariella curviseta), one is an endemic of Fuerteventura, Canary Islands (Orthotrichum handiense), and catalogued as Endangered in the Spanish Red list, and one (Entosthodon hungaricus) has a wider distribution in central and southern Europe, northern Africa and western Asia. All of them were successfully cultured and cryopreserved with conservation in mind.

Phenotypic analysis of Pyrus in Sicily using a set of 19 characters on 71 accessions belonging to 7 species is here reported. Results show a high level of morphological variation in this genus. Cluster analysis of the morphological characters allows to identify two groups: the first closely related to wild pears and the latter related to P. communis s. l. and P. sicanorum. It is likely to think that many Ethno-Varieties, usually attributed to P. communis, on the contrary are attributable to wild Sicilian pears and belong to indigenous germplasm.

Recent studies on the genetic structure of the Italian populations of Quercus ilex demonstrated their high diversity, particularly in the Sicilian metapopulation. In order to check if the holm oak stands in the mountains of NW Sicily could have some relationship with Q. ilex subsp. ballota (distributed in Spain and NW Africa), 26 specimens from the Sicilian most distinctive Q. ilex populations have been compared with some representative populations of the Italian Peninsula, North Africa and Spain, by means of the ISSR technique. Even if the results are too preliminary to confirm or reject the initial hypothesis, they confirmed an high level of genetic variability, well distributed among the analyzed specimens. In particular, the metapopulations from the Sicilian mountains (Quacella, Vallone Canna) revealed some genetic affinity with those of the Moroccan mountains (Marrakech/Oukaimeden and Ifrane). These populations, on their turn, resulted to be quite distant from the sample from SE-Spain (Sierra de Javalambre). Moreover, a certain genetic distance has been detected from the comparison of the mountain populations of Sicily with those of coastal sites of this Island (Scopello, Castellammare) and Capri (Villa Jovis).

This is the twenty-three of a series of reports of chromosomes numbers from Mediterranean area, peri-Alpine communities and the Atlantic Islands, in English or French language. It comprises contributions on 56 taxa: Anthriscus, Bupleurum, Dichoropetalum, Eryngium, Ferula, Ferulago, Lagoecia, Oenanthe, Prangos, Scaligeria, Seseli and Torilis from Turkey by Ju. V. Shner, T. V. Alexeeva, M. G. Pimenov & E. V. Kljuykov (Nos 1768-1783); Astrantia, Bupleurum, Daucus, Dichoropetalum, Eryngium, Heracleum, Laserpitium, Melanoselinum, Oreoselinum, Pimpinella, Pteroselinum and Ridolfia from Former Jugoslavia (Slovenia), Morocco and Portugal by J. Shner & M. Pimenov (1784-1798); Arum, Biarum and Eminium from Turkey by E. Akalın, S. Demirci & E. Kaya (1799-1804); Colchicum from Turkey by G. E. Genç, N. Özhatay & E. Kaya (1805-1808); Crocus and Galanthus from Turkey by S. Yüzbaşıoğlu, S. Demirci & E. Kaya (1809-1812); Pilosella from Italy by E. Di Gristina, G. Domina & A. Geraci (1813-1814); Narcissus from Sicily by A. Troia, A. M. Orlando & R. M. Baldini (1815-1816); Allium, Cerastium, Cochicum, Fritillaria, Narcissus and Thymus from Greece, Kepfallinia by S. Samaropoulou, P. Bareka & G. Kamari (1817-1823).