Table of Contents

The rediscovery of the original material of Kleinia mandraliscae Tineo is reported. A lectotype is designated, superseding the neotype recently proposed on the basis of the alleged loss of all original material.

As a result of the floristic investigations of Mt. Sokolovica carried out between 1997 and 2000, 778 plant taxa belonging to 351 genera and 76 plant families were recorded. The phytogeographical analysis showed that this area can be characterized as submediterranean-central-european-pontic with domination of Submediterranean-Mediterranean chorological type (35.1%). The ecological analysis indicated that the flora of the investigated area is of hemicryptophyta type since the hemicryptophytes are represented with 49.5%, in the flora of Mt. Sokolovica. There are 21 endemic and endemorelic taxa in the flora of investigated area. Three plant species are included in the European Red Lists and 35 plant taxa are threatened in Mt. Sokolovica.

The present checklist of Bulgarian Helotiaceae includes 67 infrageneric taxa belonging to 20 genera. Their names published in the relevant literature on Bulgarian Helotiaceae are also given. The genus Claussenomyces and four species - Allophylaria byssacea, Calycina italica, Claussenomyces aff. atrovirens and Heyderia pusilla are reported as new to the country. Three new combinations are proposed: Calycina italica, Hymenoscyphus kathiae, Hymenoscyphus monticola.

We studied algal assemblages from the Nahal Qishon, northern Israel, to assess the biodiversity of an aquatic ecosystem under strong anthropogenic impact. In 59 samples of periphyton and phytoplankton collected during 2002-2003, we found 154 species from seven algal divisions. About 17% of the species (26) are new for the algoflora of continental Israel and five of them represent the first record for a genus: Crinalium endophyticum Crow (Cyanoprokaryota), Actinocyclus normanii (Gregory) Hustedt (Bacillariophyta), Rhizoclonium hieroglyphicum (Agardh) Kütz. (Chlorophyta), Lagynion janei Bourelly, and Stylococcus aureus Chodat (Chrysophyta). Most species new for Israel came from the estuarine assemblage. They are widespread outside Israel, except Lagynion janei (Chrysophyta), endemic in the Mediterranean realm.

The seed micromorphology of all species and subspecies of Orobanche occurring in Sicily has been studied. A synthesis of the results is presented, and comments are made on its taxonomic relevance. In addition, the influence of different hosts on seed size and sculpture has been considered in four species, and intra-individual variation of seed dimensions in four other species has been assessed. Scanning electron micrographs illustrate the seed morphology of 9 species for which no published documents of this kind have been found.

A list of 117 vascular taxa new to Mount Erimanthos (NW Peloponnisos, Greece) is presented, based on recent field work. Notes on collection localities and species habitats are provided. 6 taxa are Balkan endemics and 6 Greek endemics. 7 taxa are new to Peloponnisos and one is characterized as Rare.

The vascular flora of Mts. Ahir, Öksüz and Binboga in the provinces of Kahramanmaras and , Kayseri (C Anatolia, Turkey B6/C6) has been investigated. 928 specific and infraspecific taxa are listed. 249 (27 %) of them are endemic to Turkey. 372 taxa are Irano-Turanian, 103 Mediterranean, 14 Euro-Siberian elements, 439 multiregional or have not been assessed phytogeographically. 379 taxa are confined to Binboga, 228 to Ahir, and 93 to Öksüz Dagi and the others for three.

This floristic study was the first one in Sof mountain after more than a century. (Turkey C 6: Gaziantep, SE Anatolia). The floristic catalogue of this area was presented, with the total of 2088 vascular plant specimens collected in 1999-2002. 36 taxes were endemic for Turkey in this study area.

Narcissus ×perezlarae Font Quer is a natural hybrid between N. cavanillesii A. Barra & G. López and N. serotinus L, two autumnal flowering geophytes. Although scarce populations had been found in Spain since 1882, in the areas where the distribution of the two parental species overlaps, this is the first report of this taxon in Portugal. N. ×perezlarae was found in the context of conservation projects regarding the effects of the Alqueva dam in vascular plants, especially on N. cavanillesii, a species considered as Critically Endangered (CR) in Portugal. Its history, morphology, ecology and distribution is here illustrated as well as a brief discussion concerning the evolutionary implications of the presence of N. ×perezlarae in Portugal.

Leontodon saxatilis is reported as new to the Bulgarian flora. The species has been found in two localities in North-West Bulgaria, the Balkan Foothills floristic region. It grows in mezophytic meadows of secondary herbaceous communities belonging to Chrysopogono-Danthonion Kojic 1957. Chromosome number 2n = 8 has been established. A key for the identification of the Bulgarian species of the genus Leontodon is provided in the article.

The vascular flora of the Upper Sestaione valley is here examined. The check-list reported consists of 580 species, from which 8 must be excluded (excludendae) and 27 considered doubtful. The checked flora totals 545 species: 99 of these were not found during our researches and cannot be confirmed. The actual flora consists of 446 species, 61 of these are new records for the Upper Sestaione Valley. The biological spectrum shows a clear dominance of hemicryptophytes (67.26 %) and geophytes (14.13 %); the growth form spectrum reveals the occurrence of 368 herbs, 53 woody species and 22 pteridophytes. From phytogeographical analysis it appears there is a significant prevalence of elements of the Boreal subkingdom (258 species), including the Orohypsophyle element (103 species). However the "linkage groups" between the Boreal subkingdom and Tethyan subkingdom are well represented (113 species). Endemics are very important from the phyto-geographical point of view: Festuca riccerii, exclusive to the TuscanEmilian Apennine and Murbeckiella zanonii exclusive of the Northern Apennine; Saxifraga aspera subsp. etrusca and Globularia incanescens are endemic to the Tuscan-Emilian Apennine and Apuan Alps whilst Festuca violacea subsp. puccinellii is endemic to the northern Apennines and Apuan Alps. The Apennine endemics total 11 species. A clear relationship with the Alpine area is evident from 13 Alpine-Apennine species. The Tuscan-Emilian Apennine marks the south...

The soil seed bank and standing vegetation were investigated in nineteen stands (public gardens, in Lower and Upper Egypt). One hundred nineteen species were recorded. Vegetation analysis indicates the dominance of Cynodon dactylon, Echinochloa colona, Digitaria sanguinalis, Portulaca oleracea, Cyperus rotundus, Solanum nigrum, Amaranthus lividus, Conyza bonariensis, Pluchea dioscoridis, Bidens pilosa, Plantago major, Sonchus oleraceus, Euphorbia prostrata and Symphiotrichum squamatum. The classification of stands according to the TWINSPAN technique resulted in five vegetation clusters at level three. These clusters are named after the dominant species as follows: Setaria verticillata, Amaranthus viridis, Plantago major, Centaurea calcitrapa - Plantago lagopus - Amaranthus graecizans - Phragmites ausrtralis - Artemisia monosperma and Eleusine indica. Soil variables in the present study are not effective in characterizing the vegetation clusters.

Anatomical and histological observations were carried on leaves and stems of some Orchis species collected in the Greek Islands of Rhodes and Crete. Leaves of all species examined showed common morphological aspects which appeared coherently related to Mediterranean environment, where these plants grow, and to their adaptive strategy. Some morphological characteristics always occurred in all Orchis stems: a sclerenchymatous sheath was observed in the outer part of cortex; the inner part of ground tissue, the pith, consisted of thin-walled cells; vascular bundles, embedded in parenchyma, were nearly arranged in a circle on the periphery of the ground tissue.

The present study is an attempt to describe the floristic and ecological features in Wadi Um Rakham, which is seemed to be one of the richest wadies in the western Mediterranean coastal region of Egypt. Wadi Um Rakham area is characterized by prominent physiographic variations which lead to the distinction of different habitats. Mediterranean elements predominate the floristic structure of the study area; among these therophytes is the most frequent life form.

Populations of Sesleria autumnalis (Scop.) F. W. Schultz have been found in the Aoos gorge, situated in the Pindhos mountain range (N.E. Greece). The species is new to Greece. Morphological description, chromosome number and habitat features are given.

This article presents the current state of the vascular flora and phytogeographic relations in the catchment basin of the river Roussenski Lom (lower and middle course). The paper includes: List of flora in the catchment basin of the river Roussenski Lom; Distribution of flora by systematic indication, biological type, origin and eco-geographical relations; Analysis of the distribution of the rare and endemic plants. A historical survey of the floristic investigations in the region is made. In the beginning of the 21st century for the flora in the catchment basin of the river Roussenski Lom are found 877 species distributed in 87 families and 399 genera in the period 1998-2004. The floristic and phytogeographic analysis does not include about 130 species reported in relevant literature only. The species found in this area represent 23, 1 % of the flora of Bulgaria.

The Fagus sylvatica-Abies alba coenosis is relict in Southern Italy, and the site on the northern slopes of Mt. Motola represents the most important population of silver fir in Campania. Moreover, this site is included in the area of the National Park Cilento-Vallo di Diano, one of the largest in Italy. This study includes two main aspects, the first considering the ecological and silvicultural features of the area, and the latter the bryological and floristic one. In this paper we report the preliminary findings of the bryological study. Several species, some new for the whole of continental southern Italy, and some new also for central Italy have been reported. The number of species reported is 69, including 7 liverworts (among them Scapania aspera, new record for Campania). In particular, we report here three new records for continental southern Italy (Isopterygiopsis pulchella, Orthotricum pallens, Schistidium rivulare); two new records for central and southern Italy (Neckera pumila var.pilifera and Schistidium apocarpum), six new records for Campania (Barbula unguiculata, Bryum subelegans, Dicranum majus, Hypnum andoi, Hypnum resupinatum, Orthotrichum lyellii). Five species known for Campania from records before 1950 have been found also (Amblystegium serpens, Anomodon viticulosus, Plagiomnium affine, Plagiomnium cuspidatum, Zygodon forsteri). We report eventually Zygodon forsteri, a not common species, known from low...

Lathyrus filiformis (Lam.) Gay, a characteristic species for the Western Mediterranean region, is reported as a new one for the Bulgarian flora. In Bulgaria it is currently known from few localities in the Central Rhodopes Mts. A brief phytogeographical characteristics and a key for the determination of the Bulgarian species of sect. Lathyrostylis are presented.

The mountains Elikon, Xerovouni and Neraidolakkoma are situated in the south central part of Sterea Ellas. The topography and geology of the above mentioned mountains are briefly examined. The flora of our study area consists of 1272 taxa, out of which 825 taxa are new records and listed in this paper. Information concerning the chorology, the life form, as well as the locality, altitute and the habitat of the species is given. From 115 Greek and 74 Balkan endemics 76 and 43 taxa respectively, are mentioned here for the first time. 19 taxa are characterized as Rare whereas 2 taxa as Vulnerable and another 1 as Indeterminate.

The aim of this project was to assess the importance of nearly pristine forests in maintaining lichen diversity. We studied exhaustively the biodiversity of lichens in the Natural Reserve of Muniellos (Spain, SW-Asturias), 5542 hectares, an area important for conservation -being included in the UNESCO-MAB reserves network. Besides their ecological value, these thriving elements and their photobionts can be used as bioindicators for Conservation Biology. The survey has been carried out together with vascular-plant phytosociologists and bryologists. Model plots in almost 70 locations enabled us to demonstrate the extraordinary wealth of the lichen flora in these mountains. Saxicolous lichens, on an almost total dominance of siliceous Palaeozoic substrata, were practically unexplored in the Cantabrian Relief of the Iberian Peninsula. The ancient woods constitute critical habitats for maintaining a large number of species threatened by human activities. As “quality” bioindicators, lichens show that there are no nitrophytic habitats in the Reserve. We have identified a total of 502 taxa, 474 being Lichens and 28 lichenicolous Fungi. The best represented genera are Cladonia (47), Lecanora (24), Pertusaria (19), Rhizocarpon (18), Micarea (12), Peltigera (11), Usnea (11), Fuscidea (9), Ochrolechia (9) or Epigloea (7). Many species are rare or unknown in Europe, i.e. Epigloea renitens, Gyalideopsis calabrica, Cystobacidium hypogymniicola, _Rhizo...

New specimen collections of the genus Orobanche subgen. Phelipanche (Pomel) Tzvel. as well as existing specimens in Bulgarian herbarium and published data have been revised and used for the creation of maps. New habitats for the species O. arenaria Borkh. (2), O. mutelii Schultz (4), O. nana Noë (2), O. oxyloba G .Beck (4), O. purpurea Jacq. (2) and O. ramosa L. (2) are reported. On the basis of information collected, O. aegyptiaca Pers. is excluded from the Bulgarian flora. The known host plants are discussed, comparing both herbarium data and the literature.

Chloroplasts of most vascular plants contain a NADH dehydrogenase complex (Ndh complex) homologous to the mitochondsial complex I. Eleven ndh genes encoding this complex are local- ized in the chloroplast genome. These genes are not present in the chloroplast genomes of several genera of free-living green algae (Chlorella, Chlamydomonas). but they occur in others (Nephroselmis, Mesosiigma, Chaeiosphaeridium). The Ndh complex in vaseular plants is involved in the protection against photo-oxidative stress. We have isolated Trebouxoid photo- bionts from Ramalina farinacea L. (Ach.) in order to study the possible presence and function of the Ndh complex in lichenized algae. PCR amplification and sequencing of DNA isolated from purified Trebouxoid photobionts indicates the presence of the ndhF gene in these algae. Its expression was confirmed by immunological analysis. The sequence presented a high degree of similarity with the previously described ndhD sequence of Physcomitrella patens subsp. patens, a moss which is used as an alternative model system to investigate the molecular basis in terrestrial plants. The homology was lower when compared with Anthoceros formosae, the fern Huperzia lucidula or the unicellular green alga Nephroselmis olivacea. These results clearly indicate the presence of the ndhD gene in Trebouxoid photobionts from Ramalina furinacea. They also suggest the possibility of a closer proximity of these Trebouxia plastid genome (o the _Bry...

This check-list of the Hepaticae and Anthocerotae of Italy (including Sicily and Sardinia) comprises 289 species, 3 subspecies, and 8 varieties, representing 86 genera and 42 families; it also includes a list of excluded and doubtful species, and a list of synonyms. The main list includes tabular distributional data, by region, based partly on literature records and mostly on herbarium material, especially for rare and doubtful species; it differentiates between reports before 1950 and reports since 1950, based on more recently published information when useful. Critical notes on distributional and taxonomical problems are included.

215 lichens and 8 lichenicolous fungi, belonging to 63 genera, are reported from Erciyes Mountain in Central Anatolia. Six taxa, Aspicilia cupreogrisea (Th. Fr.) Hue, Aspilidea myrinii (Fr.) Hafellner, Lecanora pannonica Szatala, Lecidea syncarpa (Zahlbr.) Boykin & Nash, Rhizocarpon pusillum Runemark, Rinodina insularis (Arnold) Hafellner, are new to Turkey, and 107 taxa are new to the Kayseri province. The lichen vegetation differs from that of the Toros Mountains in the south and the Black Sea Mountains in the north of Anatolia, but is rather similar to other Central Anatolian volcanoes.

Seed coat sculpture of 93 taxa belonging to 45 genera of the family Brassicaceae was examined using light and scanning electron microscope. Four basic epidermal cell patterns (types) with 7 subtypes were recognized. While one sub-type was represented by only one species, the remaining types and subtypes have more than one species and they either represent one genus or more. In most of the studied types and subtypes species could generally be distinguished from each other on the basis of differences in micro-sculpturing features of the outer periclinal cell walls. The results mostly support the traditional classification of Brassicaceae particularly at tribal and sub-tribal level with some modifications. The classification and phylogeny of the Brassicaceae are discussed together with recent molecular studies of the family.

La structure des épidermes foliaires, fruits et pollens de sept espèces appartenant au genre Carum L. a été étudiée en microscopies photonique et électronique à balayage. Les feuilles sont glabres, ont une ornementation spécifique, où deux types principaux de structures ont été notées (réticulée-plissée et microplissée) avec une différence nette entre les faces inférieure et supérieure de l’épiderme. Le fruit est glabre, aptère et muni de 5 côtes primaires pourvues chacune d’un canal sécréteur en partie apicale. En coupe, le péricarpe présente un mésocarpe subdivisé en deux couches: le leptocarpe externe, à 2-5 assises cellulaires et le sclérocarpe, interne, formé d’une assise de stéréides couchées. Au MEB, les fruits des espèces marocaines endémiques montrent des stomates et chez l’espèce C. proliferum s’y ajoutent des cellules glanduleuses tandis que chez C. carvi et C. verticillatum ces cellules et stomates font défaut. Au M. Ph. le pollen est isopolaire, longiaxe à ectoaperture souvent longue et un type pollinique généralement subrectangulaire; seul C. carvi se distingue par un type équatorialo-constricté. L’exine peu épaisse au niveau polaire et subpolaire augmente d’épaisseur au niveau équatorial. Au MEB la surface tectale est ornementée: elle peut être striée, striée-rugulée ou rugulée avec ou sans différence entre les niveaux polaire et équatorial. Malgré leur origine très différente, l’étude de ses espèces ne révèle qu’une faible corrélation des...

Seligeria acutifolia has been found for the first time in Sicily. The new locality is the third in Italy

Seligeria pusilla (Hedw.) Bruch & al. and Barbula trifaria var. desertorum (Froehl.) Agnew new for the Sicilian bryoflora. Their chorological and ecological features and phytosociological notes are reported.

The authors report a survey on the macrofungi from Gargano areas. 279 taxa (29 Ascomycetes and 250 Basidiomycetes) are here reported. The most representative genera are Amanita, Lactarius and Cortinarius.

The bryophyte flora of Castel Volturno Nature Reserve (Southern Italy) was investigated, and a list of 42 collected species (37 mosses and 5 liverworts) was compiled. Sematophyllum substrumulosum (Hampe) Britton is new to the Campania bryoflora. Within the study area, two sectors characterized by different disturbance history and environmental conditions could be clearly recognized on the basis of floristical, chorological and ecological considerations. The sector located in the southern part of the Reserve and characterized by a more heterogeneous and frequently burned vegetation showed the richest bryoflora, with a dominance of the submediterranean element. Water and substrate affinity afford a richer heterogeneity of habitats in this sector, while light seems not to be a limiting factor.

This study reports the finding of Tuber rufum, T. rapaeodorum and T. scruposum in Armenia. The morphological characters of the ascomata together with the climate, vegetation and soil features of the areas where the truffles grow are described. The ascomata were also molecularly characterized by sequence analyses from the ITS region of ribosomal DNA.

This is the fifteenth 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 42 taxa: Asarum, Carex, Hermodactylus, Leucojum, Ludwigia, Marsilea, Muscari, Ornithogalum, Pallenis, Ranunculus, Salvia, Xeranthemum from Italy, by R. Marcucci, M. Brentan, S. Carlin, D. Patrese & N. Tornadore (Nos 1415-1427); Ulex, Stauracanthus, Cytisus, Genista from Morocco and Spain, by H. Tahiri, P. Cubas & C. Pardo (Nos 1428-1437); Actinolema, Elaeosticta, Leiotulus, Szovitsia, Zosima from Caucasus (Armenia), by J. V. Shner, M. G. Pimenov & E. V. Kljuykov (Nos 1438-1442); Genista from Spain and France, by T. Cusma Velari, L. Feoli Chiapella & V. Kosovel (1443-1444); Acer, Chamaecytisus, Fagus, Fraxinus, Lonicera, Picea, Platanus, Rubus, Viburnum, Vitis from Bulgaria, by D. Ivanova, V. Vladimirov & P. Stanimirova (Nos 1445-1456).