Organization for the Phyto-Taxonomic Investigation of the Medi- terranean Area OPTIMA Newsletter Organisation pour l’Étude Phyto-Taxonomique de la Région OPTIMA Newsletter is a news journal for the Méditerranéenne presentation and discussion of issues pertinent to Mediterranean botany, published by the Secretariat Executive Council / Conseil exécutif 1995-2001 of the Organization for the Phyto-Taxonomic Inves- Prof. Werner Greuter, Switzerland, (President) tigation of the Mediterranean Area. The editors Prof. Francesco Raimondo, Italy (Vice-President) welcome the submission of news, items and articles Dr. José María Iriondo, Spain (Secretary) by all interested parties. Please send articles to: Dr. Nikola Dikli6, Yugoslavia OPTIMA Secretariat, Dpto. Biología Vegetal, E.U.I.T. Agrícola, Universidad Politécnica, E-28040 Dr. Eleonora Gabrielian, Armenia Madrid, Spain. Tel.: + 34 91 3365462. Fax: + 34 91 Prof. Vernon H. Heywood, U. K. 3365656. E-mail: [email protected]. http:// Prof. Georgia Kamari, Greece www. bgbm.fu-berlin.de/OPTIMA/ Mr. Joël Mathez, France Prof. Uzi Plitmann, Israel
Editors: J.M. Iriondo and L.J. De Hond International Board / Comité International 1995-2001 Conservation News Editor: J.M. Iriondo The above and / Les précités et: Fungi News Editor: S. Onofri Prof. María Teresa Almeida, Portugal Dr. Loutfy Boulos, Egypt Herbarium News Editor: P. Blanco Prof. Kazimierz Browicz, Poland Web News Editor: J.M. Iriondo Dr. Amots Dafni, Israel Announcements: S. Pajarón and J.M. Iriondo Prof. Friedrich Ehrendorfer, Austria Notices of Publications Editor: W. Greuter Prof. Tuna Ekim, Turkey French Translation: J. Mathez Mohammed Fennane, Morocco Lay out: M.J. Albert Prof. H. Freitag, Germany Daniel Jeanmonod, Switzerland Dr. Stephen Jury, U. K. Dr. Stefan Kozuharov, Bulgaria Prof. John McNeill, Canada Prof. Kiril Micevski, F. Y. R. Macedonia Dr. Jacques Moret, France Dr. Enio Nardi, Italy Dr. Sven Snogerup, Sweden Prof. Arne Strid, Denmark Dr. Pertti Uotila, Finland Prof. Benito Valdés, Spain Prof. Eckhard Willing, Germany Prof. Tone Wraber, Slovenia
OPTIMA Secretariat acknowledges the continuous Auditors / Vérificateurs des comptes 1995-2001 support of the Departamento de Biología Vegetal and the Escuela Universitaria de Ingeniería Técnica Dr. Santiago Pajarón Agrícola of the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid. Dr. Federico Fernández González
Printed by Xiana Color Gráfico, Getafe, Madrid (900 issues)
FREE OPTIMA MEMBERSHIP AND BOCCONEA VOLUMES
Through an agreement with the Herbarium Mediterraneum Foundation it is now possible to pay OPTIMA membership fees or to purchase volumes of Bocconea by sending herbarium specimens to the Herbarium Mediterraneum in Palermo. This offer is regulated as follows: 1. Only specimens from the following areas are acceptable: peri-Mediterranean countries (except Italy and France), plus Portugal and Bulgaria, the Atlantic Islands (Macaronesia), and the do- main of Boissier’s “Flora Orientalis” (in particular the Middle East, Transcaucasia and the Cri- mea). Normally, material from the country of residence (if part of this area) should be given preference. 2. The herbarium specimens must be in good condition and contain complete information with readable, durable labels. The Herbarium Mediterraneum reserves the right to return specimens judged to be of insufficient quality. 3. Each herbarium specimen will be worth 1.67 SFr. Each delivery will consist of a minimum of 15 herbarium sheets. When a group of botanists from the same institution plan to send herbarium specimens, a joint delivery is preferable. 4. Each collaborator will include a copy of the enclosed form specifying his/her name, the number of herbarium specimens sent, the credit earned and whether they wish to use it to pay OPTIMA membership fees or to purchase Bocconea volumes. 5. The package containing the herbarium specimens and the letter will be sent to: Prof. F. Rai- mondo, Dipartimento di Scienze Botaniche dell'Università, Via Archirafi 38, I-90123 Palermo, Italy. 6. Postage costs will be refunded to the senders by the Herbarium Mediterraneum. 7. At the end of each year, the Herbarium Mediterraneum will transfer the sum of OPTIMA mem- bership fees earned by participants during the year to OPTIMA. ------
Form to be included with the delivery of herbarium specimens. One form per participant.
Name:
Institution:
Address:
Nº of herbarium specimens ( ) x 1.67 SFr/ specimen = ______SFr. of credit.
I wish to use this credit to pay my OPTIMA membership fees (25.-SFr/year): ______years of membership
I wish to purchase a copy of Bocconea vol. _____ at the OPTIMA member reduced price (see prices at the Publications Offer section of this OPTIMA Newsletter) COTISATIONS A L'OPTIMA ET DES VOLUMES DE BOCCONEA GRATIS
Par accord avec la Fondation de l'Herbarium Mediterraneum, il est désormais possible de payer ses cotisations à l'OPTIMA et d'acheter des volumes de Bocconea en envoyant des spécimens d'herbier à l'Herbarium Mediterraneum de Palerme. Cette possibilité est d'ores et déjà applicable selon les modalités suivantes : 1. Seuls des échantillons provenant de l’aire globale suivante pourront être acceptés: pays cir- cum-méditerranéens sauf la France et l’Italie, plus le Portugal et la Bulgarie; îles atlantiques (Macaronésie); et domaine du “Flora orientalis” de Boissier (notamment le Moyen-Orient, la Trascaucasie et la Crimée). De préférence, ces échantillons proviendront du pays de résidence (s’il fait partie de l’aire globale mentionné ci-dessus). 2. Les spécimens d'herbier doivent être en bon état et comporter des informations complètes avec des étiquettes lisibles et définitives. L'Herbarium Mediterraneum se réserve le droit de re- tourner les spécimens jugés de qualité insuffisante. 3. Chaque spécimen d'herbier vaudra 1.67 SFr. Chaque livraison consistera en un minimum de 15 planches d'herbier. Quand un groupe de botanistes de la même institution prévoit d'envoyer des spécimens d'herbier, une expédition groupée est préférable. 4. Chaque collaborateur joindra une copie du bordereau de livraison ci-joint comportant son nom, le nombre de spécimens d'herbier envoyés, la somme payée et la destination du crédit (cotisa- tion à l'OPTIMA ou achat de volumes de Bocconea). 5. Le paquet contenant les spécimens d'herbier et la lettre seront envoyés à : Pr. F. Raimondo, Dipartimento di Scienze Botaniche dell'Università, Via Archirafi 38, I-90123 Palermo, Italy. 6. Les frais d'expédition seront remboursés aux expéditeurs par l'Herbarium Mediterraneum. 7. A la fin de chaque année, l'Herbarium Mediterraneum virera à l'OPTIMA le montant des cotisa- tions gagnées par les participants pendant l'année. -------Bordereau à joindre au paquet de spécimens d'herbier (un bordereau par participant).
Nom:
Institution:
Adresse:
Nombre de spécimens d'herbier ( ) x 1.67 SFr/ spécimen = ______SFr.de crédit.
Je souahite utiliser ce crédit pour payer ma cotisation à l'OPTIMA (25.-SFr/year): ______années de cotisation
Je souhaite acheter un exemplaire de Bocconea vol. _____ au tarif réduit pour les membres de l'OPTIMA (voir les prix a la section “Publications Offer” de l'Informateur OPTIMA)
Ordinary and PUBLICATIONS Institutional OPTIMA members OFFER are entitled to reductions on the prices of several publications!
From the Institute of Botany, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Flora of the Republic of Bulgaria. Volumes 4 (Cactaceae to Saxifragaceae), 5 (Rosaceae), 6 (Fabaceae), 7 (Oxalidaceae to Araliaceae), 8 (Apiaceae to Cuscutaceae) and 10 (Scrophularia- ceae to Valerianaceae) are available to OPTIMA members. Prices are SF 48.- for volumes 4-8 and SF 52.- for volume 10. Postage is included in the price. Send your orders to Institute of Botany, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, 23, Acad. G. Bonchev Str., 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria; E-mail: [email protected]. Please credit the account: CB "Biochim" PLC, SWIFT Code: CBBIBGSF Branch "Batenberg" Code: 66084219; Bank account n 3110024518; Institute of Botany, 1113 So- fia, Bulgaria.
From the Med-Checklist Trust of OPTIMA, (Vidollet 17, CH-1202 Geneva, Switzerland), Med-Checklist. Volumes 1, 3 and 4 are available to OPTIMA members with a special discount of 25% (reduced price: SF 76.50, SF 90.-, and SF 108.-, respectively). Please credit the account “Med-Checklist Trust of OPTIMA”, No. CO 265614, with the Swiss Bank Corp., Geneva (payment on the postal cheque account of the bank, No. 12-172, is also possible - provided that the concept of the payment and the account of the “Trust” are clearly specified). If an invoice is needed, send an order to the “Trust”.
From B. Cabezudo, Editor of Acta Botanica Malacitana, Acta Botanica Malacitana, vol. 23 (1998) covers articles dealing with taxonomy, vegetation, plant biology, aeropalynology, lichens, algae and plant geography and chorology. This volume, as well as vols. 15-22 are available to OPTIMA members with a special discount of 33% (reduced price: 20.-SF/each vol.; non-member price: 30.-SF). Moreover, previously published vols. 1-14 are also available to OPTIMA members at the special reduced price of 15 SF/each. Please send this order and/or ask for further information at the following address: Dpto. Biología Vegetal, P.O. Box 59, Málaga, Spain; http://www.uma.es/Estudios/Departamentos/BiolVeg/00Indice.html; E-mail: [email protected].
From the Museo Regionale di Scienze Naturali (Via Giolitti, 36, I-10123 Torino, Italy; Fax +39 011 4323331), 30% discount for OPTIMA members on the following books: - G. Bono. 1996: Flora y Vegetación del Estado Táchira Venezuela. Monografie XX. 952 pp, 10 figs, 208 col. plates (cloth); Lit. 200000 + postage. - D. Puntillo. 1996: I Licheni di Calabria. Monografie XXII. 296 pp, 104 figs, 335 color figs (cloth); Lit. 130000 + postage. - A. Mercado Sierra, V. Holubová-Jechová and J. Mena Portales. 1997: Hifomicetes demaciá- ceos de Cuba Enteroblásticos. Monografie XXIII. 392 pp, B/W ill.; Lit. 140000 + postage.
Please send your orders directly to the addresses mentioned for the corresponding items.
De la Fundación Nacional Fénix, La "Fundación Nacional Fénix de España" réalise, pour la première fois, la reproduction exacte, fidèle et complète de l´oeuvre Voyage Botanique dans le midi de l´Espagne pendant l´année
1837, du botaniste et cientifique genevois Edmond Boissier, en collaboration avec la "Sociedad Malagueña de Ciencias". Cette oeuvre fut publiée en fascicules à Paris (France) de 1839 à 1845. Cette nouvelle édition est composée de trois tomes de grande taille (24 x 34 cm), dont deux sont des reproductions exactes de l´oeuvre originale, de 757 et 245 pages de texte, plus 181 images entièrement en couleurs, et un troisième tome avec la traduction complète de l´oeuvre à l´espagnol et un étude fait par le Professeur agrégé de l´Université de Malaga et Président de la "Sociedad Malagueña de Ciencias", m. Alfredo Asensi Marfil, qui supervise aussi la traduction de toute l´oeuvre. Comme son étude est également traduit au français, on a obtenu ainsi une oeuvre totalement bilingue (espagnol-français). Les trois tomes sont réliés artisanalement en cuir et cuir synthétique, avec des nerfs, petites tuiles et incrustations en or. Étant donné la qualité de l´oeuvre et son importance cientifique et bib- liographique, on na pas menagé ni nos efforts ni les matérieux pour obtenir une édition spéciale de luxe. Dans cette oeuvre on a catalogué, pour la premiére fois, des espéces botaniques uniques à Malaga et Granada, en montrant à la communauté cientifique internationale, entre autres, notre emblématique "pinsapo" et, pour la première fois, environ 200 espéces autochtones de Sierra Ne- vada à Granada. Comme membre d´OPTIMA que vous êtes, nous voulons vous faire une offre spéciale qui sera disponible seulement jusqu´an 31 juillet: Prix comptant: 600 euros, ports et coûts gratuits. Prix à terme: 60 euros par mois, pendant 10 mois (sans intérêts). L´oeuvre sera envoyée lorsque tous les paiements soient reglés. Port dû. À partir du premier août prochain, le prix sera de 760 euros et, plus tard, 900 euros. Vous pouvez faire votre réservation en remplissant le bon de commande ci-joint, avec l´annotation "OPTIMA" pour que vous puissiez en profiter de l´offre spéciale, et en l´envoyant par la poste, fax ou e-mail: Fundación Nacional Fénix; Alameda de Colón, 34, 11º-3, 29001 - MÁLAGA (España); Tel.: 34 952061028; Fax: 34 952061029; E-mail: [email protected]
BON DE COMMANDE Je voudrais qu´on m´envoie l´oeuvre "Voyage Botanique dans Le midi de L´Espagne pendant l´année 1837" d´Edmond Boissier, patronnée par la Fondation nationale Fénix, composée de trois volumes (2 fac-similés et 1 avec étude et traduction français-espagnol reliés de façon intégrale en cuiret et cuir synthétique en édition limité et énumerée, jointe á l´offre du cahier "Les pinsapos de Boissier" en édition exclusive pour les premiers 500 souscripteurs).
PRENOM: NOM: ADRESSE: VILLE:
C.P.: DEPARTEMENT:
PAYS: TELEPHONE: FAX: E-MAIL: DATE: PROFESSION: SIGNATURE:
En paiement (L´oeuvre sera envoyée après l´avoir payée): Comptant: 760 euros (600 euros jusqu’an 31 juillet pour OPTIMA membres). 10 mois (crédit sans intérêt) a 76 euros/mois (60 euros/mois jusqu’an 31 juillet pour OPTIMA membres) Crédit sans intérêt ____ mois (máximum 10)
From the OPTIMA Secretariat,
- B. Valdés & J. Pastor (eds.) Proceedings of the VIII OPTIMA Meeting, Sevilla, 25 September - 1 October, 1995. Lagascalia, 19. Universidad de Sevilla, Sevilla, 1997. 942 pages, black and white illustrations (25% discount OPTIMA ordinary members, 50% discount OPTIMA institu- tional members). - P. Mouterde, Nouvelle flore du Liban et de la Syrie (33% discount).Vol. 1 (text & atlas), Vol. 2 (text & atlas), Vol. 3 (text & atlas). Single fascicles of the text of Vol. 3 are also still available upon request. - H.W. Lack (ed.), Current projects on the Mediterranean flora - a register. 2nd edition. (33% discount). Some copies of the 1st edition are still available. - F.M. Raimondo & W. Greuter (eds.) Flora Mediterranea and Bocconea (70% and 20% dis- count). Flora Mediterranea and Bocconea are published by the Herbarium Mediterraneum Panormitanum under the auspices of OPTIMA. These publications cover articles dealing with plant geography, floristics and systematic botany in its widest sense, relating to Mediterranean plants of all groups, whether living or fossil. A special emphasis is placed on articles that ex- ceed national limits in coverage or by their general interest. Flora Mediterranea is a journal published annually with a variety of articles whereas Bocconea is devoted to monographic subjects:
Vol. 1: Results of the First “Iter Mediterraneum” in south-eastern Spain, June-July 1988. Vol. 2: A check-list of Sicilian fungi. Vol. 3: Results of the Second “Iter Mediterraneum” in Israel, March-April 1989. Vol. 4: Current research on the biology of threatened plant species of the Mediterranean Basin and Macaronesia: a database. Vol. 5: (I and II): Proceedings of the VII OPTIMA Meeting in Borovetz, 18-30 July 1992. Vol. 6: Contributions towards a checklist of Mediterranean Lichens. Vol. 7: Proceedings of the Workshops on “Conservation of the Wild Relatives of European Cultivated Plants”. Vol. 8: Catalogue des plantes vasculaires rares, menacées ou éndemiques du Maroc. Vol. 9: The systematics of Anthemis L. (Compositae, Anthemideae) in W and C North Africa Vol. 10: An annotated checklist of the flora of the Abruzzo
Please place your orders to the OPTIMA Secretariat by filling out the order form on the next page
PUBLICATIONS ORDER FORM
Please send me the following publications (postage expenses are included in the shown prices): Nouvelle flore du Liban et de la Syrie Volume OPTIMA member Price Non-member Price Quantity Value Vol. 1 SF 138.- SF 207.- Vol. 2 SF 138.- SF 207.- Vol. 3 SF 138.- SF 207.- Current projects on the Mediterranean flora - a register Volume OPTIMA member Price Non-member Price Quantity Value 1st edition SF 10.- SF 15.- 2nd edition SF 10.- SF 15.- Flora Mediterranea Volume OPTIMA member Price Non-member Price Quantity Value Vol. 1 SF 25.- SF 75.- Vol. 2 SF 25.- SF 75.- Vol. 3 SF 25.- SF 75.- Vol. 4 SF 25.- SF 75.- Vol. 5 SF 25.- SF 75.- Vol. 6 SF 25.- SF 75.- Bocconea Volume OPTIMA member Price Non-member Price Quantity Value Vol. 1 SF 54.- SF 65.- Vol. 2 SF 54.- SF 65.- Vol. 3 SF 54.- SF 65.- Vol. 4 SF 54.- SF 65.- Vol. 5 (I and II) SF 217.- SF 268.- Vol. 6 SF 54.- SF 65.- Vol. 7 SF 81.- SF 100.- Vol. 8 SF 47.- SF 57.- Vol. 9 SF 54.- SF 65.- Vol. 10 SF 54.- SF 65.- Volume OPTIMA member Price Non-member Price Quantity Value Proc. of the VIII OPTIMA ordinary members: SF 90.- SF 115.- Meeting institutional members SF 65.- TOTAL SUM
Payment: I am sending a bank transfer to the OPTIMA Publications Commission, account Nº 1651.05.02, Banque Cantonale de Genève, Genève, Switzerland. (Please, include photocopy of bank slip). I am enclosing with this order form an International bank cheque drawn on a Swiss bank or a Euro- cheque exten-ded to OPTIMA Publications Commission. Please send me a pro-forma invoice (items sent upon receipt of payment).
Name: Address: Date & Signature: Please send this order form to: OPTIMA Secretariat - Dr. J. M. Iriondo. Dpto. Biología Vegetal, E.U.I.T. Agrícola. Universidad Politécnica, Ciudad Universitaria. E-28040 Madrid, SPAIN
OPTIMA MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION FORM
Membership categories Ordinary members receive the newsletters and the circulars, a free subscription to Flora Mediterranea, reduced rates on publications and on OPTIMA Meetings and all the benefits of being a full member. Institutional members, in addition to the above, also receive a free subscription to Bocconea. Associate members receive the newsletters and the circulars, but are not entitled to any other benefits. Associate membership will become effective immediately upon receipt of the signed application form. Ordinary or institutional membership will become effective upon receipt of the signed application form and payment of the membership fee for the current year.
Current membership rates: Ordinary (personal) members: ...... SF 25 .- Life membership: ...... SF 375 .- Institutional members: ...... SF 90 .-
Payments can be made in one of the following ways: Bank order to OPTIMA, account No. 396 199 00 D, Union Bank of Switzerland, CH-1211 Genève, Swit- zerland. International postal money order to: OPTIMA, account No. 396 199 00 D, Union Bank of Switzerland, postal account No. 12-2048-5, CH-1211 Genève, Switzerland. International bank cheque drawn on a Swiss bank or Eurocheque sent to OPTIMA Secretariat in Madrid.
Please, make sure your name is clearly written on your payment. Advance payment for two or more years, at current membership rates, are accepted. Pro forma invoices (also for life membership) and receipts of payment will be sent upon request.
------
The undersigned applies for:
ordinary associate institutional membership of OPTIMA (check box as appropriate)
Name: Country: Surname: Tel: Institution: Fax: Street: Email: Zip code: Web page: City: Signature: Research interests: Date:
Please sign and return to: OPTIMA-Secretary: Dr. José M. Iriondo Dpto. Biología Vegetal, E.U.I.T. Agrícola Universidad Politécnica, Ciudad Universitaria E-28040 Madrid, SPAIN
OPTIMA Newsletter - 34 / Informateur OPTIMA - 34
Contents / Sommaire
Nouvelles de l’OPTIMA /OPTIMA News ...... 1/3 Conservation News ...... 5 Completion of the Seed Collection Project of Turkish Endemics...... 5 Network of Mediterranean Seedbanks...... 5 Fungi News...... 6 Projects of the New OPTIMA Commission on Fungi...... 6 Herbarium News ...... 8 The Spanish Bryophyte Herbaria ...... 8 Web News ...... 12 Cartographic Links for Botanists...... 12 Projects ...... 12 Cooperation in genus Gagea...... 12 Image Bank of Flora of the Iberian Peninsula...... 13 Erodium Fruits Wanted! ...... 13 Meetings ...... 13 Specialists Discuss the Future of Botanical Information at the IBC...... 13 Invitation to Join the Yearly Meeting of GEP ...... 14 Announcements ...... 14 Notices of Publications ...... (1) Dicotyledones...... (1) Floras ...... (2) Flower Books ...... (4) Floristic Inventories and Checklists ...... (6) Excursions ...... (7) Biogeography ...... (10) Chorology ...... (11) Regional Studies of Flora and Vegetation ...... (11) Applied Botany ...... (17) Conservation Topics, Red Data Books ...... (17) Gardens and gardening...... (20) Historical subjects and biography ...... (21) Festschrift ...... (23) Symposium Proceedings ...... (23)
OPTIMA COMMISSIONS AND COMMITTEES
Commission for the Conserva- Commission for the Diffusion of tion of Plant Resources Knowledge on Mediterranean Secretary: A. Di Martino Plants Dip. di Scienze Botaniche Secretary: D. Zohary dell'Università Via Archirafi 38 Dept. of Evolution, Systematics Secretary: U. Plitmann I-90123 Palermo ITALY and Ecology, The Hebrew Department of Botany, The University, Jerusalem 91904 Hebrew University, Jerusalem Members: ISRAELTel: 972-2585390; Fax: 91904 ISRAEL E-mail: A. Charpin, Genève 972-2792613 [email protected] W. Greuter, Berlin C. C. Heyn, Jerusalem Members: Members: J. M. Iriondo, Madrid M. Awishai, Jerusalem F. Ehrendorfer, Wien S. Jury, Reading A. Benabid, Sale F. Garbari, Firenze F. Raimondo, Palermo M. Caixinhas, Lisboa J. Mathez, Montpellier B. Valdès, Sevilla T. Ekim, Ankara T. Wraber, Ljubljana G. Venturella, Palermo E. Gabrielian, Erevan C. Gómez-Campo, Madrid Commission for Floristic Inves- Commission for Information P. Hanelt, Gatersleben tigation Transfer and Networking V. Heywood, Reading J. M. Iriondo, Madrid Secretary: B. Valdés Secretary: W. Berendsohn E. Lanfranco, Sliema Dpto. Biología Vegetal y Botanischer Garten und Ch.Leon, Kew Ecología Universidad de Sevilla Botanisches Museum, Königin- P. Mazzola, Palermo Apdo. 1095 E-41080 Sevilla Luise-Strasse 6-8, D-14191 B. de Montmollin, Neuchâtel SPAIN; Tel: 34 54 557047; Fax: Berlin GERMANY, Tel: +49 30 L. Olivier, Hyères 34 54 557059; E-mail: 830 06 143; Fax: +49 30 830 06 S. Peccenini Gardini, [email protected] 186; E-mail: Genova [email protected] D. Peev, Sofia Members: A. Santos Guerra, T. Constantinidis, Patras Members: Puerto de la Cruz A. Di Martino, Palermo A. Anagnostopoulos, Patras A. Tiniakou, Patras T. Ekim, Ankara G. Bedini, Pisa R. Vogt, Berlin M. Fennane, Rabat F. Felber, Neuchâtel C. C. Heyn, Jerusalem P. L. Nimis, Trieste Commission for Current Re- D. Jeanmonod, Genève C. Del Prete, Pisa search S. Kozuharov, Sofia G. Venturella, Palermo J. Mathez, Montpellier Secretary: S. L. Jury F. M. Raimondo, Palermo Commission for Karyosystemat- Dep. of Botany, Pl. Sci. T. Raus, Berlin ics Laboratories University of V. Stevanovic, Beograd Reading Whiteknights RG6 2AS Secretary: G. Kamari Reading, Berkshire U.K. Commission on Fungi Botanical Institute, Dep. Biology Tel.:0118 931 8169; Fax: 0118 University of Patras, 975 3676 E-mail: Secretary: S. Onofri GR-26500 Patras GREECE; Tel: [email protected] Tuscia University via S. Camillo +30 61 997641; Fax: +30 61 de Lellis Blocco D I-01100 997275; E-mail: Members: Viterbo ITALY [email protected] E. Gabrielian, Erevan G. Giaccone, Palermo Members: Members: I. Herrnstadt, Jerusalem J. Mouchacca, Paris M. Anchev, Sofia P. L. Nimis, Trieste S. Santamaria, Barcelona C. Blanché i Vergès, J. Persson, Göteborg Taslaxhcyan, Erevan Barcelona S. Siljak-Yakovlev, Orsay G. Venturella, Palermo M. Bedalov, Zagreb O. Vasic, Beograd G. Zervakis, Kalamata L. Borgen, Oslo Herbarium Mediterraneum M. Erben, München Commission F. Garbari, Pisa
M. Johnson, Kew V. Ravnik, Ljubljana Dip. di Scienze Botaniche Ph. Küpfer, Neuchâtel E. Willing, Berlin dell'Università Via Archirafi 38 J. A. Mejías, Sevilla I-90123 Palermo ITALY; Tel: 39 E. Nazarova, Erevan 91 6161493; Fax: 39 91 C. Oberprieler, Berlin 6176089; E-mail: N. Özhatay, Istanbul Programme Committee for the X [email protected] F. Sales, Coimbra OPTIMA Meeting S. Siljak-Yakovlev, Orsay Treasurer: J. M. Iriondo, S. Snogerup, Lund Secretary: F. Raimondo Madrid R. Verlaque, Marseille Dip. di Scienze Botaniche D. Zohary, Jerusalem dell'Università Via Archirafi 38 Members: I-90123 Palermo ITALY; Tel: 39 H. M. Burdet, Genève 91 6161493; Fax: 39 91 S. L. Jury, Reading 6176089; E-mail: W. Greuter, Berlin Lichen Commission [email protected] S. Kozuharov, Sofia U. Plitmann, Jerusalem Secretary: P. L. Nimis Members: B. Snogerup, Lund Dipartimento di Biologia L. Boulos, Cairo Università di Trieste Via U. Deil, Bayreuth Giorgieri 10 I-34127 Trieste F. Ehrendorfer, Wien ITALY; Tel: +40 568855; Fax: M. Fennane, Rabat Sisyphus Commission +40 568855; E-mail: G. Giaccone, Palermo [email protected] V. Heywood, Reading Secretary: B. Valdés J. M. Iriondo, Madrid Dpto. Biología Vegetal y Members: D. Jeanmonod, Chambésy Ecología Universidad de Sevilla E. Barreno, Valencia S. Jury, Reading Apdo. 1095 E-41080 Sevilla A. Crespo, Madrid J. Mathez, Montpellier SPAIN; Tel: 34 54 557047; Fax: J. M. Egea, Murcia J. Moret, Paris 34 54 557059; E-mail: M. Galun, Tel Aviv Naselli-Flores [email protected] V. John, Bad Dürkheim U. Plitmann, Jerusalem
X. Llimona, Barcelona B. Valdés, Sevilla Members: H. Mayrhofer, Graz G. Venturella, Palermo M. Ancev, Sofia D. Ottonello, Palermo D. Zohary, Jerusalem Baba, Turkey C. Roux, Marseille T. Constantinidis, Patras M. Seaward, Bradford A. Danin, Jerusalem
M. Fennane, Rabat Prize Commission W. Greuter, Berlin
V. Heywood, Reading Commission for the Mapping of Secretary: J. M. Iriondo S. Jury, Reading Orchids in the Mediterranean Dpto. Biol. Vegetal, E.U.I.T. J. Moret, Paris Area Agrícola Universidad Politécnica, F. Raimondo, Palermo Ciudad Universitaria, E-28040
Secretary: H. Baumann Madrid SPAIN; Tel: +34 91 336
Beethovenstr. 45 5462; Fax: +34 91 336 5656; E-
D-71032 Böblingen mail: [email protected]
GERMANY
Members:
Members: L. Borgen, Oslo
G. Aymonin, Paris F. Ehrendorfer, Wien
B. Corrias, Sassari G. Moggi, Firenze
A. Dafni, Haifa F. Raimondo, Palermo
C. Del Prete, Pisa
S. Kozuharov, Sofia
S. Künkele, Gerlingen
E. Lanfranco, Sliema Publications Commission R. Lorenz, Weinheim J. L. Pérez Chiscano, Badajoz Secretary: F. Raimondo
FIELD WORK NEWS QUESTIONNAIRE
In order to be able to provide you the best and most exhaustive information on botanical expedi- tions taking place in the Mediterranean area, please take a few minutes and collaborate by filling out this questionnaire. The completed forms should be sent to the Secretary of the OPTIMA Com- mission for Floristic Investigation, Prof. B. Valdés, Dpto. Biología Vegetal y Ecología Universidad de Sevilla Apdo. 1095 E-41080 Sevilla SPAIN; Tel: 34 54 557047; Fax: 34 54 557059; E-mail: [email protected]
Collectors: ______.______Postal address: ______Itinerary: ______.______.______.______Dates: ______Nº of sheets collected: ______Nº of duplicates offered in exchange: ______.______Herbarium where the material is (or will be) kept: ______.______Groups particularly well represented offered for identification by specialists: ______.______.______.______Additional information on expeditions undertaken by other botanists, not necessarily members of OPTIMA: ______.______
.______
Date: ______Signature: ______
N OUVELLES DE L'O PTIMA
par José M. Iriondo
Il est difficile d'écrire sur quoi que ce soit ces temps-ci dans un contexte méditerranéen sans évoquer la situation actuelle en Yougoslavie. Nous ne pouvons que souhaiter que cessent rapidement la violence et les destructions dans cette région et espérer en un meilleur avenir qui verra régner la coopération et l'amitié entre tous ceux qui vivent dans la région méditerranéenne.
COMITÉ INTERNATIONAL
En 1998, les membres du Comité ont approuvé le rapport annuel et le rapport financier pour 1997, soumis par le Secrétaire au nom du Président et du Conseil Exécutif. Le compte-rendu de la réunion du Comité tenue le 11 mai 1998 à Paris a également été approuvé par accord tacite.
CONSEIL
Le conseil a donné son accord pour maintenir sans changement les cotisations des membres de l'OPTIMA pour 1999. Le compte-rendu de la réunion du Comité tenue en mai 1998 à Paris a également été approuvé par accord tacite.
SECRÉTARIAT
Le Secrétariat s'est occupé de la gestion des comptes de l'OPTIMA et de ceux de la Commission des Publications et de la Commission des Prix, ainsi que de la gestion de la vente des publications et la tenue des fichiers des membres. Le Secrétariat de l'OPTIMA a également assuré la liaison entre les membres du Conseil et du Comité et les groupes de travail et commissions de notre Organisation.
Les autres activités en cours comprennent la publication des Nouvelles de l'OPTIMA et la mise à jour du site Web de l'OPTIMA. Un annuaire des membres consultable sur ce site est également en préparation.
July 1999 OPTIMA Newsletter No. 34 1
Nouvelles de l’OPTIMA
DÉCÈS Sur le front des publications, le vol. 8 de Flora Mediterranea et les volumes 8 et 9 de Bocconea ont été publiés et financés par la Fondation en 1998. Par Le Prof. Dr Clara Heyn, Jérusalem, Israël, est décédée ailleurs, la Fondation a subventionné l'impression de le 27.12.1998 à l'âge de 74 ans. “La collezione algologica storica dell’Erbario mediterraneo” par B.M. Ferreri dans le journal Le Prof. Dr Karl Heinz Rechinger, Vienne, Naturalista siciliano. Pour 1999, on compte publier Autriche, est décédé le 30.12.1998 à l'âge de 92 ans. plusieurs volumes de Bocconea contenant les résultats des Itinera Mediterranea en Sicile et à Chypre, le Les notices nécrologiques détaillées de ces deux catalogue des plantes vasculaires du Nord du Maroc, et membres éminents de l'OPTIMA seront publiées dans le les Actes du IXème Colloque de l'OPTIMA. Le Volume prochain volume de Flora Mediterranea. 9 de Flora Mediterranea sera également publié à la fin de cette année. LE POINT SUR LES COMMISSIONS Le Comité Scientifique a examiné les candidatures pour les deux bourses d'études et de recherches de six mois à l'Herbarium Mediterraneum de Palerme, qui COMMISSION POUR LA DIFFUSION DES devaient être attribuées à des diplômés de biologie/sciences naturelles spécialisés en taxinomie CONNAISSANCES SUR LES PLANTES végétale/phytogéographie et résidents dans un pays MÉDITERRANÉENNES d'Afrique du Nord ou d'Europe orientale. Après examen approfondi, le Comité Scientifique a décidé d'attribuer Des progrès significatifs ont été accomplis dans une bourse à B. Tahiri (Maroc) et de partager l'autre l'élaboration du livre “Paysages végétaux du Bassin entre E. Kozuharova et D. Uzunov (Bulgarie). méditerranéen”. Les chapitres proposés pour la France, Concernant l'herbier, l'informatisation de la la Corse, l'Italie, la Sardaigne, la Turquie, Israël et la collection d'environ 350.000 spécimens (cryptogames Jordanie ont été diffusés auprès des membres de la compris) sera entreprise en 1999. Commission afin de procéder à la relecture éditoriale. Les chapitres sur l'Espagne, la Syrie et le Liban, et la Sicile sont en préparation. On cherche encore des COMMISSION POUR LA rédacteurs pour les chapitres concernant les Balkans, CARYOSYSTÉMATIQUE Chypre et l'Afrique du Nord.
En 1999, nous comptons combler les vides, écrire et La publication de la rubrique “Nombres de mettre en forme les chapitres de l'Introduction générale Chromosomes Méditerranéens” dans Flora Mediterra- et réunir les illustrations et les cartes adéquates. nea pour les huit années successives fut à la fois Pour plus d'informations, contacter le Prof. Uzi fructueuse et gratifiante. 126 nouveaux comptages (no. Plitmann, Department of Botany, The Hebrew 899-1025) ont été ajoutés provenant de huit contrées ou University, Jerusalem 91904, Israel. E-mail: uzi@vms. régions différentes, à savoir la Bulgarie, le Caucase, la huji.ac.il Grèce, l'Italie, le Maroc, le Portugal, l'Espagne et la Turquie. COMMISSION DE L'HERBARIUM En ce qui concerne le projet de création d'une base MEDITERRANEUM de données caryosystématique pour les comptages de chromosomes méditerranéens, jusqu'ici les progrès se résument à la création de plusieurs bases de données Les activités des membres de la Commission de dans différents pays. Il est urgent d'avancer dans la l'Herbarium Mediterraneum sont confondues avec celles coordination et la standardisation de ces bases. Le cadre du Comité Scientifique de la Fondation Internationale de l'Euro + Med Plant Base peut être utile à cet égard. Pro Herbario Mediterraneo.
2 OPTIMA Newsletter No. 34 July 1999
O PTIMA NEWS by José M. Iriondo
It is difficult to write about anything these days in a Mediterranean context and not make mention of the current situation in Yugoslavia. We can only wish for a quick end to the violence and destruction in the area and hope for a better future in which cooperation and friendship among the people who live in the Mediterranean area prevail.
INTERNATIONAL BOARD
In 1998, the Board members approved the annual report and the financial report for 1997, submitted by the Secretary on behalf of the President and the Executive Council. The minutes of the Board meeting held in Paris on May 11th 1998 were also approved by tacit consent.
EXECUTIVE COUNCIL
The Council approved to keep OPTIMA membership fees unchanged for 1999. The minutes of the meeting held in Paris in May 1998 were approved by tacit consent.
SECRETARIAT
The Secretariat was active keeping OPTIMA’s accounts and the accounts of the Publications Commission and Prize Commission and managing publication sales and membership files. The OPTIMA Secretariat also functioned as a liasing centre for Council and Board members and the working groups and commissions of our organization.
Further activities taking place at this moment include the edition of OPTIMA Newsletter and the updating of the OPTIMA Website. A membership database that can be consulted through the OPTIMA Website is also in preparation.
July 1999 OPTIMA Newsletter No. 34 3
OPTIMA News
DEATHS funded by the Foundation in 1998. In addition, the Foundation also subsidised the printing of “La collezione algologica storica dell’Erbario mediterraneo” Prof. Dr. Clara Heyn, Jerusalem, Israel, died on by B.M. Ferreri in the journal Naturalista siciliano. For 27.12.1998 at the age of 74. 1999, several volumes of Bocconea are expected to be Prof. Dr. Karl Heinz Rechinger, Vienna, Austria, published including the results of the Itinera died on 30.12.1998 at the age of 92. Mediterranea in Sicily and Cyprus, the catalogue of Full obituaries of these two prominent OPTIMA vascular plants of Northern Morocco, and the members will be published in the next volume of Flora Proceedings of the IX OPTIMA Meeting. Volume 9 of Mediterranea. Flora Mediterranea will also be published at the end of this year.
The Scientific Committee evaluated the applications UPDATES ON COMMISSIONS for the two six-month study and research grants, at the Herbarium Mediterraneum in Palermo, to be awarded to graduates in biology/natural sciences, specialised in COMMISSION FOR THE DIFFUSION OF plant taxonomy/phytogeography and residents in North KNOWLEDGE ON MEDITERRANEAN PLANTS African or Eastern European countries. Upon thorough consideration, the Scientific Committee decided to
award one grant to B. Tahiri (Morocco) and the second Significant progress has been made in the grant is to be shared by E. Kozuharova and D. Uzunov compilation of the book on “The Vegetal Landscapes of (Bulgaria). the Mediterranean”. The chapters on France, Corsica, With regard to the herbarium collection, the Italy, Sardinia, Turkey and Israel and Jordan have been computerisation of the c. 350.000 specimens (cryp- submitted and distributed among the Commission togams included) will be undertaken in 1999. members for editorial review. The chapters on Spain, Syria-Lebanon and Sicily are under preparation. Contributors are still being sought for the chapters on COMMISSION FOR KARYOSYSTEMATICS The Balkans, Cyprus and North Africa.
In 1999, we expect to fill in the gaps, write and edit The publication of the column “Mediterranean the chapters of the General Introduction and compile the Chromosome Number Reports” in Flora Mediterranea relevant illustrations and maps. for the eighth successive year was both fruitful and For further information, please contact: Prof. Uzi rewarding. 126 new reports (no. 899-1025) were added Plitmann, Department of Botany, The Hebrew from eight different countries or regions, namely University, Jerusalem 91904, Israel. E-mail: uzi@vms. Bulgaria, the Caucasus, Greece, Italy, Morocco, huji.ac.il Portugal, Spain and Turkey. With regard to the project for the creation of a HERBARIUM MEDITERRANEUM COMMISSION karyosystematic database for Mediterranean chromo- some records, so far progress is being achieved through
the creation of several karyological databases in The activities of the members of the Herbarium different countries. These databases urgently need to be Mediterraneum Commission are concentrated in the coordinated and standardized. The frame of Euro + Med Scientific Committee of the International Foundation Plant Base may be helpful in this respect. Pro Herbario Mediterraneo.
On the publishing front, Flora Mediterranea vol. 8, and Bocconea vols. 8 and 9 were published and
4 OPTIMA Newsletter No. 34 July 1999
C ONSERVATION N EWS
COMPLETION OF THE SEED COLLECTION PROJECT OF TURKISH ENDEMICS by TUNA EKIM
This project, supported by the government though endemic specimens were also collected. One new genus TÜBITAK (Turkish Scientific Research Council), (Ekimia), thirty new species and three new records for started in 1992 and aimed to collect seeds of endemic Turkey were found. plants of Turkey. About 30 researchers from 16 The seeds are kept mainly at the Menemen Gene different universities participated in the project. Bank, which belongs to the Ministry of Agriculture. As mentioned in OPTIMA Newsletter nº 31, Plant specimens are deposited mostly in local herbaria several new species were found in the first phase of the in the institutions where the researchers work. Detailed collection period and some very interesting collections computer data are kept in the project center, GAZI were carried out for some plant species which were Herb. A duplicate will be given to the Biological known only from the type or which had not been Information Center (Abant Izzet Baysal Ün.) in the near collected for a long time. future. At the end of the field work, the western part of the At the end of the project 62 endemic plant species, country had been studied quite intensively, but only a which had previously been considered by the “Flora of limited area of eastern Turkey could be examined due Turkey and East Aegean Islands” and other floristic to terrorism. Seeds of 1771 taxa belonging to 1622 research records as I (indeterminate) and K species were collected and 518 taxa belonging to 498 (insufficiently known) under the IUCN categories, were species were gained as flowering material. In all, 2120 collected. Numerous taxa which had been known only endemic plant species were gathered. Numerous non- from type gathering were collected for the second time.
NETWORK OF MEDITERRANEAN SEEDBANKS by JOSE M. IRIONDO
At the meeting of the OPTIMA Commission for the management. Conservation of Plant Resources held in Paris in May 4. global assessment of current holdings in the 1998, the need for better cooperation and co-ordination seedbanks and needs or gaps for further collection. among Mediterranean seedbanks was observed and it 5. the coordination of seed collecting expeditions. was accorded that the Commission should promote the creation of a network of Medi-terranean seedbanks. The 6. the establishment of agreements between seedbanks need for such an initiative has also been mentioned in for the storage of duplicate collections. other Mediterranean fora such as the IUCN 7. the creation of a common database on legislation Mediterranean Islands Plant Specialist Group or the pertinent to seed collection, storage and distribution Symposium on Threatened Plant Conservation in the in Mediterranean countries. Western Mediterranean Region held in Madrid in 8. the development of a forum to discuss critical January 1999. issues such as the policy of accessibility to the Some of the possible benefits of the creation of a collections from public and private sectors. network of seedbanks could be: The purpose of this message is to contact all Medi- 1. the exchange of technical information on seed terranean seedbanks dedicated to the conservation of preservation. wild plants and to gather information on what the 2. the publication of a practical technical guide to help expectations for a Mediterranean seedbank network are. the establishment of new seedbanks or the creation If you are interested in participating in this ini-tiative of a listserver for the same purpose. please contact and send your opinion to: 3. the standardization of seedbank information Jose M. Iriondo. Dpto. Biología Vegetal. EUIT
July 1999 OPTIMA Newsletter No. 34 5
Conservation News
Agrícola, Universidad Politécnica, E-28040 Madrid, Spain; E-mail: [email protected].
FUNGI NEWS
PROJECTS OF THE NEW OPTIMA COMMISSION ON FUNGI
BY SILVANO ONOFRI & GIUSEPPE VENTURELLA
The OPTIMA Commission on fungi was established during the last OPTIMA meeting in Paris The compilation of the checklist is now partially (May 1998), for promoting and developing research on funded by the Italian Ministry for Scientific and different mycological topics such as: biodiversity and Technological Research, within the Italian national conservation, species monitoring and mapping, program on “Cryptogams as biomonitors in terrestrial elaboration of occurrence-distribution data and red-lists, ecosystems”, coordinated by P.L. Nimis. The com- systematics and phylogeny of taxa of special interest, pilation of the Italian checklist started, following the ecology of fungal communities, ecophy-siology, layout used for the Med-Checklist of Mediterranean symbioses and host-plant interactions, popu-lation Lichens. The data on fungal species, or infraspecific genetics and speciation processes, potential use / taxa, currently include: name, author, reference, syno- exploitation of selected species for mushroom culti- nym(s) and references of Italian records for each dif- vation, bioremediation of agro-industrial waste/residue, ferent region. fodder production, etc. A meeting of the OPTIMA Commission, broa- At the Planta Europa Meeting in Uppsala (June dened to experienced mycologists from Mediterranean 1998), it was recommended to increase attention and Countries, will be held in Palermo, in order to desig- activities dealing with conservation of the cryptogams, nate Regional coordinators. including fungi. Therefore, the first activity of the A second project will deal with the mapping of Commission will deal with the proposal and execution Mediterranean Fungal species. Representatives of of a specific project on the “Compilation of a Checklist CEMM (Confederatio Europaea Mycologiae Medite- of Fungi in Mediterranean Countries”, starting in Italy, rraneensis), ECCF (European Council for Conservation France, Spain and Greece. of Fungi) and SBI (Italian Botanical Society) attended a The project will be executed according to the meeting on the checklisting and mapping of fungal following schedule: species, held in Pisa on February 17th, 1999. During 1. Meeting of interested scientists and representatives this meeting it was proposed to combine the two lists from amateur associations which the Italian Botanical Society (Working Group on 2. Selection of the research group Mycology) and the CEMM are working on. The resulting list is as follows: 3. Preparation of the detailed program and its sub- mission for financial support 4. Bibliographical search to sort out records of fungal Amanita caesarea (Scop. : Fr.) Pers. species of the Mediterranean countries (separately Amanita phalloides (Fr. : Fr.) Link for each country) Amanita porphyria (Albertini & Schweiniz : Fr.) Mlady 5. Collection of data from professional and amateur Auricularia auricula-judae (Bull.) Wettnestein mycologists Auriscalpium vulgare S. F. Gray 6. Compilation of national fungi lists Boletus aereus Bull. : Fr. 7. Verification of synonymies, authority, validity and Boletus impolitus Fr. priority of each fungal name Boletus satanas Lenz 8. Preparation of an on-line database Chroogomphus fulmineus (Heim) Courtecuisse 9. Publication of the checklist (on paper).
6 OPTIMA Newsletter No. 34 July 1999
Fungi News
Cortinarius aleuriosmus Maire Pseudohydnum gelatinosum (Scop. : Fr.) P. Karsten Cortinarius bulliardi (Pers. : Fr.) Fr. Pycnoporus cinnabarinus (Jacq. : Fr.) P. Karsten Cortinarius croceocoeruleus (Pers. : Fr.) Fr. Rozites caperatus (Pers. : Fr.) P. Karsten Cortinarius ionochlorus R. Maire Russula acrifolia Romagn. Cortinarius orellanus Fr. Russula rubroalba (Singer) Romagn. Cortinarius suaveolens Bataille & Joachim Russula seperina Dupain Cortinarius trivialis J.E. Lange Russula virescens (Schaeff.) Fr. Entoloma bloxami (Berk. & Br.) Sacc. (= E. madidum Strobilomyces strobilaceus (Scop. : Fr.) Berk. Fr. ss. auct.) Suillus bovinus (L. : Fr.) O. Kuntze Entoloma lividoalbum (Kühner & Romagn.) Kubika Tremiscus helvelloides (DC. : Fr.) Donk Entoloma sinuatum (Bull. Ex Pers. : Fr.) Kummer (=E. Tricholoma acerbum (Bull.:Fr.) Quél. lividum ss.auct.) Tricholoma aurantium (Schaeff.:Fr.) Ricken Fistulina hepatica (J. C. Schaeffer : Fr.) With. Tricholoma bresadolanum Clemençon Gomphus clavatus (Pers. : Fr.) S. F. Gray Tricholoma equestre (L.:Fr.) Kummer (= T. flavovirens Gyroporus castaneus (Bull. : Fr.) Quélet ss. auct = T. auratum ss. auct.) Hebeloma radicosum (Bull. : Fr.) Ricken Tricholoma squarrulosum Bres. Hebeloma sarcophyllum (Peck) Sacc. Tuber aestivum Vittadini Helvella crispa (Scop. : Fr.) Fr. Tuber rufum Pico : Fr. Hydnellum zonatum (Batsch) P. Karsten (= H. Verpa digitaliformis (Müll. : Fr.) Swartz concrescens (Pers.) Banker)
Hygrophorus latitabundus Britzelmayr (=H. limacinus This list of 66 species will be used to start the ss.auct.) mapping of Fungal species of Mediterranean countries. Hygrophorus marzuolus (Fr. : Fr.) Bresadola During the meeting on “Mapping grid systems” (May Hygrophorus nemoreus (Pers. : Fr.) Fr. 1998) it was stated that all European mapping programs Hygrophorus penarius Fr. should adopt a common Chorological Grid Reference System (CGRS) based on UTM and MGRS (Military Hygrophorus personii Arnolds (= H. dichrous Kühner Grid Reference System). & Romagn.) The basic concept is similar to the grid systems Hygrophorus roseodiscoideus Bon & Chevassut used so far: the grid cells are 50x50 square kilometers; Hygrophorus russula (Fr. : Fr.) Quél. as an exception cells of a different size are at the Hymenochaete cruenta (Pers. : Fr.) Donk boundaries of the six-degree wide longitudinal zones. Inocybe asterospora Quél. All projects will adopt the CGRS for further Inocybe bongardii (Weinm.) Quél. (incl. var. pisciodora mapping, and try to convert their existing data to it. (Donad. & Riouss.) Kuyper) Thus, this common reference grid will also need to be used for fungal data. Lactarius atlanticus Bon (incl. f. strigipes Bon) According to the resolutions made during the last Lactarius chrysorrheus Fr. Planta Europa Meeting (Uppsala, Sweden), the Lactarius ilicis Sarnari (= L. curtus ss.auct.) OPTIMA Commission on Fungi will also be involved Lactarius mediterraneensis Llistosella & Bellù in: encouraging nature conservation organizations to Lactarius necator (Bull. : Fr.) Karsten. employ cryptogamic botanists to facilitate the conser- vation of cryptogams; amalgamating the national Leccinum lepidum (Bouchet in Essette) Quadraccia checklists on fungi in a European checklist, with an Marasmius alliaceus (Jacq. : Fr.) Fr. indication of the distribution of each species; Mycena pelianthina (Fr. : Fr.) Quélet encouraging the publication of Red-lists and the Omphalotus olearius (DC. : Fr.) Fayod production of popular publications to promote conservation and raise the status of fungi; including Phallus impudicus L. : Pers. selected threatened fungi on Appendix 1 of the Bern Phylloporus rhodoxanthus (Schweiniz) Bresadola Convention and Annexes II and IV of the Habitats subsp. europaeus Singer Directive. Pisolithus arhizos (Scop.) Rauschert
July 1999 OPTIMA Newsletter No. 34 7
Fungi News
H ERBARIUM N EWS* edited by PALOMA BLANCO
THE SPANISH BRYOPHYTE HERBARIA by FRANCISCO LARA
The earliest bryological activity in Spain dates from owners, who kindly filled out a questionnaire with the the 18th century. During the 19th century, several needed data. collections were made in different parts of the country Institutional herbaria are indicated by their Index (Casas et al. 1995, Sérgio et al. 1994). But it was not Herbariorum acronyms and private herbaria by names until the early 20th century that a prominent Spanish or abbreviations used by their owners. bryologist emerged: Antonio Casares Gil. His relevant work served as a reference for many decades, and his unfinished Flora Ibérica, Briófitas (Casares-Gil, 1919 ARAN (Sociedad de Ciencias Aranzadi). Started in and 1932) is still today the only Spanish bryoflora. 1982, it holds 2500 sheets of bryophytes, mainly During the second quarter of the century, bryological collected by I. Aizpuru from Guipuzcoa and work in Spain was carried out by botanists Pierre and northwestern Navarra (North Spain). This Valentine Allorge (Casas, 1982; Heras & Infante, collection is now deposited in the Museo de 1997), whose activity was plentiful. The second half of Ciencias Naturales de Álava, Siervas de Jesús, 24, the century has been marked by the work of Creu Casas, E-01001 Vitoria. Keeper: Patxi Heras (see VIT). pioneer of present Spanish bryology. Apart from her BCB (Unitat de Botánica, Facultat de Ciències, intense bryological production, she has helped and Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra). encouraged most of the approximately twenty Spanish Started in 1944, it is the largest Spanish herbarium, bryological research groups which are currently active. holding 50.200 bryophyte sheets (approximately In the last decades, Spanish bryology seems to be in 40.000 mosses and 10.000 he-patics). It contains good health (Ros et al. 1996). The Sociedad Española several exsiccatae and four type specimens. The de Briología now has 70 members, including a large best represented areas are Cata-lonia, the Iberian number of young Spanish bryologists. In addition to the Peninsula and the Balearic islands. The principal individual collecting efforts of each research team, collectors are C. Casas, M. Brugués and R.M. Cros. periodical meetings (Reuniones Briológicas), aimed at Relevant collections include P. Seró and J. Vives collecting and studying less known areas, have been herbaria and exchange collections (Societé held since 1969. In 1998, thanks to the financial aid of d'Exchange des Muscinées, Brioteca Hispánica). the Dirección General de Enseñanza Superior (DGES) Keeper: Creu Casas. E-mail: of the Spanish Ministerio de Educación y Ciencia, a [email protected], phone: 34 93 5811989. great bryological project that will culminate with the Botánica, Facultat de Ciències, Universitat publishing of the Iberian Bryophyte Flora was started. Autònoma de Barcelona, E-08193 Bellaterra. At this moment, new or little known areas are being BCC (Facultat de Biología, Universitat de explored as a first phase of the project. Barcelona). Started in 1920, it holds appro- There are bryophyte herbaria all over the country, ximately 5.000 numbered sheets of bryophytes in consonance with the distribution of the research (77% mosses and 23% hepatics), mainly collected teams. We have tried to include the main bryophyte by I. Álvaro from Catalonia. Keeper: Antonio collections in the following list, but it is not exhaustive. Sánchez. E-mail: herbari.bcc@ d3.ub.es, phone: 34 Information has been gathered in most cases through 93 4021571. Departament de Biologia Vegetal contact with the different herbarium curators and (Botànica), Avda. Diagonal 645, E-08028, Barce-
* Please send all items suitable for publication under this heading directly to the editor of this column: Paloma Blanco, Real Jardín Botánico, Plaza de Murillo, 2, E-28014 Madrid, Spain.
8 OPTIMA Newsletter No. 34 July 1999
Herbarium News
lona. 1755, it holds over 17.000 bryophyte sheets BIO (Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad del País (14.121 in MA-Musci and 2.867 in Ma-Hepat), Vasco). Started in 1985, it contains close to 2.000 mainly from the Iberian Peninsula. It contains sheets of bryophytes, collected mainly by M. several type-specimens and exsiccatae. Important Infante from Macizo del Gorbea (Basque region). historical collectors are Antonio Casares Gil Emilio This collection is now deposited in Museo de Guinea, Mariano Lagasca and Simon de Rojas Ciencias Naturales de Álava, Siervas de Jesús, 24, Clemente. Keeper: Francisco Pando. E-mail: E-01001 Vitoria. Keeper: Patxi Heras (see VIT). [email protected], phone: 34 91 4203017. Plaza de Murillo 2, E-28014 Madrid. Herbarium FCO-Briof. (Facultad de Ciencias, Departamento information available at http://www.rjb.csic.es/ de Biología de Organismos y Sistemas, Univer- colecciones/herbario/ crypto.htm sidad de Oviedo). Started in 1970, it holds over 2.200 numbered sheets of bryophytes, with a MACB (Facultad de Biología, Universidad collection of P. Allorge (Bryotheca Iberica 1-250). Complutense de Madrid). Started in 1964, it keeps The northwestern Iberian Peninsula is the best over 3500 sheets of bryophytes (data not updated). represented area. The main collectors are R. M. Important collectors are M.E. Ron, C. Casas and Simó, M. C. Fernández Ordóñez and E. Vigón. especially E. Fuertes. Keeper: María Andrea Keeper: María Carmen Fernández Ordóñez. E-mail: Carrasco. E-mail: [email protected], [email protected], phone: 34 985 phone: 34 91 3944781. Departamento de Biología 104786. Departamento de Biología de Organismos Vegetal I, Ciudad Universitaria, E-28040 Madrid. y Sistemas, Catedrático Rodrigo Uría, E-33006 Not available for loan. Oviedo. MAF (Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad Com- GDAC (Facultad de Ciencias, Departamento de plutense de Madrid). Started in 1893, it contains Biología Vegetal, Universidad de Granada). Star- 2.400 sheets of bryophytes, mainly from the Ibe- ted in 1960, it keeps round 5.500 sheets of mosses rian Peninsula. It holds some historical collections and 1.000 sheets of hepatics, mainly from Anda- and exsiccatae (non catalogued and not available lusia. The principal collectors are J. A. Gil, J. Varo for loan): B. Lázaro Ibiza (including C. Baenitz and and M. L. Zafra. Keeper: J. Eduardo Linares C. Touton), D. Dietrich, J. C. Vives (Bryo-theca Cuesta. E-mail: [email protected] , phone: 34 Catalonica, 1-X-1969), Herbarium Verti- 958 246329. Departamento de Biología Vegetal zaranenense (61 numbers). Keeper: José Pizarro, (Botánica), E-18071 Granada. Herbarium infor- E-mail: [email protected], phone +34 mation available at http://www.ugr.es/~herbario 91 3941769. Departamento de Biología Vegetal II, Plaza de Ramón y Cajal s/n, E-28040 Madrid. IBA (Instituto Asturiano de Taxonomía y Ecología Vegetal, Pravia). Started in 1986, it holds over MGC (Departamento de Biología Vegetal, 8.000 sheets of mosses from Northern Spain, South Universidad de Málaga). Started in 1972, it America and Morocco, mainly collected by J. contains 1300 sheets of bryophytes, mostly from Muñoz. Grimmiaceae is the best represented Málaga and Cádiz (Andalusia), mainly collected by family. It contains over ten type specimens and J. Guerra. Keeper: F. David Navas. E-mail: seven exsiccatae. Keeper: Jesús Muñoz. E-mail: [email protected], phone 34 952 133342. Apartado 59, [email protected], phone: 34 91 4203017. E-29080 Málaga. Herbarium information available at http://www.uma.es/Estudios/Departamentos/ JACA (Instituto Pirenaico de Ecología, Jaca). BiolVeg/00Indice.html Started in 1967, it contains 500 sheets of bryophytes from montane and subalpine Pyrenean MUB (Facultad de Biología, Universidad de woods, mainly collected by P. Monserrat. Only a Murcia). Started in 1981, it holds over 8.000 sheets part of the material in this collection has been of bryophytes, mainly Mediterranean terricolous identified. Keeper: Daniel Gómez. E-mail: mosses, especially from southeastern Spain and [email protected], phone: 34 974 361441. Morocco. The principal collectors are J. Guerra, R. Apartado de correos 64, E-22700 Jaca, Huesca. M. Ros and M. J. Cano. Over 10 type specimens. Keepers: Rosa M. Ros and María Angeles LEB (Facultad de Biología, Universidad de León). Caravaca. E-mail: [email protected], phone: 34 968 Started in 1980, it holds over 1.000 sheets of 364989. Departamento de Biología Vegetal, bryophytes, mainly saxicolous mosses from León Campus de Espinardo, E-30100 Murcia. province and surroundings collected by B. Llamas. Keeper: Elena de Paz Canuria. E-mail: dbvepc@ PAMP (Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de isidoro.unileon.es. Departamento de Biología Ve- Navarra). Started in 1970, it holds over 6.100 getal (Botánica), Campus de Vegazana s/n, E- sheets of mosses and 1.200 sheets of hepatics, 24071 León. chiefly from beech and oak forests of the Navarra province (North Spain). The main collectors are A. MA (Real Jardín Botánico, Madrid). Started in Ederra, A. de Miguel, E. Fuertes and J. Martínez
July 1999 OPTIMA Newsletter No. 34 9
Herbarium News
Abaigar. Keeper: Alicia Ederra. E-mail: aederra@ [email protected], phone: 34 945 181924. unav.es, phone: 34 948 425600. Departamento de Siervas de Jesús, 24, E- 01001 Vitoria. Botánica, Irunlarrea s/n, E-31071 Pamplona. SALA-BRYO (Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad PRIVATE COLLECTIONS AND OTHER de Salamanca). Started in 1983, it holds 3.200 INSTITUTIONS sheets of mosses and 1.600 sheets of hepatics. The
Salamanca province and central-western Spain are the best represented areas. The principal collectors BRIO-LU (Universidad de Santiago de Com- are M. J. Elías and J. M. García de las Heras. postela, Facultad de Veterinaria, pabellón II, planta Keeper: María Jesús Elías. E-mail: mjelias@ baja, Campus de Lugo, E- 27002 Lugo). Started in gugu.usal.es, phone: 34 923 294400 ext. 1569. 1993, it keeps 250 sheets of mosses and 50 sheets Departamento de Botánica, Campus Miguel Una- of hepatics from Extremadura and Galicia regions, muno, E-37007 Salamanca. collected by M. C. Viera. Keeper: María Carmen Viera. E-mail: bvcviera@correo. lugo.usc.es, SANT-bryo (Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad de phone: 34 982 252231 ext. 22435. Santiago). Started in 1979, it holds 3.150 sheets of bryophytes, mainly from northwestern Spain, with Herbario de Aragón (Monasterio de Cogullada, a well represented flora from litoral, atlantic woods Cogullada, Zaragoza). The library of this and mires. The principal collectors are J. Reinoso, monastery lodges the historical herbarium of M.C. Viera, J. Otero, G. Paz and A. García. Francisco Loscos y Bernal (1823-1886), with 99 Keeper: Juan Reinoso. E-mail: bvreinos@ sheets of mosses and 20 sheets of hepatics. This uscmail.usc.es, phone: 34 981 563100 (ext. 13263). collection has recently been revised by Casas et al. Departamento de Botánica, E-15706 Santiago de (1995). Compostela, A Coruña. Instituto Nacional de Bachillerato "Práxedes TFC-Bry (Facultad de Biología, Universidad de La Mateo Sagasta" (Glorieta del Doctor Zubía s/n, E- Laguna). Started in 1971, it holds over 10.000 26001 Logroño). Started in 1870, it contains only a sheets of bryophytes, mainly from the Canary part of the herbarium of Ildefonso Zubía Icazuriaga Islands, the Azores and the Iberian Peninsula. The (1819-1891) with 40 sheets (35 mosses and 5 best represented floras are those from laurel forests, hepatics) from La Rioja province. It has no keeper, historical and recent lavas, volcanic caves and but information is available from J. M. Abaigar tubes. The principal collectors are A. Losada Lima, (University of La Rioja), E-mail: javier. J. M. González Mancebo, C. D. Hernández and E. [email protected]. Available for loan. The Beltrán. Keeper: Ana Losada Lima. E-mail: remainder Zubia’s collection is in MA and MAF [email protected], phone: 34 922 318438-39. (Martínez-Abaigar & Núñez-Olivera, 1996). Departamento de Botánica, E-38271 La Laguna, Javier Martínez-Abaigar (Universidad de la Tenerife. Rioja, Avda. de la Paz 105, E-26004 Logroño). VAB-BRIOF (Facultat de Ciències Biològiques, Started in 1985, it holds over 3.000 sheets of Universitat de València). Started in 1976, it mosses and 1.000 sheets of hepatics, mostly from contains 3.201 sheets of mosses and 900 sheets of La Rioja (North Spain). The main collectors are J. hepatics and anthocerotae. The central-eastern Martínez-Abaigar, E. Nuñez-Olivera and A. Gar- Iberian Peninsula is the best represented area and cía-Álvaro. E-mail: [email protected]. Pottiaceae is the most important family of this es, phone: 34 941 299276. Available for loan. collection. It has one type specimen. The main Margarita Acón (Departamento de Biología, collectors are F. Puche, C. Gimeno, J. G. Segarra Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Autónoma de and J. J. Herrero-Borgoñon. Keeper: Felisa Puche. Madrid, E-28049 Madrid). A personal herbarium E-mail: [email protected], phone: 34 96 3864633. started in 1970, it contains over 800 sheets of Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Biología Vegetal- Iberian bryophytes collected by the owner. Phone: Botánica, c/ Dr. Moliner 50, E-46100 Burjasot, 34 91 3978101. Not available for loan. Valencia. Rosario García Gómez (Universidad de La Rioja, VIT (Museo de Ciencias Naturales de Álava, Avda. de la Paz 105, E-26004 Logroño). Started in Brioteca). Started in 1978, this is one of the most 1980, it contains over 1.500 sheets of mosses and important Spanish collections, holding 26.000 500 sheets of hepatics, mainly from La Rioja sheets of bryophytes. The Basque region and (North Spain), collected by R. García Gómez and surroundings, the Pyrenees, Continental Equatorial M. C. de Lemus. E-mail: rosario.garcia@daa. Guinea, and the Venezuelean Andes are the areas unirioja.es, phone: 34 941 299281. Available for best represented. It has one type specimen. Bauer loan. Musci Europaei Exsiccatae and Brioteca Hispá- Rosario Oliva Álvaro (Avda. Conde de Vallellano nica. The material was mainly collected by P. Heras 8, 14004 Córdoba). Initiated in 1975, this important and M. Infante. Keeper: Patxi Heras. E-mail:
10 OPTIMA Newsletter No. 34 July 1999
Herbarium News
private herbarium is comprised of over 5.000 sheets of mosses (ROM collection) and 5.000 sheets of Casares-Gil, A. (1919) Flora Ibérica. Briófitas (pri- hepatics and anthocerotae (ROH collection), mainly mera parte); hepáticas. Madrid. collected by the owner in Andalucia and other parts Casares-Gil, A. (1932) Flora Ibérica. Briófitas (se- of the Spanish Medi-terranean area. The best gunda parte); musgos. Madrid. represented groups are Ricciaceae, Pottiaceae and epiphytic bryophytes. phone: 34 957 232510. Casas, C. (1982) Valentine Allorge (1888-1977). Su Available for loan. contribución a la brioflora española. Acta Botánica Malacitana 7: 39-44. Seoane (López Seoane Family, Casa Grande, Cabans, A Coruña) Victor López Seoane and Casas, C.; Cros, R.M. & Brugués, M. (1995) Loscos y Ragnar Hult' collection, which is comprised of 89 la briología española. Anales Jard. Bot. sheets of mosses and 31 sheets of hepatics. It has Madrid 53: 163-169. recently been revised by Carballal et al. (1991). It Heras, P. & Infante, M. (1997) El matrimonio Allorge has no keeper, but information is available from M. en la Comunidad Autónoma Vasca. Naturzale C. Viera (Univ. Santiago, Lugo), E-mail: 12: 149-166. [email protected]. Not available for Martínez-Abaigar, J. & Núñez-Olivera, E. (1996) The loan due to the precarious state of the material. bryological work of Ildefonso Zubía Ica- Vicente Mazimpaka (Departamento de Biología, zuriaga (1819-1891) in northern Spain. Nova Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Autónoma de Hedwigia 62: 255-266. Madrid, E-28049 Madrid). Started in 1986, it holds Carballal, R.; Fraga, X.A.; García, A. & Reinoso, J. over 4.000 sheets of bryophytes, especially Medi- (1991) A colección de musgos, hepáticas e terranean epiphytic bryophytes. The main col- liques de López Seoane e Hult. Pub. Área lectors are V. Mazimpaka, F. Lara, R. Garilleti and Ciencias Biolóxicas, Seminario Estudos B. Albertos. Central Spain, the northwestern Ibe- Galegos. Ediciós do Castro. A Coruña. rian Peninsula, Morocco and Sicily are the best Ros, R.M.; Guerra, J. & Casas, C. (1996) Bryological represented areas. A section of this herbarium is advances in Spain (1983-1992). Bocconea 5: devoted to the Orthotrichaceae family, the best 325-334. represented group. It has seven type specimens. E- mails: [email protected], and francisco. Sérgio, C.; Casas, C.; Brugués, M. & Cros, R.M. (1994) [email protected], phone: 34 91 3978104. Available for Lista vermelha dos briófitos da penín-sula loan. Ibérica. Instituto da Conservaçao da Naturaleza & Museu, laboratorio e Jardim Botânico, Universidade de Lisboa. Lisboa. REFERENCES
July 1999 OPTIMA Newsletter No. 34 11
W EB N EWS* edited by Jose M. Iriondo
CARTOGRAPHIC LINKS FOR BOTANISTS
Interested in the chorology of plants? Resolved to favorites button, this web page can give you quick map the location of the plant populations studied? Eager access to Internet sites with online plant distribution to know more about the latest cartographic techniques? maps, and/or information on plant distribution mapping Then, you may very well spend some time visiting projects. In addition, you will get direct links to the Cartographic Links for Botanists compiled by Raino fascinating world of digital mapping. Thus, sections on Lampinen at the Botanical Museum, Finnish Museum Geographical Information System (GIS) and Global of Natural History at http://www.helsinki.fi/ Positioning System (GPS) are provided along with links kmus/cartogr.html. This web page holds a very to free digital datasets, interactive maps, map interesting collection of cartographic links neatly collections, mapping programs and national mapping structured in 14 sections. Saved in your navigator’s agencies among others.
PROJECTS
COOPERATION IN GENUS Gagea
For over a decade I have been dealing with precise knowledge of the Gagea taxa from the Medi- taxonomic issues on the genus Gagea. I have studied terranean area seems essential for forthcoming success. the wild taxa in Eastern Europe and Central and Therefore, I would like to get in contact with botanists Northern Asia through extensive field work and have interested in this plant group to exchange living plants continued this research in a large living collection. or other material for scientific investigation. I am also Analysis of ontogenetical development and morpho- interested in direct scientific cooperation and would be genesis of over 150 species enabled me to detect an willing to collect materials of boreal taxa of other astonishing number of new, interesting and reliable genera in exchange. characters which had not been recognised earlier. Many Please contact: Dr. Igor G. Levichev; Herbarium, taxa from the studied areas turned out to be new. Now I Komarov Botanical Institute of the Russian Aca-demy cannot avoid accepting at least 250 species in the genus of Sciences. Prof. Popov Street, 2; 197376 Sank- instead of the formerly believed 75-120. Petersburg, Russia. Tel: +7 812 2344512; Fax: +7 812 My investigation has reached a stage where a 2348458; E-mail: [email protected]
* In this section we will report on internet addresses with information relevant to botany in general, with a special emphasis on the Mediterranean Area.
12 OPTIMA Newsletter No. 34 July 1999
Projects
IMAGE BANK OF FLORA OF THE IBERIAN PENINSULA
I am currently working on the creation of an image images for others of similar features or in offering them bank on the Flora of the Iberian Peninsula (Spain and through some agreement among interested parties. Portugal) in which a great number of endemics, Some examples of the image bank can be observed by especially from southern Spain and Sierra Nevada are visiting at http://www.arrakis.es/~jahita/. Please contact included. So far, a total of 1000 high-quality images Dr. Francisco Pérez Raya by E-mail: (800x600, 300dpi resolution) have been compiled in [email protected]. one CD-ROM. I am interested in exchanging these
Erodium FRUITS WANTED!
For the last few years, we have been studying the E. heteradenum (Pau & Font Quer) Guittonneau reproductive biology and other aspects of population E. cheilantifolium Boiss. biology of Erodium paularense Fern. Gonz. & Izco E. glandulosum (Cav.) Willd (subsection Petraea), an endangered taxa of Central Spain. One of the main causes of reproductive failure is E. foetidum (L. & Nath.) L’Hér. the low formation of viable seeds. In order to compare E. rupestre (Pourret) Guittonneau these results with those of other related species, and to E. celtibericum Pau characterize seed formation in fruits, we are interested E. crispum Lapeyr. in studying mericarps of the subsection Petraea species. For each species, we would like to obtain samples from E. rodiei (Br.-Bl.) Poirion several populations each containing over 100 non- Any collaboration will be greatly appreciated. If mature -but totally developed- fruits (schizocarps), you wish to participate in this research studying these or preferably from different plants. We are especially related taxa, please contact: M. J. Albert, A. Escu-dero interested in the following species (although fruits from and J. M. Iriondo; Dpto. Biología Vegetal, E.U.I.T. other Erodium species are also welcome): Agrícola. Universidad Politécnica de Madrid; E-28040 Madrid, Spain. E-mail: [email protected]. es.
M EETINGS
SPECIALISTS DISCUSS THE FUTURE OF BOTANICAL INFORMATION AT THE IBC
During the final symposium session of the XVI will also discuss large-scale preservation strategies that International Botanical Congress in St. Louis on have been recently pursued in several other scientific Saturday, 7 August 1999, a group of botanists, disciplines, so that botanists can assess the suitability of librarians and archivists will speak about the critical such strategies for the plant sciences. Following the need to preserve the record of botanical science, both symposium, the papers will be published, and a future past and present. The symposium is sponsored by the meeting may be convened so that the matters raised can Council on Botanical and Horticultural Libraries be given a fuller analysis in all botanical disciplines. (CBHL), and co-sponsored by the Historical Section of Delegates to the IBC are urged to consider the Botanical Society of America. attending these talks.Further information is available at Speakers will address such issues as the changing http://huntbot.andrew.cmu.edu/CBHL/symposium.html documentary record in botany; the increasing use of or by contacting Malcolm Beasley
July 1999 OPTIMA Newsletter No. 34 13
Meetings
London) and Charlotte Tancin (Hunt Institute for Botanical Documentation), symposium convenors.
INVITATION TO JOIN THE YEARLY MEETING OF GEP
Since 1995 the GEP (Group of European Depuis 1995 le GEP (Groupe Européen des Pteridologists) has been increasing its contact with Ptéridologues) a augmenté ses contactes avec des colleagues from eastern Europe. Thus, each year the collègues des pays de l'Europe de l'Est. Le groupe a le group invites one pteridologist from one of these plasir d'inviter ainsi, chaque année, un(e) ptéridologue countries to join its meeting, and take part in its d'un de ces pays pour participer à ses réunions et à ses excursions. Either travelling expenses or board is paid. excursions. Les frais de voyage ou de logement (selon Applications should be sent to: Prof. R. Viane, co- le cas) seront remboursés. Les candidatures doivent être ordinateur générale, Vakgroep Biologie, K. L. Lede- envoyée au: Prof. R. Viane, co-ordinateur géné-rale, ganckstraat 35, B-9000 GENT, BELGIQUE. Tel & Vakgroep Biologie, K. L. Ledeganckstraat 35, B-9000 Fax: + 32 9 2645057; E-mail: ronnie.viane@ rug.ac.be GENT, BELGIQUE. Tel & Fax: + 32 9 2645057; E- mail: [email protected]
A NNOUNCEMENTS*
7 June – 30 July 1999 trol measures, policies and mana- 1-7 August 1999 gement. International Diploma in XVI International Botanical Herbarium Techniques – Kew For additional information Congress – St. Louis, Missouri, visit their website at: http://www. Contact: Education Section, U.S.A. ibgroup.demon.co.uk/Conference. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, The XVI IBC Saint Louis is html, or contact: Liz Sheffield, Richmond, Surrey, TW9 3AB, being organized by the whole Stopford Bldg, University of Man- UK, Tel: (44) 181 332 5623/ 5638; North American botanical com- chester, Oxford Rd, Manchester Fax: (44) 181 332 5610; E-mail: munity, including botanical, M13 9PT, United Kingdom. [email protected]; mycological, and ecological http://www.rbgkew.org.uk/educati societies, universities, botanical on/index.html research institutions, and other 26-30 July 1999 sponsors. The XVI International Bota- 42nd Annual Symposium of the nical Congress will provide a IAVS (International Association 20-23 July 1999 forum for the presentation and of Vegetation Science – Bilbao, BRACKEN 1999 - IVth discussion of the latest advances in Spain International Bracken plant sciences among botanists Conference The main topic of the sympo- worldwide. sium will be vegetation and clima- This conference aims to bring In the tradition of previous te. together researchers and environ- IBCs, the Scientific Program of the mental managers with interests in Contact: IAVS99, Depto. de XVI IBC will consist of invi-ted the full range of Pteridium bio- Biología Vegetal y Ecología (Bo- oral presentations in plenary logy ("brackenology"), including: tánica), UPV/EHU Ap. 644, E- lectures, keynote symposia and Genetics, Taxonomy, Phyto- 48080 Bilbao, Spain. Tel: (34) 94 general symposia as well as con- Chemistry, Physiology, Climate 4647700 ext. 2394; Fax: (34) 94 tributed poster sessions. The Issues, Bracken-derived risks to 4648500; E-mail: [email protected]. Scientific Program will be sub- animal and human health, Global es divided into the following disci- & Regional Distribution, Ecology, plinary areas: Remote Sensing and Bracken con-
* Coordinated by S. Pajarón and J.M. Iriondo. Please, send your announcements to S. Pajarón, Dpto. Biología Vegetal I Fac. Biología, Univ. Complutense, Ciudad Universitaria, E-28040 Madrid, Spain. E-mail: [email protected]
14 OPTIMA Newsletter No. 34 July 1999
Announcements
1. Botanical Diversity: Syste- matics and Evolution 9-11 August 1999 2. Ecology, Environment, and VIII International Aroid 22-25 August 1999 Conservation Conference International Conifer 3. Structure, development, and The VIII International Aroid cellular Biology Conference 1999 Conference, sponsored by the The 4th International confe- 4. Genetics and Genomics Missouri Botanical Garden and the rence follows the tradition of the 5. Physiology and Biochemistry International Aroid society, will Royal Horticultural Society in 6. Human Uses of Plants: Eco- meet 9-11 August 1999 at organizing conferences addressing nomic Botany and Biotech- Missouri Botanical Garden in St. the major developments in coni- nology Louis, Missouri. This is a three- fers. The conference will be held day conference directly following Any person interested in plant 22-25 August 1999, Wye College, the XVI International Botanical biology is invited to attend the Kent, England. This conference is Congress and will provide a forum XVI IBC. The full registration fee designed to promote maximum for the presentation and discussion will allow attendees admittance to interchange of information of all aspects of aroid biology, all scientific sessions and recep- between all users of conifers. ecology, taxonomy and horticul- tions. For more detailed infor- Keynote sessions will address ture. Over 50 presentations are mation you can consult the XVI major subject areas of current scheduled and will include discus- IBC Web site: http://www.ibc99. interest. The conference will have sions of Araceae in large and small org or write to Secretary general, a worldwide geographical cove- floristic regions, revisionary works XVI IBC, c/o Missouri Botanical rage from the arctic to the tropics. of a variety of genera, glimpses of Garden, P. O. Box 299, St. Louis, Main scientific sponsors: the best public and private Araceae MO 63166-0299 USA; Fax: (1) Royal Botanic garden, Edinburgh, collections, and descriptions of 314-577-9589; E-mail: ibc16@ Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, The succesful horticul-tural and mobot. org Royal Horticultural Society, breeding techniques cur-rently in Forestry Commissions and the use. An unlimited number of International Dendrology Society. posters sessions will also be made 7-10 August 1999 For more information contact: available to those who prefer to Miss Lisa von Schlippe, The Royal Cycad 99 have their presen-tations on Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, An international conference of display for the duration of the Surrey, TW9 3AE. Tel.: 0181 332 cycad enthusiasts, growers and conference. 5198, Fax.: 0181 332 5197, E- scientists will be convened at Fair- For more information please child Tropical Garden in Miami, mail: L.von. consult the web page at: http:// [email protected] Florida, USA, August 7-10, 1999. www.mobot.org/IAS/iac99/ or Sponsors: Fairchil Tropical contact: Secretary General, VIII Garden, Palm Beach Palm and International Aroid Conference, Cycad Society, and the Mont- Missouri Botanical garden, P.O. gomery Botanical Center. Parti- Box 299, St. Louis, MO 63166- cipants: all persons interested in 0299 USA, e-mail:
July 1999 OPTIMA Newsletter No. 34 15
Announcements day each) with invited lecturers Scienze dell'Uomo e dell' why the vegetation sciences con- and related poster sessions. The Ambiente, via A. Volta 6, I-56100 tributions provide a useful tool to sessions will be: 1. Taxonomy and Pisa, Italy; Fax.: +39050449694; carry out a right valuation and Conservation. 2. Methods in Bio- E-mail: [email protected] management. systematics. 3. Taxonomy in the More information can be Mediterranean Basin and in Maca- found at: www.ujaen.es/info/ ronesia. 4. Tropical Taxonomy. congresos/fitosoc, or contacting: Full-day concurrent excursions are 21-25 September 1999 Secretary of the XVII Jornadas de planned for Sunday 19th. XIII Congress of European Fitosociología, Departamento de More information can be Mycologists - Alcalá de Henares, Biología Animal, Vegetal y Eco- found at the web page: http:// Spain. logía, Universidad de Jaén, E- www.taxonomia.fc.ul.pt, or The Scientific Programme will 23071 Jaén (Spain). Tel.: 34 953 contacting: Prof. Ana Isabel D. include an opening lecture, thirty 212143; Fax.: 34 953 212141; E- Correia, Museu, Laboratório e invited lectures divided in the four mail: [email protected] Jardim Botânico, R. da Escola sessions(conservation, Politécnica, 58, P-1294 Lisboa systematics/taxonomy, environ- Codex, Portugal. Tel.: 351 1 392 ment, other topics) and a 1800; Fax.: 351 1 397 0882; E- permanent poster exhibition. 23-25 September 1999 mail: [email protected] Contact: Administrative First International Symposium Secretariat of the XIII CEM, on Protection of Natural En- Fundación General U.A. – Dpto. vironment and Ehrami Karaçam (Pinus nigra L. ssp. pallasiana 20 -26 September 1999 de Congresos, Pº de la Estación, 10, E-28807 Alcalá de Henares var. pyramidata) – Kütahya, 2nd European Phycological (Madrid), Spain. Telephone: +34 Turkey Congress 91 880 29 11, Fax: + 34 91 880 27 Symposium topics: Plant From September 20-26, 1999 83, E-mail: [email protected], taxonomy and vegetation; Plant the Second European Phyco- http://www.fgua.es/Congresos/pro ecology and geography; Genetic logical Congress will be held in gramm.htm variation and protection; Monu- Montecatini Terme, Italy. This mental trees; Natural environment meeting will provide a broad and its protection; Plant physio- forum for phycologists (young and logy and anatomy. established) from all over Europe 22-25 September 1999 Contact: Yrd. Doc. Dr. Hülya and overseas to present and to XVII Jornadas de Fitosociología Ölçer, Dumlupinar Üniversitesi, discuss many fascinating aspects "Valuation and Management of Fen Edbiyat Fakültesi, Biyoloji of phycology, from molecular to Natural Spaces" Bölümü, Merkez Kampüsü, organismic subjects, including The congress will take place at Kütahya, Turkey. Tel: 0542 267 terrestrial, freshwater and marine 5868. E-mail: [email protected] habitats. The Congress will take the University of Jaén 22-25 place at the "Palazzo dei Con- September 1999. gressi" of Montecatini Terme. The human being has tradi- There will be Plenary tionally been immersed in the 13-16 October 1999 natural environment, exploiting Lectures, Symposia and Posters 5th International Conference on presentations. Some of the sub- and conserving the resources in a well-balanced way; today, the un- the Ecology of Invasive Alien jects of the Symposia are: - Long- Plants term variations in algal popula- controlled development is causing tions; -The Molecular Species great damages in the natural eco- Invasions of plant species concept; - Systematics and taxo- systems. Thus, it seems necessary have for a long time drawn the nomy of macroalgae; - Algae of the evaluation and management of attention of botanists, agronomists the Mediterranean Sea; - Popu- plant communities to get a close and ecologists. Although this re- lation genetics a tool for under- relation between the currently op- sulted in an ever-increasing body standing algal diversity. posed terms of conservation and of scientific literature on "invasion development. It is obvious the biology" we still do not comple- More information can be necessity of improving the know- tely understand all aspects of this found at the web page: http:// ledge about composition, dyna- process and its impact on eco- www.incor.it/epc99/, or contac- mics and operation of plant com- systems. This Conference will be ting: Prof. Francesco Cinelli, munities, in order to manage a the continuation of a series of Universitá di Pisa, dipartimento di natural space; this is the reason meetings that started in 1992 in
16 OPTIMA Newsletter No. 34 July 1999
Announcements
Loughborough, GB, and was 20-21 November 1999 continued in Kostelec, Czech Société Française d’Orchido- Republic, in 1993, in Tempe, AZ, philie. 30th anniversary. 14th USA in 1995 and in Berlin, Ger- 22-25 February 2000 Conference – Paris, France. many, in October 1997. It will XI Iberian Symposium for the offer the chance to continue dis- The topics of this conference Study of the Marine Benthos include biology, biogeography, cussions of its predecessors and The XI Iberian Symposium of ecology, protection, preservation, concentrate on issues identified as the Marine Benthos will be held recording of localities, carto- important during preceding 22-25 February 2000 at the Uni- graphy, taxonomy and culture meetings. versidad de Málaga. The main techniques. We propose the following topic of the Symposium will be: topics: 1. What makes a plant Contact: C. Blanchon, 3 Rue "Biodiversity of the marine ben- invasive? 2. How can the effects Rouselle, F-92800 Puteaux, thos, estate and perspectives". (e.g. economic) of plant invasions France. Scientific biological works related be assessed? 3. Cost/effect ana- with the benthic environment, lyses of control measures; 4. Early especially about the Atlantic warning, risk analyses; 5. Habitats Ocean or the Mediterranean Sea, management and trophic inter- 19-22 December 1999 could be presented either as oral or actions; 6. Policies; 7. Invasive XIII Symposium of Cryptogamic poster communications. The Plants and National Parks, Nature Botany presentations will be divided in the Reserves, Protected Areas, Bota- The Symposium will be held following sections: 1. Ana-tomy nical Gardens, Historical Gardens, 19-22 December 1999, at the Uni- and morphology, taxonomy, Parks in Town; 8. Invasive Plants versidad Complutense de Madrid systematics and phylogeny; 2. Re- in Mediterranean Agro-Ecosys- organised by both the Depart- production, larval development tems; 9. Modelling plant inva- ments of Plant Biology of the and cultures; 3. Population and sions, computer simulations, Faculties of Biology and Phar- community dynamics; 4. Organic Geographical Information Sys- macy. The sessions will take place matter flows and trophic orga- tems and other mechanisms for in the Faculty of Pharmacy. nization; 5. Biogeography, mana- compiling information: their uses gement and conservation of ma- The Symposium will provide a and misuses. rine systems; 6. Others. forum for presentation and dis- The Conference will take cussion of the latest advances in Contact: Secretaría del XI place at the town of La Mad- the field of the traditionally named Simposio Ibérico de Estudios de dalena, in the Italian National Park Cryptogamic Botany. Although, in Bentos Marino. Departamento de of "Arcipelago di La Maddalena", the origin, these scientific Biología Animal, Facultad de in the North-East of Sardinia. The meetings were national in Ciencias, Universidad de Málaga, Archipelago consist of several character, it is intended to Campus de Teatinos s/n, E-29071 islands of granitic rocks and La increasingly extend the partici- Málaga (Spain). Tel.: 34 952 Maddalena is a pretty and smart pation to other European scien- 131857; Fax.: 34 952 132000; E- little town on the main island of tists, particularly Portuguese and mail: [email protected]. the Archipelago. It offers a range from the whole Mediterranean 11-15 September 2000 of different accom-modation to Region. The floor is also open to Ninth International Conference suit all budgets. provide the opportunity of an on Mediterranean-Type For more information contact: ordinary meeting of the Scientific Ecosystems (MEDECOS 2000) – Dr. Giuseppe Brundu, Diparti- Societies related with these bota- Stellenbosch, South Africa mento di Botanica ed Ecologia nical and mycological specialities. Contact: Dave Richardson, Vegetale, Università di Sassari, Contact: Dr. Leopoldo G. ISOMED Secretary, Institute for Via F. Muroni, 25, 07100 Sassari Sancho, XIII Simposio de Botá- Plant Conservation, Botany De- (Italy). Tel.: 39 0335 237315; nica Criptogámica, Departamento partment, University of Cape Fax.: 39 079 233600; E-mail: de Biología Vegetal II, Facultad de Town, 7701 Rondebsoch, South [email protected], gbrundu@box1. Farmacia, Universidad Com- Africa; E-mail: medecos@ tin.it plutense, E-28040 Madrid (Spain). botzoo.uct.ac.za; http://www.uct. Tel.: 34 91 394 1769; Fax.: 34 91 ac.za/depts/ipc/medecos.htm 394 1774; E-mail: criptoxiii@ eucmax.sim.ucm.es
July 1999 OPTIMA Newsletter No. 34 17
Announcements
OPTIMA MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION FORM
Membership categories: Ordinary members receive the newsletters and the circulars, a free subscription to Flora Mediterranea, reduced rates on publications and on OPTIMA Meetings and all the benefits of being a full member. Institutional members, in addition to the above, also receive a free subscription to Bocconea. Associate members receive the newsletters and the circulars, but are not entitled to any other benefits. Associate membership will become effective immediately upon receipt of the signed application form. Ordinary or institutional membership will become effective upon receipt of the signed application form and payment of the membership fee for the current year.
Current membership rates: Ordinary (personal) members: SF 25.-; Life membership: SF 375.-; Institutional members: SF 90 .-. Payments can be made in one of the following ways: Bank order to OPTIMA, account No. 396 199 00 D, Union Bank of Switzerland, CH-1211 Genève, Switzerland. International postal money order to: OPTIMA, account No. 396 199 00 D, Union Bank of Switzerland, postal account No. 12-2048-5, CH-1211 Genève, Switzerland. International bank cheque drawn on a Swiss bank or Eurocheque sent to OPTIMA Secretariat in Madrid.
Please, make sure your name is clearly written on your payment. Advance payment for two or more years, at current membership rates, are accepted. Pro forma invoices (also for life membership) and receipts of payment will be sent upon request. ------
The undersigned applies for: ordinary associate institutional membership of OPTIMA (check box as appropriate)
Name: Country: Surname: Tel: Institution: Fax: Street: Email: Zip code: Web page: City: Signature: Research interests: Date:
Please sign and return to: OPTIMA-Secretary, Dr. José M. Iriondo, Dpto. Biología Vegetal, E.U.I.T. Agrícola, Universidad Politécnica, Ciudad Universitaria, E-28040 Madrid, SPAIN
18 OPTIMA Newsletter No. 34 July 1999
NOTICES OF PUBLICATIONS*
edited by WERNER GREUTER
Dicotyledones liminary and of uneven reliability, depending on the state of available information for the various sections and areas. The nomenclatural treatment 1. A. A. MAASSOUMI – Astragalus in the Old is rather disappointing, with e.g. some illegiti- World, check-list. [Islamic Republic of Iran, mate junior homonyms being adopted with their Ministry of Jahad-e-Sazandegi, Research legitimate replacement names listed in synonymy Institute of Forests and Rangelands, Publi- (examples being Astragalus nitens and A. mela- cation No. 1998-194.] – Institute of Forests nocarpus) – which may be partly due to the and Rangelands, [Tehran], 1998 (ISBN neglect of relevant literature (with Med-Checklist 964-473-034-8). [3] + 618 pages, tables, conspicuously lacking from the bibliography). graphs, map; paper. Price: 16,000 Rials. The statistical basis of the numerical treat- ments (e.g. of the graphs showing species diver- By numbers of included taxa, Astragalus is sity distribution by major areas, for the larger likely the largest non-apomictic genus of plants. sections) is ambiguous, principally because no The current CD-ROM version of Index kewensis distributional data are given for the individual lists 5626 entries under this generic heading, as species, but also because the numbering system compared to 5184 under Senecio and 4003 under adopted is inconsistent (recognised subspecies Euphorbia (but over 7000 under Rubus and are numbered as if they were species; but the almost 11,000 under Hieracium). Discounting species name to which they are subordinated is the supra- and infraspecific names there are 5206 sometimes numbered and sometimes not). Worse, binomials (including homonyms, ”isonyms” and the percent figures given in these graphs are in misapplication) listed under Astragalus. most cases widely erroneous (e.g., in A. sect. Maassoumi’s checklist has 2530 accepted Astragalus, with its 46 recognised species [or 50 species, with c. 900 synonyms. 121 of the spe- numbered taxa], the percents are based on a total cies remain unassigned, the remainder being of 71 spcies), but occasionally correct (e.g. in A. placed in 8 subgenera and 152 sections. An es- sect. Hemiphaca with its 34 species). W.G. timated 500 additional species (93 sections) are confined to the New World and are not treated here. Providing a first overview of the old-world 2. Christoph OBERPRIELER – The systematics Astragalus taxa, largely on the basis of floristic of Anthemis L.(Compositae, Anthemideae) and (where available) monographic literature, in W and C North Africa. [Bocconea, 9.] – was unquestionably a meritorious undertaking. Herbarium Mediterraneum Panormitanum, The present survey is particularly welcome since Palermo, 1998 (ISBN 88-7915-024-3). 328 Astragalus is the single group not yet covered by pages, black-and-white illustrations, paper. Heller & Heyn’s Conspectus florae orientalis. In Price: Lit 70,000. his introductoy chapters, Maassoumi provides some numerical data on endemism and centres of Oberprieler’s PhD thesis deals with the An- diversity which, being the first to be based on a themis taxa of the Maghreb countries, which is complete and updated inventory, are of consid- that part of the total area of this genus in which it erable general interest. had been very inadequately studied so far. The This being said, one should also note that present revision fills this gap. It is based not only Maassoumi’s inventory is in many respects pre- on material from all major herbaria but also on
* Please send all items for review directly to the editor of this column: Prof. W. Greuter, Botanischer Garten & Botanisches Museum Berlin-Dahlem, Königin-Luise-Str. 6-8, D-14191 Berlin.
June 1999 OPTIMA Newsletter No. 34 (1) Publications
extensive field work in Morocco and Tunisia C.S.I.C., Madrid, 1998 (ISBN (Algeria being presently off limits, unfortunate- 84-00-07777-6). XLVII + 592, map and ly, for botanical exploration) and on cultivated drawings, cloth with dust-cover. progeny from the newly collected material. Publication of the Rosaceae volume of Flora North Africa was known to host some very iberica took somewhat longer than had been anti- difficult and ill understood Anthemis complexes. cipated (see the last review of this Flora, in To study them, Oberprieler has used an impres- OPTIMA Newsletter 32: (5). 1997) – no wonder sive range of methods of investigation, from in view of the notorious difficulty of many of the classical morphology through fruit anatomy, genera involved. Now when the book is at hand, palynology and karyology to molecular genetics one can readily ascertain that the excess time (RAPDs). Morphometric studies with statistical was well spent. Volume 6 is a worthy member of (principal component) analysis provided a sup- this most remarkable basic flora for the Iberian plementary means to assess the taxonomic Peninsula and Balearic Islands. Volume 7 on the groups and their classification. However, the legume family, which will fill the temporary gap adopted treatment does not slavishly follow the in numbering that was due to the ”premature” numbers and graphs resulting from numerical publication of vol. 8, may now be expected any analysis, but take into account considerations of time. phytogeography and chorogensis as well as qual- Hybridisation combined with apomixis (as in itative features not readily accessible to statistical Rubus and Alchemilla, in particular) or other interpretation. kinds of anomalous reproductive behaviour (as As a result, the delimitation, arrangement in Rosa) is the main source of taxonomic diffi- and interpretation of taxa that is being proposed culty in this family and has led to a boundless looks convincing and well founded, even though proliferation of names for taxa that hardly any- Oberprieler does not deny the possibility of di- one can distinguish and which few will want to vergent interpretation of the observed facts. recognise. The problems have been tackled dif- There are 25 recognised Anthemis species ferently for each of the above three genera. For growing in the area, one of which is described as Alchemilla, Froehner has adhered to the fash- new to science, same as two subspecies. Several ionable pulverisation trend by recognising no new combinations and rank transfers are pro- less than 83 species, several of which were de- posed, mostly at subspecies rank. There is a good scribed as new during the elaboration of his identification key in two languages (English and treatment. To his credit, one must admit that no French), and the distribution of all taxa is shown sensible recipe for a more synthetic approach has by means of dot maps. The illustration is partic- so far emerged. In Rosa, Silvestre and Montser- ularly noteworthy, not only by its abundance and rat have given full treatment to 19 broadly de- variety but by its high quality standard. It fined and widely distributed traditional species, demonstrates the author’s ability not only in describing the observed variation under each of handling laboratory and photographic techniques them and mentioning the cases of presumed but also as a botanical artist of high standing. hybridisation (rather confusingly, the hybrid Bocconea may take justified pride in hosting formulae are again listed at the end of the gener- this choice example of a modern and skilful ic treatment in a completely redundant enumera- monographic treatment, authored by a promising tion). Under the two most polymorphic main representative of the uprising new generation of species – Rosa canina and R. dumalis – a num- plant taxonomists. W.G. ber of ”microspecies” (7 in each case) have been tentatively recognised. Finally, Monas- Floras terio-Huelin, who authored the Rubus treatment, has followed the pragmatic approach proposed by Heinrich Weber in denying recognition to 3. Santiago CASTROVIEJO (gen. ed.), Félix locally arising apomicts, many of which are MUÑOZ GARMENDIA & Carmen NAVARRO known to be unstable or otherwise ephemerous. (vol. ed.) – Flora iberica. Plantas vasculares For the 26 fully treated species, the criterion of de la Península Ibérica e Islas Baleares. admission was occurrence in an area of at least Vol. VI, Rosaceae. – Real Jardín Botánico, 50 km2, the binomials referring to local apomicts
(2) OPTIMA Newsletter No. 34 June 1999 Publications
being listed under the corresponding section or (11-12). 1997), I had the privilege to present two series. new checklists for the flora of Egypt published In the other genera treated in the present independently in the same year (1995) by two volume, including the second largest (Potentilla obviously competing scientists: Nabil El-Hadidi with its 30 accepted species) the taxonomic pro- and Loutfy Boulos. I then volunteered the advice blems are of the same order of magnitude as in that ”The authors of both books ought better join other large families of flowering plants. The very efforts and smooth out the differences to produce synthetic approach in genus delimitation in the the definitive floristic inventory (or even a Flora) Amygdaloideae (Prunoideae) may perhaps be of their country.” The advice was well meant but worth mentioning, where the 10 species of the perhaps naive. single genus Prunus have, by authors of the past, El Hadidi in 1980 had undertaken the com- been assigned to no less than 8 different genera pletion of Täckholm & Drar’s monumental Flora (Amygdalus, Armeniaca, Cerasus, Laurocerasus, of Egypt, stuck after the 4th volume, by the fas- Microcerasus, Padus, Persica, and Prunus). cicle-wise publication of family treatments, un- It is particularly pleasing to note that Flora der the former title, as Taeckholmia, Additional iberica and its authors are now fully espousing series (see OPTIMA Newsletter 12/13: 42. 1982). the cause of nomenclatural stability. One need no Progress to date has been disappointingly slow. longer fear to find reckless disturbing name In his 1995 Materials referred to above, El Ha- changes as in earlier volumes (some of which didi also announced a new, completely revised were subsequently undone by acts of conserva- edition of Täckholm’s Student Flora of Egypt of tion or rejection of names, as with Xolantha and 1974 – but nothing has happened since. Quercus humilis). On the contrary, every effort Now there we are: two national Floras of has been made to avoid whatever change was Egypt are in progress, under identical titles, of avoidable – a choice example being the mainte- which the newer one chose to completely ignore nance of the name Sanguisorba verrucosa that the earlier, at least in so far as the Taeckholmia appeared to be threatened by the discovery of tratments are concerned! This is a rather sadden- new bibliographic evidence (see Muñoz Gar- ing and unsatisfactory context, which to some mendia in Anales Jard. Bot. Madrid 56: 174-176 extent mitigates the joy one feels when a prom- for further detail). Also, several new conserva- ising new Flora appears in print. tion or rejection proposals originated from the Nevertheless there are good reasons to wel- context of the treatments in the present volume. come this new book as a most promising step No less pleasing is it to note the introductory toward a really good and user-friendly new Egyp- announcement, in this volume, that adequate tian Flora. It offers concise, modern and reliable funding of the Flora iberica project has been information whose value is greatly enhanced by granted for the five-year period 1998-2002. No the excellent line drawings (by various, mainly botanist will b surprised to be told that writing a Kew-based artists) and brilliant colour photo- good Flora costs good money – yet many graphs, representing a majority (more than ¾) of grant-giving agencies are still reluctant to the 717 species treated. This first of three acknowledge this – or else, they may be unwill- planned volumes covers the Pteridophytes, ing to recognise the importance of Flora writing. Gymnosperms, and the first half of the dicots (up Obviously Spain is a commendable exception to to the Oxalidaceae, in a sequence roughly fol- the general rule, in this respect! W.G. lowing the Englerian system). The next volume will complete the dicot treatment, and the last is to comprise the monocots. If one combines the OULOS – Flora of Egypt. Volume 4. Loutfy B two checklists of 1995 (including an erratum one, Azollaceae-Oxalidaceae. – Al Hadara, sheet to the earlier of them) will count exactly Cairo, 1999 (ISBN 977-5429-14-5). XV + 2122 species of vascular plants growing wild or 419 pages, 67 plates of drawings + 24 plates naturalised in Egypt, which means that the spe- of colour photographs, map, hard cover with cies now treated do indeed sum up to just over dust jacket. W.G. one third of the total. Some time ago, in this same column The book has been printed and published in (OPTIMA Newsletter 30: (24). 1995; 31: Egypt, but the quality of paper, print and binding
June 1999 OPTIMA Newsletter No. 34 (3) Publications
is above average according to European stand- Hyoscyamus bornmuelleri) were described as ards. Our main wish for the volumes yet to come new during the preparation of the respective (apart from a suitable complement to the bibli- accounts (only one new name is, however, vali- ography to include the El Hadidi Flora) is that dated in the Flora itself: Hyoscyamus subg. Par- reference to the figures be added under the cor- ahyoscyamus). In summary, the additions neatly responding taxa. Their present lack is the single balance the ”losses” through synonymisation.W.G. irritating aspect from a user’s point of view. Otherwise, just let us cheer and await, im- patiently perhaps, the volumes yet to come. Flower books W.G.
6. Monique ASTIÉ & Germaine DEBRAUX – 5. M. ASSADI, M. KHATAMSAZ, V. Etonnantes plantes sauvages. – [Privately MOZAFFARIAN & A. A. MAASSOUMI (ed.) – published?], printed in F-44490 Le Croisic, Flora of Iran. No. 19-22: Pinaceae, Taxa- 1999 (ISBN 2-9513780-??-?). XIII + 261 ceae, Cupressaceae and Ephedraceae, by M. pages, 3 plates of drawings + 110 colour ASSADI; No. 23: Grossulariaceae, by M. plates, cloth with dust jacket. Price: FFr 350. ASSADI; No. 24: Solanaceae, by M. KHA- TAMSAZ.. – Research Institute of Forests and ”Surprising wildflowers” – a promising title Rangelands, [Tehran], 1998. 58 + [2], 13 + indeed. Two elderly ladies, both nature-lovers, [2], 112 + [4] pages, figures & maps, paper. both professional botanists at the end of a uni- versity career, one a gifted painter, joining effort There is no need to introduce Flora of Iran in producing a flower-book for the layman: one once again, as it has been presented repeatedly expects a work full of enthusiasm, learning, and in some detail in earlier issues (see OPTIMA hidden treasures; and one is thoroughly disap- Newsletter 25-29: (31-32). 1991; 30: (15). 1996; pointed when looking at the result. 31: (8). 1997; 32: (10). 1997). Nothing much has changed with respect to the obvious qualities of The book, apparently privately published the work, which include its regular progress and (but the bibliographic details are scant and the the good quality of its illustrations, except that one ISBN number, inaccurate), is well printed on important and most welcome change has hap- heavy, glossy luxury paper, and adequately pened. Starting with family No. 20 (Taxaceae), bound, but as to contents it does not match mod- dot maps are being prepared for all wild species ern standards of reliability and information con- to show their Iranian distribution. tent. In his gentle preface, Gérard Aymonin draws As for previous instalments, the Flora is a comparison with last-century book awards to based on much original work and, obviously, a successful pupils, with tales on flowers of the substantial amount of new material, so that it various seasons. But then, even the slightly ro- substantially updates Flora iranica, Rechinger’s mantic touch of such flower tales is missing here. classic for the region. It is of note that most of The text is dry and mostly descriptive, although the new treatments concern the early families of the descriptions themselves are seldom charac- Flora iranica (e.g., Ephedraceae were published teristic for the plant described. as its third instalment, at a time when no descrip- The plants: a random choice of a good hun- tions were yet provided except for the keys). dred (112 to be precise) mostly trivial French The progress of knowledge is reflected on lowland plants from various habitats, painted one hand by new (usually wider) species cir- with love but little skill and taste; faithful in cumscriptions, due to the breaking down of for- colour and matching the habit but poor in char- mer apparent distinctions as more plentiful mate- acteristic detail (convince yourself by looking at rial becomes available; and on the other hand by the plate of Silene gallica, where the calyx, newly discovered and described species. This characteristically glandular-villous, is painted as time, floristic additions of note include Juniperus if it were glabrous). These plants are arranged in oblonga, Ephedra distachya, Solanum dulcama- 12 groups representing various habitat types, but ra, and Lycium makranicum. Three species these habitats are poorly defined, show wide over- (Ribes khorasanicum, Ephedra laristanica, and lap, and are often uncharacteristic of the associ-
(4) OPTIMA Newsletter No. 34 June 1999 Publications
ated species so that the didactic or practical pur- like, that provide pleasant reading and are based pose of the grouping remains obscure. on a fair knowledge of recent literature. The How then is botanical accuracy, where one authors obviously have higher ambitions than would expect perfection from two experienced mere flower photography. Yet it is the latter academic teachers and professionals? The very domain in which they really excel and in which first plant bears an obsolete, illegitimate name (a they can take justified pride. W.G. junior homonym): Silene alba. Others are placed in genera no longer upheld by science, such as 8. Walter STRASSER – Plants of the Pelo- Cheiranthus. Some identifications are uninfor- ponnese, southern part of Greece. – Gant- mative, such as Rubus fruticosus, and one at least ner, Ruggell FL, [1999] (ISBN is blatantly wrong (a perhaps somewhat scrappy 3-904144-11-1). – [2] + 350 pages, figures, but unmistakable plant of Lathyrus montanus laminated cover. Price: DM 40. being misnamed L. nigricans). In short, the sci- entific standard is, shall we say, problematic. Strasser’s field vademecum for Peloponne- One tends to be lenient when art and science sus flower-hunters (see OPTIMA Newsletter 32: are being combined. Yet, frankly, little would be (12). 1997) is now available in an English lan- lost had this book never been produced. W.G. guage edition, somewhat enlarged with respect to its German predecessor. It maintains its essen- tial qualities mentioned previously: the simple 7. Wolfgang LANGER & Herbert SAUERBIER but faithful drawings which, having been made – Endemische Pflanzen der Alpen und an experienced field botanist, are a most useful angrenzender Gebiete. – Dr. K. Thomae help for identification, and its remarkably full if GmbH, D-88397 Biberach an der Riss, s.d. not 100 % complete coverage. The price, too, (pref. dated Apr 1996). 160 pages, colour remains unchanged. maps, graphs and photographs, laminated The numbered, fully illustrated species have cover. Price: DM 49.80. increased by 124, and several pages of drawings This booklet presents itself as a promotional have thus been added. Most additions concern item produced by a pharmaceutical firm, but, the first five among the ten artificial groupings in fortunately, it is also commercially available. In which the plants are arranged, as these were the fact, it is quite a gem! The authors are two less completely treated ones. Thus, species pharmacists and nature lovers, both fearless numbers increase by 10 % for the pteridophytes, mountaineers and top-level nature photogra- 14 % for the orchids, and between 17 and 22 % phers, who have undertaken to find and portray for the grasses and sedges, the trees and shrubs, as many of the rare endemic species and subspe- and the inconspicuously-flowered herbs. Another cies of the Alpine flora as they could possibly addition is a small illustrated glossary, whereas manage. conversely two of the identification keys for There are 121 such taxa fully treated here, critical groups (brome-grasses and medicks) each shown in one to three colour photographs were omitted. that meet the highest standards of aesthetics, This booklet will no doubt be appreciated by neatness, and colour faithfulness – for which many as a light-weight, practical companion in tribute must be paid to the printers as well. For the field, not only just in the Peloponnesus but in each, there is a fairly complete and carefully other, neighbouring areas as well. W.G. worded description, an indication of the total known distribution, and a small map to illustrate Floristic inventories and checklists the area (the latter not always fully congruent with the corresponding text). Some of the plants here dealt with have rarely if ever been shown in 9. Rolf WISSKIRCHEN & Henning HAEUPLER flower books before. Also, a few of them are not – Standardliste der Farn- und Blüten- members of the Alpine flora but endemics of pflanzen Deutschlands mit Chromosomen- lowland territories in Germany. atlas von Focke ALBERS. [Henning HAEU- The book starts with some general chapters PLER (ed.), Die Farn- und Blütenpflanzen on geology, palaeogeography, evolution and the Deutschlands, 1.] – Ulmer, Stuttgart, 1998
June 1999 OPTIMA Newsletter No. 34 (5) Publications
(ISBN 3-8001-3360-1). 765 pages, 2 figures, material that were published subsequently, with cloth with dust jacket. Price: DM 148. citation of their source, as well as many yet un- published ones. This new, critical synonymic checklist con- The checklist is the first part of a planned cerns the wild and natura.lised species and sub- trilogy, to be followed by an iconographic atlas species (including nothotaxa) of vascular plants and an update of Haeupler & Schönfelder’s found growing in Germany. It is an impressive chorological atlas of the vascular plants of Ger- work that builds upon much original research many, first published in 1988. When this into the nomenclature and taxonomy of the Cen- three-volume compendium on the vascular flora tral European flora, and as such it will be noted of Germany will be complete, the naturalists of and used by many, well beyond the political that country will dispose of a unique tool for boundaries of the Federal Republic of Germany. their research, one that can stand as a model for Among the salient aspects of the Checklist the whole of Europe and the Mediterranean Ar- are its extensive, critical synonymies; its effort to ea. list types (or type localities) for all names, in- cluding synonyms, for which they have so far W.G. been designated; and the presence of special notes highlighting – by the use of colour print – 10. Fabio CONTI – An annot[at]ed checklist of problems and uncertainties relating to the taxo- the flora of the Abruzzo. [Bocconea, 10.] – nomic status and nomenclatural treatment of a Herbarium Mediterraneum Panormitanum, great many taxa. Such notes, which may run to Palermo, ”1998” [publ. in March 1999] several pages, often reflect, and may in some (ISBN 88-7915-010-3). 275 pages, 1 map, cases foreshadow, disagreement and controversy paper. among contemporary authors. They are due to the more than three dozen specialists who are The author of a preliminary flora of the authoring the individual generic treatments. Abruzzo National Park published in 1995 (see The work undertakes to follow modern OPTIMA Newsletter 30: (22). 1996) now pre- standards and rules of plant nomenclature, a sents us with a floristic inventory of the whole rather neglected speciality so far, in Germany as Abruzzo, an Italian Region extending from the elsewhere in Europe. This fact gains added im- watershed of the Apennines to the central part of portance if one considers that the checklist was the peninsular Adriatic coast. This turns out to be commissioned and funded by the German Minis- one of the floristically richest among the Italian try for the Environment through the Federal regions, which with its 3206 listed taxa (species Office for Nature Conservancy, meaning that the and subspecies) just exceeds Latium (3185 taxa). importance of a correct nomenclature as a basis No wonder, as the Abruzzo includes the highest for research and information transfer has now peaks of the Apennine range (the Grasn Sasso been recognised by policy maker at the highest d’Italia culminates at 2912 m, just short of the levels. The work endeavours, with some success, highest Balkan peaks: Mt Rila with 2925 m and to use the right nomenclatural concepts and ade- Mt Olympus with 2917 m) as well as Europe’s quate terminology, although it characteristically southernmost glacier. fails in this attempt when it misuses the term Each taxon is attributed to a habitat category ”valid” for in the sense of ”correct” while erro- and to one of four frequency classes: very com- neously redefining ”correct” in the sense of mon, common, uncommon, rare. For the rare ”senior legitimate” – perhaps an additional ar- taxa, fairly detailed distributional data and liter- gument for getting rid of these terms, now wide- ature source references areprovided. There are ly ambiguous through misuse, in the next edition special lists of endemic (separate for Central of the botanical Code of Nomenclature. Apennines, Apennines, and Italy) and regionally The present volume also includes, as an ap- extinct taxa (no less than three dozen). Three pendix, a ”chromosome atlas” for the German new combinations are validated. flora, edited by Focke Albers. It takes Tischler’s This is doubtless a useful list, which suffers 1950 list of chromosome numbers for the Central to a perhaps minor degree from rather careless European flora as a starting point, listing all editing. Apart from the awkward spelling mis- chromosome counts based on German plant take in the very title, may I mention the mislead-
(6) OPTIMA Newsletter No. 34 June 1999 Publications
ing caption to Fig. 1: the map shown is of the mendably, though, the introductory and explan- whole Region, not of the National Park only atory text in the publication itself is fully bilin- (which is but a tiny portion of the Region and gual, Slovenian and English. extends beyond its boundaries). W.G. The concluding iconographical sample of Slovenia’s characteristic plants noticeably in- cludes a number of taxa that are rarely if ever 11. Darinka TRPIN & Branko VRES – Register thus portrayed, due to their unobtrusiveness and flore Slovenije. Praprotnice in cvetnice. apparent lack of appeal – to mention but a small Register of the flora of Slovenia. Ferns and weedy annual such as Hainardia cylindrica and, vascular plants. [Zbirka ZRC, 7] – tiniest of all, Wolffia arrhiza. W.G. Znanstvenoraziskovalni Center SAZU, Ljubljana, 1995 (ISBN 961-90125-6-9). 143 pages, 8 extra plates with 96 colour photo- graphs, electronic text file; paper + diskette. Excursions The present, new inventory of the vascular plants of Slovenia achieves at least three novel 12. Ina DINTER – Algarve. Skriptum zur bot- goals: it updates the country’s current excursion anischen Exkursion vom 13.-24. März flora, the 1984 edition of Martincic & Susnik’s 1999. – Privately assembled/duplicated, Mala flora Slovenije; it provides a full set of D-74348 Lauffen, 1999. 66 numbered common Slovenian names, also indexed sepa- sheets, black-and-while illustrations, plastic rately; and it proposes a series of 7(-10)-element front + paper back cover sheets. alpha-numerical, mnemonic codes to designate 13. Ina DINTER – Toskana. Botanische each taxon (as well as the principal synonyms), in addition to the sequential numbering. Whether Studienwanderreise vom 15.-26. Juni 1997. the latter feature will be found to be useful in a – Privately assembled/duplicated, D-74348 general way remains to be seen, as the problem it Lauffen, 1997. 53 numbered sheets, addresses (limited memory space of computer) is black-and-while illustrations, paper, plastic rapidly losing importance. front cover sheet. The number of recognised taxa (species, hy- 14. Ina DINTER – Botanische Studienwander- brids, subspecies, varieties, formae) is 3216, reise. Abruzzen. Bergwelt im Herzen Ita- including a few extinct taxa and doubtful (but liens. Landschaften – Flora – Kultur. Bota- not plainly erroneous) records. For the latter, spe- nische Studienwanderreise, 15 Tage, cial cases as well as for all additions, literature 25.07.-08.08.1996 [post-excursion elabora- references are provided – a particularly welcome tion]. [Natur-Exkursionen, K 9609]. – Pri- and useful feature of the list. Species that are vately assembled/duplicated, D-74348 found only in the cultivated state, as well as spe- Lauffen, 1997. 84 sheets, black-and-while cies aggregates and main synonyms, are men- illustrations, plastic front + paper back cover tioned and coded but not numbered. Some further sheets. synonyms are mentioned under the accepted taxa but are neither cross-referenced nor indexed. A 15. Ina DINTER – Malta / Gozo. Naturkund- further, perhaps not very important drawback is liche Studienwanderreise that the species contents of the recognised ag- 15.2.-01.03.1998. – Privately assem- gregates are not apparent from the list but can bled/duplicated, D-74348 Lauffen, 1998. 43 only be found by reference to the Mala flora. sheets, black-and-while illustrations, plastic The list is also provided in the form of an front + paper back cover sheets. electronic database, supposedly running under a 16. Ina DINTER – Malta. Die Erlebnisinsel. Im Windows surface, on a 3½’ diskette. When try- Herzen des Mittelmeeres [post-excursion ing to install it on one’s own PC [in which at- elaboration]. – Privately assembled/dupli- tempt I shamefully failed], one might profit from cated, D-74348 Lauffen, 1998. 47 sheets, the services of someone familiar with the Slove- black-and-while illustrations, plastic front + nian language, as all the installation commands paper back cover sheets. and help text files are so written. Most com-
June 1999 OPTIMA Newsletter No. 34 (7) Publications
17. Ina DINTER – Korfu Griechenland [16. bis 1995 and later years, of whether they are of the 28. Mai 1998, post-excursion elaboration]. – [C] or [E] type. With the single exception of the Privately assembled/duplicated, D-74348 [C] version of the 1997 Corfu trip, all relevant Lauffen, 1998. 90 numbered sheets, documents have been or are being presented in black-and-while illustrations, paper, plastic this column. The item number of the new ones front cover sheet. are mentioned in parentheses. 1993: Samos, April; and Madeira, June; 18. Ina DINTER – Karpathos. Skriptum zur botanischen Exkursion vom 2.-15. Mai 1994: Sicily, April; and Samos, May; 1998. – Privately assembled/duplicated, 1995: Lesvos & Hios April [E]; and Abruzzo, D-74348 Lauffen, [1998]. 53 numbered July [E]; sheets, black-and-while illustrations, paper, 1996: N. Cyprus, March [C & E]; and Abruzzo, plastic front cover sheet. July-August [C & E(14)]; 1997: N. Cyprus, March [E]; Corfu, April [C & Mrs Dinter’s second ”business” (in her ”spare E]; and Tuscany, June [C (13)]; time”, she is supposed to run her pharmacy) is 1998: Malta, February [C (15) & E (16)]; Kar- obviously prospering. Her guided botanical hik- pathos, early May [C? (18)]; and Corfu, late ing tours to various Mediterranean areas, argua- May [E (17)]; bly the best prepared and most expertly led in the 1999: Algarve, March [C (12)]. German language domain, are numerous, varied, Of the new items presented here, two (Nos. and popular. One can but admire the lady’s un- 14 and 17) are closely related to some that have failing energy in organising her trips, as they been discussed earlier and include much the same demand thorough preparation in terms of recon- general texts and illustrations. In both, however, noitring, collecting and identifying, resulting in the species lists (those for the individual locali- the compilation of attractive texts and illustra- ties and the cumulative list at the end) have bee tions for her tour companion pamphlets – after completely re-written and differ substantially which, each time the journey has been success- from the earlier versions. One welcome innova- fully completed, she will [for the 1995 and later tion, which is also found in most of the follow- trips] sit down and reshape those same pamphlets ing items, is the addition of herbarium voucher into accounts based on what was observed and numbers in the cumulative lists. The Abruzzo experienced on the actual trip. excursion report (see OPTIMNA Newsletter 31: These pamphlets (tour-companion [C] ver- (12) for the [C] version) includes identifications sion and subsequent ”elaboration” [E] alike) are revised by F. Lucchese (Roma). The 1997 report naturally no more than ”grey literature”, being for Corfu parallels that for 1996 (see OPTIMNA produced for the personal use of the participants, Newsletter 32: (13-14)) except for the omission and not commercially available (as they freely of the bird lists and limerick section; in compen- reproduce illustrations and often texts published sation, it cumulates herbarium specimen citations elsewhere by others, any commercial distribution for the excursions of three consecutive years. would obviously infringe copyright regulations). No less than four new trips were planned Yet, beyond their obvious interest as and carried out since 1997, to the Algarve in S. quick-and-easy introductions into the natural Portugal, Tuscany in Central Italy, the islands of history of the study areas and guides to the rele- Malta and Gozo, As well as Karpathos in the S. vant literature, they are of undeniable scientific Aegean Sea. The Algarve document (12) is ex- value as primary sources of documented floristic ceptional in not including a cumulative species information. For this reason, I have tried to put list (but it does enumerate the herbarium speci- them on record in the frame of this column, to mens collected on the preparatory tour). It offers the whole extent to which they have been made little in terms of geographical and cultural in- available to me (see OPTIMA Newsletter 30: formation but it has a substantial appendix on (25-26). 1996; 31: (12-13) and 32: (13-14). economically important plants and their uses, 1997; 33: (6-7). 1998). and includes a particularly rich selection of plant This may be a good time to give a quick drawings, reproduced from Mabberley & survey of the excursions for which documents Placito’s guide book to Algarve’s botany of have come to my knowledge, with mention, for 1993, and from the Flora de Andalucía Occi-
(8) OPTIMA Newsletter No. 34 June 1999 Publications
dental of Valdés & al. The Tuscany excursion first time, from a non-collecting plant lover en- (13) is in actual fact limited to the N.W. part of tirely relying on photographic documentation of the region, mainly but not exclusively to the his finds he became a skilled and successful Apuan Alps, with some cultural escapades to collector of herbarium specimens, who keeps Lucca and Pistoia but without deigning Florence, perfecting the drying technique by infrared bulbs Pisa and Siena of as much as a look. The botani- first described by Heinrich Weber in 1977 (see cal illustrations, here, are mainly from Fiori’s Willing & Willing in Phyton (Horn) 32: Iconografia (magnified and thus with inaccurate 119-128. 1992). This happened in the early scale indications), but also partly from papers by 1980s. In 1988, his second conversion took Bechi & Garbari and Bechi & al. The scale place, from a pure orchid hunter to the general problem with Fiori’s drawings is also apparent in field botanist he is now. From 1988 to the end of the Malta tour guide and ”elaboration” (15 & 1998 the numbering of his collections, which he 16), which are additionally embellished by some keeps offering graciously to the Berlin-Dahlem full-page drawings from Raimondo’s study of Mt Museum, rose from about 300 to the present Pellegrino near Palermo. The trip included a 72.203 (duplicate specimens, which receive full-day excursion to the neighbouring island of additional lower-case lettering, not being shown Gozo. in these figures)! The Karpathos tour companion, which con- cerns an area with which I am thoroughly famil- The present, 1998 report on his collecting iar, unfortunately lacks a cumulative species list activities is the first in this format of which we (an item hopefully to be provided together with came to know. It is an impressive document, the [E] version). The programme starts in the demonstrating by crude figures and just a few northern part of the island, using the harbour of comments the efficiency and amount of the au- Diafani as an excursion base, from where an thors’ collecting. In exactly 40 days of field optional one-day trip to the neighbouring island work performed in the Greek provinces of Arca- of Saria was being envisaged. From the sixth day dia and Laconia (in April), Florina, Ioannina, onward the group then hiked through the central Kastoria, and Kozani (in July), 11.121 plant and southern parts of the island. The pamphlet specimens were collected: 278 per day on aver- includes general texts taken from Hiller & Kalt- age. This was achieved with just five plant eisen’s 1988 account of the island’s orchids. The presses, whose contents used to be dry for over species lists are still rather disappointingly in- 95 % after 24 hours. From first-hand knowledge, complete, lacking many of the endemic or oth- I can add that the Willing specimens are among erwise peculiar taxa (e.g., Silene ammophila the most carefully and beautifully prepared of subsp. karpathae, S. insularis, S. discolor), so their kind. that one looks forward with some expectation to As to efficiency, it is enhanced by the pro- the progress hopefully to be embodied in the [E] cedure followed by the authors when collecting, version. W.G. which is based on a chorological approach. Within each prospective mapping unit (10 10 km UTM 19. Rita EISENBLÄTTER & Eckhard WILLING grid mesh) the authors will endeavour as com- – Kurzbericht über unsere Sammelreisen plete a floristic inventory as possible, starting by 1998 nach S- und NW-Griechenland für collecting all species present at their first locali- die Flora hellenica. Teil 1: Fundorte. – Pri- ty, but only the additional, not yet documented vately duplicated, Berlin, 1998. [34] un- ones at each subsequent stop. In recent years, use paged sheets, 1 colour photograph, stapled. of a global positioning system (GPS) has signif- icantly improved the precision of locality data. Unknown to many, Eckhard Willing is cer- tainly the most assiduous and productive collec- Implicit in the title, although not elsewhere tor of Greek plants of all times. His exploration spelled out, is the authors’ intent of publishing a of the Greek flora, pastime of most of his holi- second part of their report, presumably to hold days of the past 25 years – often in the company the list of specimen identifications. I will be of his first wife Barbara, more recently with Rita pleased to come back on this when it becomes Eisenblätter –, saw him converted twice. The available. W.G.
June 1999 OPTIMA Newsletter No. 34 (9) Publications
20. Heinz KALHEBER – Seriphos. 30. August - (sea-born, or ”oceanic”) islands in the Pacific 3. September 1997. – Privately duplicated, Ocean. Runkel, 1998. [10] unpaged sheets, 1 map, This being said, the book is excellently ed- stapled. ited, to form a much more coherent contribution to knowledge than a symposium fallout of the 21. Heinz KALHEBER – Siphnos. 3.-10. Sep- usual kind. Geographically it focuses on the West tember 1997 und 3.-14. April 1998. – Pri- (Bonin Islands), Central (Hawai’i), East (Juan vately duplicated, Runkel, 1998. [18] un- Fernández) and South Pacific (various island paged sheets, 1 map, stapled. groups), plus Ullung Island (Korea) in the Japa- nese Inland Sea. Case studies of particular gene- These two inventory lists, dated September ra alternate with considerations of evolution and and October 1998, respectively, are artless com- speciation under various angles (adaptive radia- puter printouts that may be one-off products just tion, co-evolution, reproductive ecology, biogeo- as well as duplicated ”publications”: hard to tell graphy, chromosomes), not neglecting conserva- the difference, except that the collecting routes , tional aspects. Two general overviews on chro- on the island maps, were evidently col- mosomal evolution and secondary compounds our-marked by hand. At any rate, the lists are do consider some examples from outside the source documents of floristic data for two Greek Pacific area, including the Macaronesian (but not islands of the Cyclades, in the Aegean Sea, and any Mediterranan) islands. On the whole, the as such they should not go unnoticed. They in- book provides pleasant and instructive reading to clude precise locality data and mention of all interested in island biogeography. W.G. voucher specimens. W.G.
Biogeography Chorology
23. Oriol de BOLÒS I CAPDEVILA, Xavier 22. Tod F. STUESSY & Mikio ONO (ed.). – FONT I CASTELL, Xavier PONS I FER- Evolution and speciation of island plants. NÁNDEZ & Josep VIGO I BONADA (ed.) – [Papers from a symposium convened by the Atlas corològic de la flora vascular dels co-editors at the XV International Botanical Països Catalans. Volum 8 [ORCA: Atlas Congress in Yokohama, Japan, August corològic, 8]. – Institut d’Estudis Catalans, 1993]. – Cambridge University Press, Cam- Secció de Ciències Biològiques, Barcelona, bridge, New York & Melbourne, 1998 1998 (ISBN 84-7283-431-X). [614] pages, (ISBN 0-521-49653-5). XV + 358 pages, maps 1520-1815, paper. Price: Ptas 2500. black-and-white illustrations, hard cover. Price: £ 50. Publication of this carefully edited and re- markably well organised basic chorological atlas A caveat to begin with: the title is mislead- (see OPTIMA Newsletter 33: (8). 1998, and ingly broad, perhaps a publisher’s trap for the earlier reviews cited there) continues at high inadvertent customer. While not properly a speed and with great regularity. The 296 distri- symposium volume, the book nevertheless has it bution maps of the present volume correspond to roots in a symposium organised by the editors at the species numbered 927 to 1143 in the Flora the XV International Botanical Congress in Yoko- manual dels Països catalans, i.e. to a number of hama, on 30 August 1993, under the title ”Speci- families of small to medium size, from Rese- ation of vascular plants on Pacific islands”.. Five daceae to Araliaceae. Umbelliferae will come of the six papers presented at that symposium next in sequence. form the nucleus of the present book (the sixth, Same as in earlier volumes, a few species by Warren Wagner on phytogeographic patterns included in the Flora were omitted, probably in Hawai’i, having been omitted), and the seven because no new, reliable data on their occurrence additional titles, or chapters (not counting the in Catalonia were available. They include Heli- editors’ conclusions and outlook) do little to anthemum leptophyllum, Hypericum hyssopifo- broaden the theme: the ”island plants” of the title lium, and Cornus mas. Two further species for are, in fact, vascular plants of thalassogenous which one looks in vain, Polygala vayredae and
(10) OPTIMA Newsletter No. 34 June 1999 Publications
Drosera anglica (or longifolia), had their maps purposes of the general plant geographer. For published earlier, in vol. 1 (the same is true for him, it’s all there in a nutshell. D. rotundifolia, mapped again here in second There is a most enjoyable news item in the edition). On the positive side, a number of taxa preface to the present work: the fourth and last have been mapped that are absent from the Flo- volume of Bolòs & Vigo’s Flora dels Països ra, having been recorded or distinguished but catalans, comprising the monocot treatments, is recently: Reseda lanceolata, Fumana scoparia, now in press and we may hope to hold it before Tamarix dalmatica, Elatine brochonii, Hyperi- long. With this achieved, Catalonia will be the cum linariifolium, and Sida rhombifolia (a new most fortunate of all Mediterranean countries, in introduction); one has been described as new but botanical terms. Congratulations! W.G. recently (Erodium aguilellae López Udias & al. 1998), and two may be undescribed to date (Reseda alba subsp. crespoi O. Bolòs & al. and Regional studies of flora and vegetation Helianthemum marminorense Alcaraz & al.). All in all, a quite remarkable amount of progress for 25. Octavio RODRÍGUEZ DELGADO, Marcelino a country whose flora was deemed to be better J. DEL ARCO AGUILAR, Antonio GARCÍA known, perhaps, than that of any other Mediter- GALLO, Juan Ramón ACEBES GINOVÉS, ranean area of comparable size! W.G. Pedro Luis PÉREZ DE PAZ & Wolfredo WILDPRET DE LA TORRE – Catálogo sin- taxonómico de las comunidades vegetales 24. Oriol de BOLÒS I CAPDEVILA – Atlas de plantas vasculares de la subregión ca- corològic de la flora vascular dels Països naria: Islas Canarias e Islas Salvajes. Catalans. Primera compilació general. Part Versión Espa_ñol/ Inglés. [Materiales di- I: Abies-Lagoecia. Part II: Lagurus-Zygo- dacticos universitarios, Serie biología, 1]. – phyllum. [ORCA: volum extraordinari]. – Servicio de Publicaciones, Universidad de Institut d’Estudis Catalans, Secció de Cièn- La Laguna, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, 1998 cies Biològiques, Barcelona, 1998 (ISBN (ISBN 84-7756-457-4). 130 pages, boards. 84-7283-380-1). [8], [5] + 1102 pages, 4407 maps, 2 volumes, paper. Price: Ptas 5000. The present ”synonymic” inventory of syn- taxa found on the Canary and Salvage Islands At the present speed of production, the reg- fulfils a double scope: to serve as a quick means ular chorological atlas for the flora of Catalonia of reference for the vegetation scientist and as a (see above) will be completed in about ten years’ teaching device. While confined to vascular time. Nor a terribly long delay, one may think – plant communities (to which cryptogams may be yet too long for the ebullient Catalans to wait. As admitted as guests, as in the Eucladio-Adiante- a result, the present twin volume has been pub- tum), it otherwise aims at complete coverage of lished, showing the present state of knowledge all plant communities that have so far been de- for the whole Catalan flora in synthetic format, scribed from the area, including those which produced directly from the corresponding data- have not yet been validly named. base. One may note a few omissions, for reasons An expert of plant nomenclature as the pre- unknown, with respect to the maps published sent reviewer may perhaps be forgiven when he earlier in the fuller format, but also, the corri- cannot help smiling at the zeal with which phyto- genda to earlier maps just listed in vol. 8 of the coenologists start copying the International code Atlas have been taken care of in the present edi- of botanical nomenclature, down to the intrica- tion. cies of spelling corrections and conservation pro- The maps have been somewhat reduced in posals. When he then stumbles over double geni- size, so that four fit on a page; also, the choro- tive monsters such as ”paraliasi” (when logical data underlying the maps are not docu- is already a Greek genitive noun, meaning ”of mented. This results in a concentration factor of the beach”) his smile may, unkindly, broaden to 8 when the present synthesis is compared to the a grin. Yet even he will be truly and honestly regular Atlas. What may perhaps be judged by impressed by the thoroughness of the synthesis the local expert as lacking sufficient factual here achieved, the amount of synonymy gener- detail will, as a rule, be fully satisfactory for the ated (no less than 691 numbered synonyms for a
June 1999 OPTIMA Newsletter No. 34 (11) Publications
total of 263 recognised plant communities in the 27. César PEDROCCHI RENAULT (ed.) – rank of association of below), and the wealth of Ecología de Los Monegros. La paciencia literature faithfully cited in the appended biblio- como estrategia de survivencia. – Instituto graphical survey. W.G. de Estudios Altoaragoneses, Huesca & Cen- tro de Desarrollo de Monegros, Grañén, [1998] (ISBN 84-8127-063-6). 430 pages, 26. Jordi CARRERAS & Josep VIGO – Mapa de photographs, maps and graphs mostly in vegetació de Catalunya 1 : 50 000. La Seu colour, flexible cover. de Urgell 215 (34-10). – Institut Cartogràfic The area of los Monegros is a vast hilly plain de Catalunya, Barcelona, 1997 (ISBN lying to the left of the Ebro river along its middle 84-7283-389-5 & 84-393-4452-X). 73 pages, course, east of the old town of Zaragoza. It is an graphs, map and colour legend, flexible arid area naturally covered by steppes and salty cover; with folded colour map by Jordi lagoons, and is one of the big marvels and in- CARRERAS, Empar CARRILLO, Xavier FONT, valuable treasures of Europe’s and the Mediter- Josep M. NINOT, Ignasi SORIANO & Josep ranean area’s natural heritage, both by the unique VIGO; flexible cover and twin plastic pouch. beauty of its landscapes and the richness and originality of its plant and animal communities. The present vegetation map and correlated As so many other sites of great naturalistic value, explanatory text forms part of what appears to be los Monegros have been and still are at high risk, a major vegetation mapping project which, mainly through the irrational extension of irri- judging from the title, is planned to extend to the gated cultures to natural areas which are basically whole territory of Catalonia (at least, that is, to unsuited for sustainable exploitation of this kind. its Spanish parts). When presenting two earlier The present book sings a song of love and items of this series (see OPTIMA Newsletter 33: pride for los Monegros as they were and in part (8-9). 1998) I expressed some puzzlement as to still are, sung by those who know and who care. the details of the project and the extent to which It is a remarkable document, most of all, I should other maps might have been published earlier, say, by its effort to convey feeling and concern and I then promised to provide more details on through the dispassionate display of factual in- the subject when they became available. Our formation. It is a scientific work and at the same readers will, alas, have to wait some more: in the time, nonetheless, a work of poetry and of art. present document, there is again no reference The botanist and biologist will be interested whatever to other published or progressing maps by the general chapters dealing with the geology, except for the unspecific reference, in one place, hydrography and climate of the region; by the to ”previous sheets of this serie[s]”. narration of the means by which plants of all kinds have managed to survive in the hostile, The area covered belongs to the Central arid habitats and withstand its adverse condi- Pyrenees. It is situated roughly to the north-west tions; by the descriptive, richly illustrated chap- of la Seu d’Urgell, which appears in its lower ters dealing with the various cryptogamic groups right and corner, and west of Andorra of which a as well as higher plants and plant communities; small portion (not mapped) extends to the top but he will also read with keen interest the chap- right of the sheet. The watershed between to ters on animal life, for instance the one describ- major river basins, of the Noguera Pallaresa to ing faunal interactions with a characteristic tree the north-west and of the Río Segre to the species of the area, Juniperus thurifera. The south-east, crosses the map slightly above its specialist will be pleased to resort to scientific middle in a ENE to WSW direction. The highest inventories of species of algae, vascular plants, elevation of the area, the Torreta de l’Orri, is a plant communities, and many animal groups, lateral extension of this major divide. Except for provided in an appendix. some bands of hard rocks (limestone, sandstone OPTIMA has long taken an active interest in or conglomerate) the whole area, including all averting the threats of destruction faced by the higher elevations, consists of old, mostly meta- wildlife of los Monegros, trying to support local morphic schist. biologists in their fight against incomprehension W.G. and ignorance of the local population and politi-
(12) OPTIMA Newsletter No. 34 June 1999 Publications
cal decision-makers. The VI OPTIMA Meeting The present study is a continuation and up- in Delfi in 1989, ”bearing in mind the extraordi- date of the earliest in-depth study of Mediterra- nary biological interest of the arid areas in los nean small-island biota, conducted by Vaccari Monegros ... [and] alarmed about the predictable between 1890 and 1908. It is, in the same time, a consequences ... following the implementation of geographical complement and counterpart to the land use projects, implying irrigation”, resolved exploration of the circum-Corsican islets by ”to encourage Spanish biologists in their efforts Lanza & Poggesi, published in 1986 (see ... to protect it in its present natural state ... [and] OPTIMA Newsletter 20-24: (44). 1988). Vaccari to urge ... authorities to view favourably pro- had eventually reported 743 plant taxa from the posals made for the conservation of the area in archipelago; the present figure is 986, of which question”. The resolution’s impact was at best 811 (755 species, 54 subspecies and 2 varieties) moderate, and irrigation of natural areas has been are considered to be spontaneous). and still is spreading. Last year, the IX OPTIMA The core of the present book consists of flo- Meeting in Paris decided that letters were to be ristic data, but analysis is also present: Raunkiaer sent to the competent authorities, renewing the spectra and representation of families and genera appeal and, specifically, asking for the establish- are given for the major islands, and the phyto- ment of protected areas of land so far unspoilt by geography of some of the characteristic species agriculture, such as the Bujaraloz plateau with its is discussed. More is presumably to come. By salt lakes, the Serreta Negra de Fraga, the Bar- now, it appears that the ”small-island specialists” ranco de los Bojes, the juniper stands of the Re- so prominent in the Aegean area are rather mar- tuerta de Pina, and the Serra de Alcubierre. This ginally represented here. Two of three such taxa letter, which I had the honour to address to the that are found around Corsica (Allium commuta- President of the autonomous region of Aragón, tum, Lavatera arborea) are also widespread in the in Zazagoza, remains unanswered to date. Maddalena archipelago, but the third (Parapholis Let us hope that, in spite of the difficulties marginata) is lacking, while an additional one involved, this marvellous book will help saving (Hymenolobus procumbens subsp. revelierei) is los Monegros from further destruction. Let it not found. An endemic or subendemic element (e.g. become, as is to be feared, a requiem for beauty Limonium cunicularium, Nananthea perpusilla, past and irretrievably gone! W.G. Silene velutina) is of particular note. The need for regulations to protect the utter- ly fragile small-island biota, alluded to in the 28. Emanuele BOCCHIERI – L’esplorazione introduction, is obvious enough when one judges botanica e le principali conoscenze sulla from the material presented here. A call for such flora dell’arcipelago della Maddalena (Sar- legal action should, perhaps, be more forcibly degna nord-orientale). [Rendiconti del Sem- reiterated elsewhere in a suitable context W.G. inario della Facoltà di Scienze dell’Uni- versità di Cagliari, 66, Suppl.]. – Seminario della Facoltà di Scienze dell’Università, Ca- 29. Francesco M. RAIMONDO & Rosario gliari, 1996. [4] + 305 pages, maps and Schicchi (ed.) – Il popolamento vegetale graphs, paper. della riserva naturale dello Zingaro (Sici- lia). Indagini sulla flora, sulla vegetazione e Professor Bocchieri has for many years been sull’uso tradizionale delle piante presenti specialising in the study of the small islets off the nella riserva ai fini della gestione, della sal- Sardinian coast, and has published numerous vaguardia e dell’educazione ambientale. [Col- papers on their flora and plant geography. He lana Sicilia Foreste, 3 & Rivista trimestrale now devotes a full-scale monograph to the most Sicilia Foreste, Suppl.] – Dipartimento di famous and most finely patterned of these island Scienze botaniche, Università degli Studi, groups, the Maddalena archipelago, situated at Palermo, 1998. 205 pages, graphs, maps, the north-eastern end of Sardinia, in the strait drawings and photographs (mostly in col- between that island and Corsica. It comprises no our), paper. less than 62 islands and islets with a surface of at least 300 m2, of which 36 have so far been ex- The Zingaro area is comprised of a steep plored botanically. coastal strip of difficult access, on the western
June 1999 OPTIMA Newsletter No. 34 (13) Publications
side of the gulf of Castellammare in the Trapani the direction of the ecotourism, the floricul- Province. When it was declared nature reserve in ture, the ethnobotany and the protection of 1981 it was still virtually untouched and hardly the threatened plant species and their bio- explored botanically. It became somewhat better topes.] – PhD Thesis, Tomeas Biologias known when, in 1986, an atlas with the drawings Futôn, Tmêma Biologias, Panepistêmio and descriptions of many of its representative Patrôn, Patra, 1998. [12] + 197 pages, plants was produced by Raimondo & al. (see graphs and maps, 11 extra plates of colour OPTIMA Newsletter 20-24: ((51-52). 1988). photographs, paper. The present book now includes the results of The author of this PhD thesis has been in an in-depth botanical study of the area. Gener- charge of the botanical garden of Iraklion for many ously illustrated by colour photographs, it deals years and could thus explore the flora of his is- with a variety of aspects (not quite devoid of re- land, both in his professional capacity and out of dundancy) such as climatic data, grid distribution personal interest. He thereby became thoroughly maps of the (sub-)endemic taxa, baseline data for acquainted with the rare and endemic plants of all species that are used locally, and characterisa- Crete, to which he has recently added a few new- tion, by relevés, of the various plant communities ly discovered ones (Allium platakisii, Limonium found. Besides there are inventories of the fun- cornarianum, Scilla talosii). He is also to be gal, lichen, bryophytic, and vascular flora, the credited with the first Cretan finds of, e.g., Silene latter in duplicate (once with area type and fabaria and Allium pallens, with the rediscovery growth form indicated, arranged by families; of Fumana laevipes which had not been seen on then again with local distribution given and in the island since 1817, and with the addition of alphabetical sequence – the latter being repeated many new localities to the known distribution of unchanged for the endemic elements). the rare and endemic plants of the island. The redundancy alluded to above may be The present work deals with the most fa- beneficial (others might say, dangerous) for spot- mous part of the flora of Crete: the plants grow- ting errors and inconsistencies due to careless ing in fissures of steep or vertical cliffs. Con- proof-reading. This concerns principally the dis- cretely, 70 cliff systems have been investigated, tribution maps, which (quite apart from the fact scattered all over Crete and the surrounding that the numbering of the two last unit grid islets, and within these, 100 cliff faces have been squares is consistently misplaced) show many inventoried in detail. The results are given, first in discrepancies when compared with the numerical the form of a straightforward floristic catalogue, data. In particular, the wrong map has been then by interpreting the data in various ways. printed for Vicia altissima, that for the previous Classification is the taxonomist’s pet activi- species, Spiranthes spiralis, being used twice. ty. Kypriotakis classifies everything, to start with I’ll stop nit-picking here. The book deserves the cliffs themselves. He divides them up into 7 better than being judged on minor shortcomings. categories, depending on whether they occur In a general way, it is an excellent and com- pair-wise, as in the famous gorges, or singly; and mendable example of how money can be gener- on the altitude and situation with respect to the ated and put to good use for the promotion of sea coast. The plants themselves he will classify, environmental awareness among an interested according to their faithfulness to the cliff habitat, lay public in general and the younger generation into obligatorily, predominantly, partially, and in particular. W.G. facultative chasmophytes. Other classification cri- teria are threatened status, suitability for orna- 30. Zaharias L. KUPRIÔTAKÊS – Sumbolê stê mental purposes, edibility, pharmaceutical and meletê tês hasmofutikês hlôridas tês aromatic properties, and potential for the coloni- Krêtês kai tês diaheirisês tês ôs fusikou po- sation of disturbed habitats. These latter group- rou, pros tên kateuthunsê tou fusiolatrikou ings are meaningful in so far as they strengthen tourismou, tês anthokomias, tês ethnobotan- the case for granting adequate legal and factual ikês kai tês prostasias tôn apeiloumenôn protection to these plants and their habitats, often fytikôn eidôn kai biotopôn. [Contribution to under threat and easily destroyed. the study of the chasmophytic flora of Crete Of course, as Kypriotakis is thoroughly fa- and to its utilization as a natural resource, to miliar with his plants, his groupings make good
(14) OPTIMA Newsletter No. 34 June 1999 Publications
sense, are meaningful in appearance and show Islet biogeography is the new fashion – and promise as to their usefulness. The problem, most appropriately so, as these minute biota basically, is that the categories are ill defined, the provide choice natural laboratory conditions for criteria used not clearly spelled out, and the factu- a whole series of essential questions and, fur- al basis of their case-by-case application not thermore, are threatened, most fragile habitats in mentioned. This is a pity, as the author must in urgent need of protection. Panitsa’s PhD thesis is many cases (even though probably not always) in the trend, and having all these wonderful islets dispose of valuable data and experience that re- virtually on her door-sill (well, not quite: there mains hidden in his brain, or in his unpublished are quite some boat trips and adventurous rides notes. Take the edible, medicinal and aromatic on shaky caiques involved!) she was ideally plants: what parts are used, for which purpose, placed for performing this kind of research. and by whom? Or the plants allegedly showing promise as ornamentals of for disturbed site Her target were 75 islets of varying size, reclamation: what are the qualities they show, from one half to 16,000 stremmata (ever heard of what is known of their properties in cultivation, a ? it is 0.1 ha; international units would ease of propagation, hardiness, longevity, soil have been more user-friendly), widely scattered retention faculty? The mere enumerations here over the central portion of the E. Aegean Sea. Of provided make us avid to know more, but we are these she inventoried the vascular flora (com- left hungry. This is meant, not so much as a paring it with Runemark’s earlier results for 22 criticism, but as a plea for more details to follow. of them, thus estimating species turnover) and studied the vegetation. Her total inventory com- The results of statistical analyses are valua- prises 725 vascular plant taxa, a few of which ble in that they confirm and quantify what one are new records for the East Aegean area. By the used to suspect: that of the 614 vascular plant sheer bulk of new, accurately documented floris- taxa found ”on the rocks” (about one third of the tic data, her work is a remarkable performance. total wild flora) a large proportion (32 %) belong to the endemic element, and that this rate in- The thesis includes a thorough statistical creases when the 80 obligatory chasmophytes analysis of the data as well as a classification of alone are considered, of which more than half the observed vegetation patterns into formal are Cretan and three quarters Greek endemics; plant communities. All this is of interest and, that annuals are underrepresented among the cliff generally, well done and well presented (there is plants, their proportion dropping from almost a detailed and informative summary in excellent half (among the optional chasmophytes) to zero English for the benefit of those unfamiliar with (obligatory chasmophytes, among which the cha- the Greek language). Minor points of criticism maephytes predominate); and that the cliff-face may, of course, been raised. One of the new flora is highly diverse, with low similarity coef- (provisional) associations, the ”Anthemidetum ficients (of less than one third) even between scopulori”, bears witness of the regrettable neighbouring and ecologically similar localities. spread of Latin illiteracy. The comparison of This is a promising start, to be welcomed by average numbers of species per surface unit does Crete’s botanical fans familiar with the language. not make sense when widely different surface We are keenly awaiting the continuation. W.G. areas are concerned. Use of the term ”sublittoral” (””) when supralittoral (- ) is meant, is confusing. Also, inferring 31. Maria PANITSA – Sumbolê stê gnôsê tês the proportion of ”temporary flora” from differ- hlôridas kai tês blastêsês tôn nêsidôn tou ences between individual inventories during anatolikou Aigaiou. [Contribution to the short stopovers, perhaps at different seasons, is a knowledge of the flora and vegetation of the bit too bold. But such imperfections, if regretta- East Aegean islets (Greece).]– PhD Thesis, ble, cannot blur the overall impression of solid Tomeas Biologias Futôn, Tmêma Biologias, scholarly work, nor will they tarnish the beauty Panepistêmio Patrôn, Patra, 1997.[14] + 345 of the colour photographs which, well repro- pages, drawings, maps, graphs (some in duced on special, glossy paper, illustrate admira- colour), 7 extra plates of colour photographs, bly well the charm of some of the least accessi- paper. ble land fragments in the Aegean sea. W.G.
June 1999 OPTIMA Newsletter No. 34 (15) Publications
32. Harald KEHL – LöKAT. Eine land- are great, especially if you think of the small print schaftsökologische Komplexanalyse zu of some of the hard-copy tables that requires a den Ursachen extrazonaler Vegetation an hand-lens anyway for comfortable reading. Reso- der Westabdachung des Amanus lution of some of the text illustrations (photo- (Südost-Türkei). – Agnos, Neue Kantstr. graphs and maps) is not ideal, presumably due to 31, D-14057 Berlin, 1998 (ISBN memory space limitations. But this, frankly, is 3-00-003156-1). CD-ROM in plastic case the only critical point I come to think of. W.G. (.pdf file for Windows and Macintosh; with free Adobe Acrobat Reader diskette, on re- quest). Price: DM 75. [Also available as hard Applied botany copy: 2 volumes, XII + 655 pages, 6 loose tables and 8 loose maps (ISBN 3-00-003155-2), at DM 780.] 33. Karl HAMMER, Helmut KNÜPFFER, Gaetano LAGHETTI & Pietro PERRINO – So that’s (perhaps) how the future will look: Seeds from the past. A catalogue of crop empty bookshelves, except for the few who are germplasm in Central and North Italy. able and willing to pay ten times the price. Of –Istituto del Germoplasma del Consiglio course, CD publishing is still in a somewhat Nazionale delle Ricerche, Bari, 1999. [3], experimental phase, rapidly and unpredictably I-II, [1], III-IV + 255 pages, 8 maps, paper. evolving. So, who knows how easily the present electronic versions can be consulted in, say, ten This is the companion volume to one that years’ time. But apart from this uncertainty, was published in 1992, by the same authors and honestly, the product that is presently on my CD under the same general title, for the plants of drive works admirably well, at a comfortable southern Italy and Sicily (see OPTIMA News- speed (except for the build-up of some of the letter 32: (19-20) 1997). Dealing with the re- more finely grained images) and with options gions north of Campania and Apulia, it com- one could not dream of a little while ago. pletes the coverage for the whole of peninsular Under the acronym LöKAT, Harald Kehl is Italy. The area has been explored by several publishing the results of five years (1988-1992) germplasm collecting expeditions since 1987, of field work in S.E. Turkey, on the western based on a bilateral co-operation between the slopes of the Amanus Mountains in the Hatay renowned crop research institutions in Bari and Province, up to the subalpine level (2200 m). Gatersleben. The present inventory, same as the The stress of his study is on vegetation analysis earlier one, is not however a catalogue of the 486 and vegetation dynamics, and the bulky appen- collected samples, which are mentioned only in dices (the second of the two hard-copy volumes) general terms, but an enumeration of all culti- are full to the brim of detailed data of various vated plants (except mere ornamentals) and their kinds: soil analysis results, vegetation tables and potential wild progenitors found in the area. This their statistical interpretation, and last but not catalogue, which mentions vernacular designa- least a detailed inventory of the flora in tabular tions and known distribution (by regions), docu- form. All these results are adequately presented, mented use, as well as other relevant details of illustrated and discussed in the first volume. origin, importance, etc., comprises entries for The electronic text is stored as formatted 551 different species and 20 additional infra- layout mimicking the printed version. The text is specific taxa. The amount of (Italian and dialec- searchable but not printable, and a zooming-in tal) folk names thus registered is particularly option is provided for the text, tables and illus- impressive: their alphabetic index has no less than trations alike. The Adobe Acrobat Reader, a 10,762 entries, which means that the book is, freeware package needed to read the disk, can among other things, an important source work either be downloaded from the Web or from a for ethnographic and linguistic studies. 5¼’ diskette provided on a complimentary basis. An alarming undertone pervades this work. The switch from leafing through a book to The fact that the number of samples accessioned turning the pages on-screen by mouse click in- in the germplasm collection is relatively low volves changing inveterate habits, but one gets (486, as opposed to 1622 for southern Italy and used to it. The searching and zooming options Sicily, relating to merely 83 species which is a
(16) OPTIMA Newsletter No. 34 June 1999 Publications
tiny fraction of the total) reflects a spectacular if cies = 5.3 %), and Morocco (186 species = not exactly documented genetic erosion. The loss 5.1 %). Summing up the threatened species for of land races, which was found to be 75 % in the the whole Med-Checklist area, while bearing in south, is estimated to be even heavier (c. 90 %) mind that, globally, over 90 % of the threatened in central and northern Italy. Documenting and species are single-country endemics, one can saving what is left is a great challenge of consid- estimate the total number at just under 5000, or erable economic and political import. over 20 % of the c. 24,000 wild vascular flora. Work of the Bari-Gatersleben team continues, One must be very careful when comparing its present emphasis being on the areas not yet such figures, especially for areas and/or floras of covered: Sardinia and the smaller islands. Hope- widely different sizes. Yet, within the Mediter- fully, within a couple of years, a complement for ranean area, one expects that the rates of threat these areas and/or a cumulative inventory for the and endemism will run parallel. The fact that whole of Italy can be produced. W.G. they do not shows that, and where, the figures are distorted: the countries for which the threat rates are unrealistically low are Morocco (over Conservation topics, red data books 20 % endemism but only 5 % threat), Syria and Lebanon (8 % endemism and less than 0.5 % threat). 34. Kerry S. WALTER & Harriet S. GILLETT (ed.) – 1997 IUCN red list of threatened Of the Mediterranean plant species, 38 are plants. – International Union for Conserva- presumed extinct (not collected in the last 50 tion of Nature and Natural Resources, Gland years) and 14, likely extinct. The criterion for CH & Cambridge UK, 1998 (ISBN presumed extinction is not really appropriate for 2-8317-0328-X). LXIV + 862 pages, 1 graph, some of the less well explore Mediterranean paper. countries, though, and the figures may be mis- leading. Another, even more important aspect Normally one would speak of an impressive should be borne in mind when interpreting the volume. Shattering, however, is more appropri- Red List: whereas rarity (R) is listed as the threat ate a qualifier. The fact that one out of eight reason in almost half of the cases, rarity is vascular plant species of this globe has been doubtless a natural phenomenon, not necessarily assessed as being under immediate threat of (and perhaps, in the Mediterranean at least, not extinction is evocative of apocalyptic views such usually) caused by man. This does not mean that as a bare planet from which trees have disap- rare species should not be listed as requiring peared, with the surviving part of humanity (if particular attention and care, but rather, that not any) camped in the midst of deserts. all the ”threat” that is here documented is a A second look will do little to reassure you. man-made phenomenon. Not only is the number of listed species (31,195), Twenty years ago, a kind of precursor of the or taxa (35,319), shocking, but we are told, and present book was published: the IUCN plant red can readily believe, that this is not all. ”Many data book of Lucas & Synge (see OPTIMA taxa have had to be omitted ... due to insufficient Newsletter 8/9: 56-57. 1979). It included a selec- information”; and ”data, in particular for many tion of 250 case studies of threatened plants, parts of Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, and South each on two text pages. If a similar format had America, are either patchy or lacking”: two sig- been applied now, the result would have been a nificant quotation from the introductory matter. ”book” of over 70,000 pages! The format chosen Where does the Mediterranean area stand in had, by necessity, to be as economic of space as this global context? I have tried to extract a few possible. Yet, it has been possible to include relevant data from the very instructive tabular citations of literature sources for all listed entries surveys preceding the main taxonomic list. Six – a great boon for the critical user, and a most Mediterranean countries are among those for positive aspect that deserves being underscored. which over 5 % of their vascular flora are at risk: As it stands, the Red List is a major Turkey (1876 species = 21.7 %), Spain (985 spe- achievement and a document of much political cies = 19.5 %), Greece (571 species = 11.4 %) weight. It is also, as the authors acknowledge, a Italy (311 species = 5.6 %), Portugal (269 spe- work calling for further refinement and im-
June 1999 OPTIMA Newsletter No. 34 (17) Publications
provement. Gaps and inadequacies of geograph- ated and numerical references to relevant litera- ical coverage I have already mentioned, but a ture are added in each case. Besides, there are better and more equal coverage of the infraspe- descriptions, an illustration (usually a colour cific categories (mainly subspecies) should also photograph of the natural habit, exceptionally of be aimed at. And then there is, of course, the a herbarium sheet when the plant has not been whole huge domain of non-vascular plants: will seen recently), data on general and local distri- we live long enough to see them treated along bution, conservation status, and useful measures comparable standards? W.G. to be taken. The threat degree and protection level vary widely, from the endangered, local endemic to the curious naturalised alien (Cyrto- 35. Robert SALANON & Vincent KULESZA – mium fortunei), from the utterly rare plant not Mémento del la flore protégée des recently seen in the wild to the common blue- Alpes-Maritimes. – Office National des berry for which fruit harvest by combing and/or Forêts, Paris, 1998 (ISBN 2-84207-113-1). for commercial purposes is forbidden pages I-XI + sheets 1-248 + pages 249-284, The book is one of those excellent practical 248 colour photographs, flexible cover. contributions to nature conservation that one is Price: FFr 250. pleased to announce and commend. Among its With its less than 4000 km2 the qualities is the fact that it includes some pictures Alpes-Maritimes are a smallish French depart- that are rarely seen, such as the photograph of ment, yet due to their great diversity in terms of flowering Posidonia oceanica. W.G. altitude, substratum, climate and special habitats they are likely the richest one from a floristic point 36. Fausto BONAFEDE, Dino MARCHETTI, of view, hosting almost 60 % (c. 2700 species) Renato TODESCHINI, Michele VIGNODELLI of the country’s vascular flora. The legal bases & Carlo DEL PRETE – Felci e piante affini for the conservation of all these riches do exist, nella provincia di Modena. Uno studio pre- but as long as there was no clear guidance as to liminare finalizzato al monitoraggio ambi- what species do in fact benefit of at least some entale e alla conservazione della biodiversi- kind of protection, and how they look, the prac- tà. [Quaderni di documentazione ambien- tical effect of rules and laws was at least ques- tale, 9.] – Settore Difesa del Suolo e Tutela tionable. dell’Ambiente, Provincia di Modena, Via J. Salanon & Kulesza’s book resolves this dif- Barozzi 340, I-41100 Modena, 1998. 77 ficulty, as it provides the local authorities, conser- pages, maps and graphs, 12 colour photo- vation managers and the general public (often the graphs on 8 extra plates, flexible cover. best possible custodian of our threatened diver- sity) with all required information. Of the c. 360 In a way this is a sophisticated interim re- species that benefit from at least some degree of port, as the working group’s efforts to inventory protection at the departmental, national, or inter- and monitor the pteridophytes of Modena Prov- national level, 248 are treated in full. The remain- ince continue and more data keep being added to der belong to either of the following categories: the database on which the project relies. The orchidaceous taxa protected in a general way by basic idea behind the whole enterprise is that the the Washington convention but not mentioned ferns and fern allies, owing to their ancestral and specifically in legal texts or lists (69 taxa); plants in many ways exposed life cycle, are particularly impossible to protect because they have already vulnerable to environmental disturbance and disappeared from the department (40 species, in- therefore threatened to an above-average degree cluding some that were only casuals in the area); (as evidenced by more than half of their species and those that in fact never existed but had been being on a Reed List for Germany), but that in reported due to some kind of error (17 species). Italy only a minority of them is known to be at For each of the species presented, the data risk (23 out of 132 species, according to the and illustration are displayed on one page, with 1992 Red Data Book for Italy – see OPTIMA the verso of the sheet blank and unpaged, so that Newsletter 30: (42-43). 1996). the leaves can be cut loose and used as a file The core of the present report presents grid card. The legal bases of protection are enumer- distribution maps for the 53 taxa (51 species) so
(18) OPTIMA Newsletter No. 34 June 1999 Publications
far recorded for the Modena Province _– a nar- Prato, and Vaiano. The area has a fairly complex rowly rectangular area of the Emilia-Romagna geology, consisting mainly of limestone, marl Region, about two dozens km wide, extending and schist but wit a remarkable nucleus of ophi- from the river Po to the watershed of the Apen- olithic rocks. The latter accounts for the presence nine chain. Mapping is by grid units of 3’ lat. by of some of the rarer specialities among the local 5’ long. (c. 5 6 km) and is based on field pro- flora. specting by an amateur group (c. 1200 records) The flora, and within it the orchid family, and literature sources (277 records) but not so far are the main subject of the text and images here on herbarium holdings. Several taxa are new presented. One must congratulate the authors for records for the Province’s flora, or confirm older having achieved an attractive mix of science and dubious records, but two of the recorded species beauty, writing as they do in a scientifically (Botrychium multifidum, doubtfully present, and flawless yet utterly readable style. The chapter Diphasiastrum tristachyum) have not been found devoted to the general flora (pp. 38-60) is less again. exhaustive but just as attractive as the core por- The overall patterns observed tend to con- tion dealing with the orchid family (pp. 61-160, firm the initial hypothesis of a relatively high not counting the indexes). The quality of the threat for pteridophyte species. Preliminary con- photographs, both technically and aesthetically, clusions define a number of localities of rare taxa is absolutely remarkable. that deserve continued monitoring, and suggest In short: the book is a jewel. Read it, enjoy it that the list of species protected by law on a – then go and visit Montemurlo. W.G. provincial level be widened from the single pre- sent one (hart’s-tongue) to a total of 8. It is be- yond this reviewer’s understanding why the 38. Mohamed FENNANE & Mohamed IBN three Italian Red Book species present TATTOU – Catalogue des plantes vascu- (Botrychium matricariifolium, B. multifidum, laires rares, menacées ou endémiques du Salvinia natans) have been left off that proposed Maroc. [Bocconea, 8]. – Herbarium Medi- list. W.G. terraneum Panormitanum, Palermo, 1998 (ISBN 88-7915-008-1). 243 pages, 2 graphs, 1 map, paper. Price: Lit 60,000. 37. Mauro BIAGIOLI, Giovanni GESTRI, Bruno ACCIAI & Antonino MESSINA – Le verdi Remember? When I discussed the IUCN Red perle del Monteferrato. Nell’area protetta, List (item 34) a couple of pages before, I ven- alla scoperta di orchidee selvagge ed altri fi- tured the guess that the threat rate recorded there ori rari. – Gramma, Perugia, & Municipality for Morocco (5 %, or 186 species) was unre- of Montemurlo, 1999. 191 pages, drawings, alistically low. Now here is a list of the rare, graphs, maps (incl. 3 in colour, one of which threatened and endemic vascular plants of Mo- as loose insert), colour photographs, cloth rocco to bear out what I suspected. Of its 2819 with dust jacket. entries no less than 2374 are assigned to one of various threat categories (which figure includes Never heard of Montemurlo? Nor had I, but c. 130 erroneous or doubtful records). Extrapo- this is now going to change. A hillside munici- lated to a world scale, the threat can be estimated pality in Tuscany, NW of Florence, Montemurlo to affect 700 taxa or 550 species (15 %), three has adopted a most remarkable policy of pro- times as much as was previously thought! moting scientifically-based environmentalists’ These bare figures suffice to fully justify the efforts. The present book, which for a minor need for the present inventory. It includes a first community is a most remarkable achievement, is overview of endemism in Morocco, defined said to be just a first step in this direction, with widely to include taxa extending to neighbouring more to follow. areas (Algeria, Iberian Peninsula, Atlantic Is- The book is devoted to the protected natural lands, Mauritania), and a new assessment of the area of Monteferrato, 4500 ha of hilly country degree of rarity (or vulnerability) of endemic and mostly covered by deciduous woodland, not threatened non-endemic taxa (species and sub- quite reaching 1000 m of altitude, and shared species). Awkwardly, the category of doubtfully between the three municipalities of Montemurlo, present and erroneously recorded taxa includes
June 1999 OPTIMA Newsletter No. 34 (19) Publications
presumed extinctions, but the latter are exceed- the most obnoxious weeds (not always the ones ingly few. Leaving apart some cases of suspected you would think of when coming from more disappearance from Morocco of taxa subsisting northerly latitudes), on pitfalls to be avoided. elsewhere, eight entries remain of species listed And then, of course, there is the core section on as endemics that have disappeared. One of them plants to be used: trees, shrubs, climbers, succu- was known and documented previously (Trifo- lents, very few herbs (just a handful of bulbs, lium acutiflorum), a second undisputed extinc- and almost no annuals). Yes, plenty of ideas. tion (Diplotaxis siettiana) concerns the national Do not, however, think of the book as a territory of Spain although phytogeographically manual, as which it cannot serve. It gives little it rather pertains to Morocco (concretely, to the indication of the specific preferences and limita- Alborán Island). The six remaining presumed ex- tions of the plants presented, on their hardiness tinctions all relate to species of doubtful taxo- to drought or frost, on their sun of shade toler- nomic status: Crepis litardierei, Thymus men- ance, on specific species mixes for specific situ- tagensis, Alchemilla litardierei, Elaeoselinum ations. Aridity is not even discussed as a season- exinvolucratum, E. humile, and Misopates al phenomenon (although by implication the fontqueri. The latter, incidentally, is one of no author deals mainly or exclusively with summer less than 28 new combinations validated within drought situations). Frost is the only hazard men- the list – another indication of how badly needed tioned specifically, and surprisingly, there is no that list was. chapter devoted to water or irrigation (although Perhaps due to some mishap with the refor- the need of watering is sometimes mentioned in matting of electronic text, and certainly to edito- passing). There is no advice on how to get at the rial carelessness, the numbering that must origi- plants, although the difficulty of obtaining many nally have preceded the bibliographic references of them through the trade, particularly the indig- has disappeared in the printed version. This means enous ones, is notorious. that the numerical references given in the main The first two drawings show the develop- text, whenever appropriate, now appear to be ment of a garden from nothing to maturity within meaningless. The only solution (as long as no just four years, titled: ”gardening is no sorcery”. erratum sheet has been produced) appears to be Perhaps not. But how, then, is it done? W.G. renumbering the bibliography by hand! W.G.
40. Mary Jaqueline TYRWHITT – Making a Gardens and gardening garden on a Greek hillside. – Denise Har- vey, Katounia, GR-34005 Limni, 1998 39. Günther KUNKEL – Jardinería en zonas (ISBN 960-7120-14-0; cloth: áridas. – Ediciones alternativas, Almería, 960-7120-13-2). xvii + 247 pages, 1998 (ISBN 84-605-7736-8). 145 pages, black-and-white illustrations, paper. Price: £ maps, drawings, photographs, flexible cover. 10. To build a garden under arid climate condi- Jacky Tyrwhitt, garden architect, successful tions – the idea sounds adventurous and tempt- administrator and organiser, expert of town and ing; the same applies, perhaps, to producing a country planning, Harvard professor, spent her book on the subject. The present one, which is retirement building and running her own Medi- written in a refreshingly direct style, has many terranean garden on the eastern slopes of Mount attractive traits, among which the drawings by Imittos. Her home, bequeathed to the Goulandris Mary Ann Kunkel are prominent, obviating as Natural History Museum, now hosting the head- they do the paucity of photographic documents quarters of the Mediterranean Garden Society, and the absence of colour. overtops the vast fertile plain of Mesojia, famous Günther Kunkel is not a newcomer to the for its grapes and other agricultural products. subject. You will thus expect to find many useful There she wrote this book, whose manuscript ideas among what he writes, and you will not be had just been completed when she died in 1983. disappointed. There are thoughts on landscaping It took fifteen years to show it through the press, as opposed to formal gardening, on practical ways but now it is there, a posthumous monument to to minimise wind damage and evaporation, on the last period of her remarkable life.
(20) OPTIMA Newsletter No. 34 June 1999 Publications
The book is as its author must have been, publication, meant to serve as its catalogue, but British to the bone (although her Harvard past was so ambitiously planned that, when it became made her be known as the ”amerikanida” to the finally available, the exhibition had long left locals). It is a charming mix of anecdote and fact, Sicily. The result is fascinating enough to make spread over twelve chapters each featuring one one condone the delay. month. Significantly, the seasonal cycle starts, The book consists of three main portions, of not in spring when most flowers blossom but which the first and most sizeable is the transla- with the other awakening of Mediterranean na- tion of the German original. The texts, by Car- ture, in September when the summer drought sten Schirarend, Marina Heilmeyer and others, ends: a turning point of nature that must have describe and illustrate the mythological, botani- been particularly obvious to one who had spent cal, bibliographical, historical and cultural as- most of her life under temperate climates. pects. The second part, by Christiane Garnero Each of the twelve chapters starts with a Morena, Rosario Schicchi and others, is devoted narration of everyday life (events), of garden to citrus cultivation in Italy. The third, essentially work (jobs), animal life, and of course (how by Franco Raimondo, consists of a treaty on the British!) the weather. Then come the flowers, role of citrus fruits in (essentially pictorial) art. each lovingly characterised, sometimes with Same as the earlier chapters, it is brilliantly illus- mention of origin, rarely of habitat preferences. trated by a remarkable choice of colour repro- Scientific names are used (revised by no less an ductions. Throughout the text, summary version authority than William Stearn!), with equivalent in approximate French have been intercalated. English and Greek vernaculars. Pleasing to note, This volume opens new horizons to all who members of the wild Greek flora outnumber by are culturally interested. While it is botanical in far the foreign plants, listed separately at the end. essence, the range of subjects treated widely ex- The concluding bibliography is the only part that ceeds the natural sciences. It is a fine example of has been re-written and updated by the editors. what co-operation of many can ideally achieve – In 1980 the Goulandris Museum’s live col- and an attractive present for many. W.G. lection of Greek bulbs was donated to the author. Many of these accessions may still survive and, who knows, have their recorded source data 42. H. Walter LACK – The Flora graeca story. attached. If so, they would be valuable material Sibthorp, Bauer, and Hawkins in the Levant. for future taxonomic research! W.G. With David J. MABBERLEY. – Oxford Uni- versity Press, Oxford, New York & Tokyo, 1999 (ISBN 0-19-854897-4). xxxi + 327 Historical subjects and biography pages, 69 figures, 9 maps, coloured frontis- piece + 16 extra plates in colour, hard cover 41. Franco M. RAIMONDO & H. Walter LACH with dust jacket. Price: £ 250. [i.e.: LACK] (ed.) – Le mele d’oro. L’af- No, don’t expect a critique. I couldn’t. I just fascinante mondo degli agrumi. – Edizioni love this book. I like the subject, the story, the Grifo, Palermo, 1998 (ISBN way in which it is told. I can do no more but 88-86477-01-5). 212 pages, illustrations in write its eulogy. black-and-white and colour, paper. Price: Lit I feel that such books as this one are essen- 50,000. tial, that more of their kind are needed because This book on the citrus fruits is the expanded they are vital for our proper understanding of the Italian version of an exhibition catalogue origi- ways in which our knowledge of the world nally published in German language in 1996, around us, and of those parts of the world that when the Botanical Museum in Berlin-Dahlem are far from home, came about. We need to be presented a public show on the ”golden apples” told of how our early predecessors worked, how (as they were called in Antiquity) that was to run they thought and felt; and we must learn to listen with unprecedented success for eleven months, to that tale. In the present case the tale is of an until February 1997. The fourth presentation of English gentleman who travelled out of his whim this exhibition, the first outside Germany, started through lands then virtually unknown; of the in Palermo on 31 October 1997. The present adventures, hardships and achievements in those
June 1999 OPTIMA Newsletter No. 34 (21) Publications
foreign countries, his own and of those of his includes a dozen appendices (among them an travel companions; of the fate of the harvest index to nomenclatural novelties published in the brought home, a harvest that would reshape our Flora graeca itself and, mainly, its Prodromus). botanical knowledge of Greece and neighbouring The narrative of how Sibthorp’s scientific heirs, areas; and of much of the contemporary back- James Edward Smith in the first place, overcame ground, historical, political, and cultural, which that legacy’s inadequacy (or, more often, stum- is needed to fully grasp the essence and the im- bled when trying to do so) is not entirely new, plications of the story told. but has never been written more clearly. Detailed The book has, essentially, three heroes: John itineraries, with maps, will be of help in locating Sibthorp, the gentleman just mentioned, the young the presumed origin of potential type material. and enthusiastic explorer and naturalist; Ferdi- This is not a cheap book to buy, but it is nand Bauer, the genial artist and illustrator; and worth every penny of its price; and then – per- John Hawkins, the broad-minded and erudite ama- haps some kind of consolation – it deals with one teur and travel mate. The history of their lives is of the most costly and most utterly unaffordable here artfully interwoven: first come their distinct works ever produced! W.G. early years, then the common adventure of their first Greek journey, their interactions during the Festschrift subsequent English interlude, the second journey when Bauer had left the scene, and the later fates and achievements. A lively narrative that has the 43. Josep VIGO, Xavier LLIMONA, Ramon merit of being based on thoroughly researched Maria MASALLES & Josep Maria NINOT facts, on an incredible wealth of mostly un- (ed.). – Doctor Oriol de Bolòs. Pioner en published documents: letters, travel diaries, l’estudi de la vegetació. [Acta botanica bar- specimens, paintings and drawings. Many of these cinonensia, 45 & Universitat de Barcelona, documents are reproduced, partly in colour, and Colꞏlecció homenatges, 16]. – Universitat, add their own unmistakable flavour of authentic- Barcelona, 1998 (ISBN 84-475-2007-2). ity to what might otherwise been read as a piece Pages 1-643 + [1-3] + 645-647, hard cover. of fascinating fiction. In a timely fashion for Oriol del Bolòs’s Sibthorp, the central figure, appears as an 75th birthday on 16 March 1999 a magnificent eccentric and rather egocentric young man of festschrift has been published in his honour. It strong will and energy but rather weak organisa- includes exactly 40 papers on a variety of sub- tional skills. His name might have got lost for jects more or less directly related to the vast posterity were it not for three lucky moves: the thematic spectrum of his own research. hiring of Ferdinand Bauer’s services for the first The three initial papers deal with the life and travel and for his subsequent years in Oxford achievement of this most remarkable among the (where he was kept in virtual slavery); the draft- living botanists of Catalonia. His biography was ing of a will that was as generous as it was pre- written by one of his earliest doctoral students, cise and clairvoyant, to secure the spectacular Josep Vigo. The two following texts concern publication of his (and Bauer’s) achievements; Bolòs’s contribution to scientific terminology and the knitting of a close friendship with Haw- and to the botanical knowledge of the Balearic kins who, having become sedentary after his Islands. Mycology and lichenology are repre- second return from Greece, was to devote the sented by three papers, phycology by four, and better half of his long and busy life to making one is devoted to bryology. The remainder con- that will become true. cern vascular plant taxonomy and geobotany in While obligatory reading for all who want to its widest sense. really grasp the historical dimension of Mediter- Not surprisingly in view of the pride the ranean and Oriental botany, this book is not Catalonian take in their own language and cul- however a Sibthorpian nomenclator. Rather, it ture, most of the papers are written in Catalonian will serve plant taxonomists by directing them to (which is however easily understood by the the background information they should know French and/or Spanish speaking). The exception and may need, and by telling them how to inter- are five papers in each Spanish and English, and pret and use that information. To this end, it two in French.
(22) OPTIMA Newsletter No. 34 June 1999 Publications
This book is a worthy homage to a great 45. [Julia PÉREZ DE PAZ (ed.).] – [Actas del 9 botanist. It would doubtless have grown to mul- Simposio de Palinología promovido por la tiple size had contribution not been limited to Asociación de Palinólogos de Lengua Espa- invited authors. All others, including myself, will ñola en Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, del 30 want to join in conveying their best wishes to de Noviembre al 4 de Diciembre de 1992.] their illustrious colleague in Barcelona. W.G. [pp. 4-296 in:] Botanica macaronesica, 23. – Ediciones del Cabildo Insular de Gran Cana- ria, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, 1998. 315 Symposium proceedings pages, black-and-white illustrations, 4 folded and paged insets, paper.
44. Pertti UOTILA (ed.). – Chorological prob- Volume 23 of Botanica macaronesica is al- lems in the European flora. Proceedings of most entirely devoted to palynological contribu- the VIII Meeting of the Committee for Map- tions that were presented almost six years earlier ping the Flora of Europe, Helsinki, Finland, at an APLE symposium held in Las Palmas de 8-10 August 1997. [Acta botanica fennica, Gran Canaria. Except for two introductory gen- 162]. – Finnish Zoological and Botanical eral papers – by Lugardon of ultrastructure of Publishing Board, Helsinki, 1999. [2] + XIV Pteridophyte spore walls, in French; Blackmore + 196 pages, black-and-white and colour il- on ”the impact of palynology on taxonomy”, in lustrations, hard cover. Price: FIM 440. English – all of the 24 papers included are writ- ten in Spanish, with a summary in English. Most prominent among the 31 papers of this Five sections are recognised. The first is de- symposium volume are the contributions placed voted to the study of modern pollen (”actupaly- at either end. At the beginning three papers re- nology”) and includes 5 papers, the two just port on the Atlas florae europaeae (AFE) project mentioned and one each on Iberian umbels, as a whole, where the most important news are: Macaronesian Echium, and ferns from Tenerife. AFE goes digital (with examples of what can be There are 4 papers on aeropalynology, 1 on pol- made out of the electronically stored data when a len biology, 3 on melittopalynology, and 10 on software package like WORLDMAP is used), and palaeopalynology, ranging from Carboniferous where the reassuring message is: AFE carries on spores to the pollen analysis of Holocene palaeo- full speed, no interruption can and will be al- soils. Four items at the end belong, not to the lowed irrespective of changes in the editorial afore-mentioned symposium but to the ongoing team. At the end, half a dozen papers are devoted series ”Notas corológico-taxonómicas de la flora to the taxonomy of rosaceous genera, Rubus, macaronesica” (Nos 82-85). W.G. Rosa, and Alchemilla in particular, well known to present arduous problems of treatment, as Rosaceae are the subject of vol. 13 of AFE, now 46. G. ALZIAR & P. EWALD (ed.). – Actes du in preparation. Colloque ”Plantes introduites – plantes The intermediate portion of the book deals envahissantes” tenu du 8 au 11 octobre first with mapping projects (or problems) of 1996 à Nice dans le cadre des 8è Rencontres specific countries or areas (Iberian Peninsula, de l’Agence Régionale pour l’Environne- Britain, Germany, Poland, Finland, Friuli-Vene- ment Région Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur.. zia Giulia in Italy, Slovenia, Romania, W. Ukra- [Biocosme mésogéen, 15(1)]. – Ville de ine and the Crimea, European Russia), then with Nice, Muséum d’Histoire naturelle & Jardin methodological approaches (e.g. Barthlott & al.’s botanique, Nice, 1998. [5] + 174 pages, world map of biodiversity), phytogeographical black-and-white illustrations, paper. aspects, and stray groups (including two papers The concern about invasive aliens is rela- on Mediterranean orchids). tively new, although the phenomenon goes back On the whole, a well edited and elegantly to early historical and even prehistorical times. It produced contribution to Euro-Mediterranean is at present shared by environmentalists, agro- plant chorology, that provides much pleasant and nomists, foresters, and many others. The fact that instructive reading. W.G. a small but choice symposium has been con-
June 1999 OPTIMA Newsletter No. 34 (23) Publications
vened in southern France to deal with it bears sistent criteria. There is scope for far more re- witness of this trend. search on the subject, and an urgent need for A special issue of Biocosme mésogéen is more and better co-ordinated information. The devoted to this symposium’s conclusions. Most symposium at Nizza has been an important step appropriately, it begins on a critical note: an alien in the right direction, but only a first, preliminary plant, even if naturalised, is not necessarily an such step. W.G. evil to be fought. It is ludicrous to protect the vanishing weed flora of our corn fields as part of 47. [Mar(ia Antoni)etta COLASANTE (ed.).] – our threatened national biodiversity while at the Irises and Iridaceae: biodiversity & sys- same time bedevilling the inoffensive though tematics. An international conference or- successful newcomer. Lambinon, the author, is ganised by the University of Rome ”La Sa- careful to exclude the real invaders when even- pienza”, the Società Italiana dell’Iris of tually concluding that, other things being equal, Florence, the Linnean Society of London, a xenophyte of remote provenance is by far pref- the Systematics Association. Orto Botanico, erable to the introduction of a foreign strain or Rome, 8-10(11) July 1998. Abstracts. – genotype of a species of the native flora. Linnean Society of London, 1998. [33] The 8 other papers here presented all deal sheets, stapled. with the negative aspects of plant invasions. They include two case studies (Acacia dealbata My copy of this abstract pamphlet is from a invading and displacing native woodland com- kind of mopped-up congress document folder, munities; and the green alga Caulerpa taxifolia also including some other documents (provision- monopolising vast areas of sea bottom off the al and final programme, one-page conference coast of S. France) as well as several regional report). The symposium included two days of surveys in France (coastal ponds along the At- lectures, with 10 speakers on each, and an exhib- lantic coast, Landes Department; it of c. 20 posters. The first day was apparently Bouches-du-Rhône; Corsica) and Italy (national devoted to general subjects concerning the whole territory and Sardinia). Island biogeographers family (overall and molecular phylogeny, phy- will be interested in an impact assessment of tochemistry, leaf anatomy, conservation, germi- breeding colonies of seagulls on islet floras, near nation) as well as to Crocus, whereas the second Marseille. day concerned the genus Iris only. The symposium participants carried a reso- The one-page abstracts, each on a separate lution focusing the attention of all concerned on sheet, concern 20 lectures (18 actually given, 2 the problem and (perhaps rashly) asking for legal replaced by others) and 11 of the posters. They and administrative action, not only to monitor hopefully foreshadow publication of the sympo- the phenomenon but to prevent new, potentially sium proceedings in full – which, judging from harmful introductions. In an appendix, Annie titles and contents, would be most rewarding to Aboucaya has synthesised the feedback from a read. W.G. relevant questionnaire by drawing up three lists, valid for the Mediterranean parts of France: the 48. E. BOZILOVA & S. TONKOV (ed.). – Ad- first of ascertained invasive aliens (36 species of vances in Holocene palaeoecology in Bul- flowering plants, 3 sea-weeds), the second of garia. [Contributions by Bulgarian palyno- potentially obnoxious invaders (46 + 3), the third logists at a symposium on the history of flora a ”waiting list” (61 species). There is a second and vegetation on 22-25 July 1993 at Bo- list (105 species) of the invasive aliens of Italy rovetz, Bulgaria]. – Pensoft, Sofia & Moscow, on pp. 81-82, and a third with non-native trees 1995 (ISBN 954-642-005-0). V + 95 pages, used in reforestation in Sardinia (36 species, pp. black-and-white illustrations, paper. Price: 105-106). DM 20. When comparing these lists one will find that they differ greatly, and one feels that their In parallel with the second half of the VII disparity reflects, not only the natural differ- OPTIMA Meeting in Borovec, and in the same ences, climatic and historical, of the areas con- tourist resort, a second, completely independent cerned but also the application of widely incon- meeting took place that was not even mentioned
(24) OPTIMA Newsletter No. 34 June 1999 Publications
in the printed programme (although many Balkan Flora and Vegetation that was held in OPTIMA members may have become aware of it Varna, Bulgaria, in June 1973 and whose pro- through announcements posted on the notice ceedings were published in Sofija in 1975 (see board): a Symposium on the History of Flora and OPTIMA Newsletter 2: 38-39. 1975). The or- Vegetation, organised by the Laboratory of Pal- ganisers of the new Congress had a much broad- ynology, Department of Botany, of the St er subject than just merely flora and vegetation Klement Ohridski State University in Sofija as studies in mind, and wanted to address all Bal- an inter-Congress event of the INQUA Commis- kan botanists, not merely those working on their sion for the Study of the Holocene. The present native country’s plants; so, understandably, they booklet, printed in 1995 in time for being pre- changed the name and restarted the numbering. sented at INQUA XIV in Berlin, comprises the The success of the Congress was to prove them Symposium’s published proceedings: 6 papers right. by Bulgarian palaeobotanists on the Late Glacial The index to the proceedings volume lists no and Post-Glacial flora and vegetation of Bulgaria. less than 141 contributions (even more had been The oldest sediments studied, three deep-sea presented), grouped under 6 different headings. cores from the western Black Sea, off the Bul- The grouping is not ideal. Few botanists will find garian coast, date back to 11,000 years B.P., but the items of their special field under a single most of the data clearly belong in the Holocene heading, nor will they be interested in all items period. With the single exception just mentioned, of any one group. The 41 subjects treated under the samples were taken from peat bogs or lake the first heading, ”Taxonomy, geobotany and sediments and concern pollen grains for the most evolution”, range from palaeopalynology through part, with occasional macro-remains (leaves and reproductive biology and pollination ecology, seeds) in addition. The results document the phenology, morphology, chorology, geobotany horizontal and vertical spread of woodland, and and vegetation sciences, floristics and taxonomy, changes in its composition, first under natural to general evolutionary studies and the history of conditions in the Atlantic phase, then under the botanical exploration. At the low end of the more and more prominent influence of Man. scale, there is what you may call botanical chat, a A survey paper, based on several detailed completely unreferenced note on some new or analyses published previously, deals with the curious rarities in the Peloponnesus. history of beech woods on the Bulgarian territo- ry. The occurrence of such woods is documented While paper and binding are fine, the pub- for the Eemian interglacial period already, and lisher has otherwise done a poor job: varying relic stands survived the last glaciation in several type sizes, lack of consistent layout, and erratic refugial pockets in the mountainous areas of presence of abstracts irritate the reader. Worse: southern Bulgaria. These data corroborate the in most cases, the space allotted to each paper is role of the southern Balkan Peninsula as survival insufficient to tell a coherent story and mention and source area for many of today’s forest trees, all relevant facts. W.G. from where they spread over central and boreal Europe at the end of the ice ages. W.G. 50. Anonymous (ed.). – Ellênikê Botanikê Etai- 49. Ioannes TSEKOS & Michael MOUSTAKAS reia. Biologikê Etaireia Kuprou. 6° Epi- (ed.). – Progress in botanical research. stêmoniko Sunedrio upo tên aigida tou Proceedings of the 1st Balkan Botanical Con- Upourgeiou Paideias kai Politismou Kuprou. gress. – Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dor- Praktika. 6-11 Apriliou 1996, Para- drecht, 1998. XVI + 632 pages, limni-Kupros. [Hellenic Botanical Society. black-and-white illustrations, hard cover. Biological Society of Cyprus. 6th Botanical Scientific Conference under the auspices of If you have a good memory you will perhaps the Ministry of Education and Culture of start wondering: First Balkan Botanical Con- Cyprus. Proceedings. 5[sic!]-11 April 1996, gress”? Wasn’t there another such congress Paralimni-Cyprus]. – Ellênikê Botanikê Etai- already, years ago? Well, there was – and yet reia [s.l., s.d.]. 382 + [2] pages, there wasn’t. What you had in the back of your black-and-white illustrations, paper. mind was the First International Symposium on
June 1999 OPTIMA Newsletter No. 34 (25) Publications
The sixth biennial meeting of the Greek Bo- tanical Society had taken place in 1994 in Delfi (see OPTIMA Newsletter 31: (25). 1997). This time the Society went overseas and joined forces with their Cypriot colleagues.
As there is no table of contents nor any clear structure, the book is difficult to use. Following 32 pages of introductory matter, including obitu- ary notes (on Ganiatsas, Anagnostidis, Gavalas, and Marakis) there are a large, indefinite number of short research papers on various botanical subjects, all in Greek but almost invariably with an English summary, reproduced photomechani- cally from typescript. Paper, print and illustration are of surprisingly good quality, and so, one assumes, are the contents.
A fact of note is that the Meeting selected a national flower for Cyprus: Cyclamen cyprium, illustrated in colour inside the back cover. W.G.
(26) OPTIMA Newsletter No. 34 June 1999