* NOTICES OF PUBLICATIONSF

by WERNER GREUTER

General Topics One of the salient traits of the volume is good and plentiful illustration; another is the extent to which aspects of the past are built 1. Juan Antonio DEVESA ALCARAZ & into it, on two quite different levels. First, José Sebastián CARRIÓN GARCÍA – there is a substantial, well researched and Las plantas con flor. Apuntes sobre su well written chapter on the history of angio- origen, clasificación y diversidad. – sperm classification, from classical Greece Universidad de Córdoba, Córdoba, 2012 to the present day. Second, the fossil record (ISBN 978-84-9927-108-8). 522 pages, is presented in unusual and commendable numerous colour illustrations, drawings, detail, to serve as a complement and coun- graphs, tables; hard cover. terpoint to the molecular studies on which the adopted classification has been built – A university teacher who wants to intro- which, to no one’s wonder, is APG III. Let duce students to the diversity of flowering me add, to the credit of the authors, that they plants, and has the ambition to present the do not fail to mention – dispassionately even information in the most modern classifica- – the more popular and strikingly plausible tory frame available, faces a problem. Clas- former families that fell victim to merger, sifications keep changing so rapidly that it such as Dipsacaceae and Valerianaceae now has become all but impossible for textbook sunk in Caprifoliaceae. writers to keep up. Every now and then a I miss but one relevant aspect, which volunteer emerges to fill the growing gap has been totally neglected. No reference and write a new manual. This has now hap- whatever is made to the rules that govern the pened for the benefit of Spanish teachers. choice and use of names. In one place I This book is written for use, and will be found the International Code of Nomencla- found useful, by teachers and students alike ture mentioned under its now obsolete “bo- – those at a Spanish university, that is. Latin tanical” title, but it is not even cited among Americans will likely be frustrated when the literature. Students will wonder where they fail to find their native families treated, the ranks and rank-denoting terminations as the book, basically, limits itself to fami- come from, and why “Comelínidas”, desig- lies indigenous to the Iberian Peninsula – nating an informal grouping of orders, is in but then, let New World botanists write their Spanish but the similar looking Magnoliidae own textbooks. (a subclass, equivalent to angiosperms) in

* Please send all items for announcement or review directly to the column editor: Prof. W. Greuter, Herbarium Mediterraneum, Orto Botanico, Via Lincoln 2/A, I-90133 Palermo.

2013 OPTIMA Newsletter No. 41 (1) Publications

Latin. Mind you, I am not blaming the au- fore, and its mention is so discretely hidden thors for their choice of names: that criti- in the text that I all but missed it – which cism, for which there is justification in would have been a real pity. many cases, must be addressed to Chase & The authors are keen and knowledge- Reveal who cared for the nomenclature used able amateur botanists, and it would be in- in APG III. Devesa and Carrión just copied appropriate to judge their booklet severely. to the letter what the said authors propose – Take it for what it is, forgetting the unfortu- so slavishly that even an obvious typo such nate subtitle, and enjoy it. Also, take heed of as Ginkgooidae (for Ginkgoidae) went un- their concluding statement, following after corrected. W.G. the chapter on cyclamen growing: “there is no need to collect [cyclamens] from the wild as it is very easy to obtain a wide range from Dicotyledons reputable nurseries”. W.G.

2. Peter MOORE & Melvyn JOPE – The 3. Rosa Maria LO PRESTI – Geological Cyclamen of Greece. A guide to the vs. climatological diversification in species of cyclamen growing in Greece. the Mediterranean area: Micro- and – The Cyclamen Society, London, 2011 macroevolutionary approaches in An- (ISBN 978-0-9537526-3-8). 40 pages, themis L. (Compositae, Anthemideae). 57 colour photographs, map; paper. – Logos, Berlin, 2010 (ISBN 978-3- 8325-2688-7). [3] + 182 pages, 2 draw- This pamphlet has been highly praised ings, maps and graphs (some in colour), for the beauty and quality of its illustration, tables; paper. a praise well deserved. I am less favourably impressed by the text. Probably I was misled Lo Presti’s PhD thesis is devoted in its by the subtitle and expected too much. This entirety to the study of systematics and is in no way a “guide to species”, it is but a evolution of the genus Anthemis, of which pleasant and stimulating companion on a in its time her tutor, Christoph Oberprieler, spring or autumn tour of Greece. There is no had made the North African representatives clear structure, not even a consistent attempt the subject of his own thesis. Much has at defining or comparing taxa, let alone a changed since then, for the better or worse: formal treatment of them or an identification it is no longer accepted that you write your key. Indication of distribution is so vague as dissertation just on the alpha-taxonomy of a to be useless for practical purposes. Some group, not even when anatomy and micro- photographs show the variation of leaf pat- morphology are part of your arsenal. You tern and shape – valuable information in- have to use DNA sequencing, AFLP and lots deed, but unsuited to distinguish taxa: rather, of computer-based numerical analyses as it might in some cases shed doubt on their your weaponry. This is what Lo Presti was distinctness. An interesting feature men- asked to do, and did with great skill and tioned in the text and illustrated is the dif- excellent success. ferent way in which the pedicels (“stems”) There are some genuinely remarkable of autumn-flowering species coil after flow- aspects to this thesis. Contrary to her boss ering: basipetally from the top in Cyclamen and mentor she did not confine herself to a hederifolium but acropetally from the base modest if highly critical geographical subset or middle portion in C. graecum (and pre- of species but covered the genus as a whole sumably, to judge from the picture, C. con- – or rather: two genera, as her work con- fusum). I had not noticed this difference be- firmed the recently reasserted distinction of

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Cota from Anthemis. While her revision from literature, for all of which she procured cannot claim to be a monograph, at least it the bioclimatic parameters for numerical includes a synopsis in its own right: an processing (I will spare you the details). enumeration of all recognised species and Also, perhaps chaperoned by her brother subspecies of both genera (as Appendix 1), who is a computing expert, she familiarised and even, for Anthemis alone, a dichotomic herself with the full range of algorithms that key for their identification (App. 6). are coming into use for cladistic and phy- Apart from the Appendices, general in- logeographical analyses. And I could go on troduction and discussion, summary, and and on. comprehensive reference list, the thesis con- What, then, are the results? Personally I sists of three chapters conceived as inde- still consider phylogeography, and espe- pendent units, all of which have also been cially time-scaled cladograms or chrono- published as research papers in international grams, as sort of a black art rather than sci- journals: (1) Lo Presti & al.: A molecular ence – often interesting, thought-provoking phylogeny and revised classification of the even, but not to be firmly relied upon. In Mediterranean genus Anthemis s.l. (Compo- that I may be prejudiced, and I don’t mind sitae, Anthemideae) based on three molecu- your thinking so. This being said, Lo lar markers and micromorphological charac- Presti’s opinions are plausible enough, and ters (in Taxon 59: 1441-1456. 2010); (2) Lo presented with the appropriate caution. The Presti & Oberprieler: Evolutionary history, cladograms she generated raise as many new biogeography and eco-climatological differ- questions as they help solve, which is not entiation of the genus Anthemis L. (Compo- unusual; but they do help clarify the sitae, Anthemideae) in the circum-Mediter- boundaries between Anthemis and Cota, the ranean area (in J. Biogeogr. 36: 1313-1332. molecular results being backed by fruit 2009); and (3) Lo Presti & Oberprieler: The anatomy. A certain number of Anthemis central Mediterranean as a phytodiversity species are now to be placed in Cota, and hotchpotch: phylogeographical patterns of two that had been recently transferred to the Anthemis secundiramea group (Compo- Cota (mea culpa!) wander back to Anthemis. sitae, Anthemideae) across the Sicilian The five (not six!) necessary new combina- Channel (in J. Biogeogr. 38: 1109-1124. tions, listed here as such, were first made in 2011). The above-mentioned synopsis and Taxon (59: 1455. 8 Oct 2010; the Disserta- key, however, can only be found in the the- tion’s date of effective publication is 22 sis itself. November – Oberprieler in litt.). Another The amount of data Lo Presti has used convincing conclusion, well supported by and produced is all but incredible, especially morphology, is the segregation of four Cau- if you think of the time and labour involved. casian Anthemis species as a new, independ- According to her criteria, Anthemis consists ent genus – here left unnamed but, in Taxon of 154 species (one unnamed) and 12 addi- (l.c.), described as Archanthemis. tional subspecies, Cota of 37 species plus The text is concise, elegantly written in one subspecies. Of no less than ¾ of these impeccable English. Most readers will de- she has managed to isolate the DNA, ampli- plore the need to use a magnifier to read fying and sequencing three markers: one of many of the tables and graphs, excessively nuclear mitochondrial DNA, two of chloro- reduced in scale to fit the book’s A5 format. plast DNA. For her phylogeographical study A pity, too, that the title chosen is so unat- (the 2nd paper) she has produced georefer- tractive, not only inadequate semantically enced label data for well over 4000 speci- but failing to highlight the main merits of mens, most directly from herbaria but some the work. W.G.

2013 OPTIMA Newsletter No. 41 (3) Publications

Monocotyledons habit and/or detail, a “distribution map” and a scale showing the flowering period. Tax- onomy and nomenclature are ultra-modern, 4. Spuros TSIFTSÊS, Iôannês TSIRIPIDÊS accepting several recently described taxa & Kôstas BIDAKÊS – Orhidées tou (species and subspecies) and forefront ge- Ethnikoú Párkou Oroseirás Rodópês neric delimitations (not only the molecular- Orchids of Rodopi Mountain-Range based reshuffling of former Orchis but also the National Park. – Foreas Diaheirisês merger of Nigritella with Gymnadenia and Oroseiras Rodopês, Mesohori (Dramas), of Listera with Neottia are taken on board). 2012 (ISBN 978-618-80276-0-2). 197 A few words on the authors are appro- pages, numerous colour photographs priate, if only to dispel the suspicion that and maps; cloth with dust cover. they be newcomers and/or amateurs. Nope. The Greek National Park of the Rhodopi All three are real professionals, with an Mountains covers a surface area of over academic training and degree. Spyros Tsift- 1700 km2, mainly in north-easternmost sis completed his PhD thesis in 2009, at Greek Macedonia, just extending into Thessaloniki University, on the orchids of E Thrace, and bordering with Bulgaria. It is a Macedonia, and has since published a num- forlorn country, very thinly settled and with ber of papers on the subject in international few access roads, which in its higher parts is journals; Iannis Tsiripidis’s PhD thesis of covered with dense, seminatural to primeval 2001, presented to the same university, dealt forest. Botanically it is notable as hosting with the beech forests of the Rhodopi the most southerly outpost of genuine Cen- Mountains. Together they wrote the book’s tral European Norway spruce forest, along fully bilingual (Greek and English) texts. with woods of birch and grey alder and a The third author, Kostas Vidakis, graduated host of undergrowth species similarly rare or in forestry at the Technological Educational absent further south. In terms of its ecology Institute at Kavala and has since become a and the beauty of its pristine landscape it is professional wildlife photographers; the certainly a jewel, worth every effort to keep photographs are his. it unscathed. For the present purpose, the One might wonder why it was the orchid area has been expanded toward the south family that was chosen to illustrate the natu- and west to include the Falakron massif. ral riches of the Rhodopi National Park. The book can be divided into unequal Contrary to what the authors claim, it is halves. The first, introductory portion, up to rather poorly represented in that area. Or- page 45, describes the physical and biologi- chids are much more plentiful and diverse in cal environment, with emphasis on the vege- southern Greece and at low altitudes. Only 6 tation. The second, central part is devoted to of the c. 100 Ophrys currently accepted taxa the orchid family, the description and illus- (species and subspecies, discounting hy- tration of the 59 taxa (species and subspe- brids) reported for the country are present in cies) known from the area being preceded the Park. Of the 18 recognised genera treated by general chapters, for a lay readership, on in the book, the most diverse are Anacamp- orchid systematics, evolution, and morphol- tis, Epipactis and Orchis (what is left of it), ogy. Typically, the descriptive portion de- with 8 taxa each. Most of the species are votes two pages to each species (Orchis well known and widespread, at least when militaris, with two additional pages, is the their total area is considered. Yet there are exception): one full-page photograph show- valid reasons for the choice of the book’s ing a flower or flowers in close-up, faced subject, beyond the obvious one: that or- with the text, two smaller photographs of chids are always perceived as exotic and

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fascinating, bound to attract a wide reader- learning, education, even sheer aesthetics, ship. It is a fact that N Greek orchids have than its general reputation has it. W.G. received disproportionately low attention so far, with the result that species new to the Floras national flora keep turning up. Also, four northerly species appear to have their south- ernmost and only Greek occurrences within 5. Peter SCHÖNFELDER & Ingrid the area of study: Neottia (Listera) cordata SCHÖNFELDER – Die Kosmos- in the Rhodopi range; Orchis militaris, Kanarenflora. Über 1000 Arten und 60 Gymnadenia (Nigritella) rhellicani and G. tropische Ziergehölze. Kosmos, Stutt- odoratissima on Mt. Falakron (actually the gart, 2012 (ISBN 978-3-440-12607-3). last named, discovered but recently, is not 319 pages, 922 colour photographs, included in the book). Finally, some of the drawings, graphs and maps, key and fur- species treated are Balkan endemics of ther drawings on 2 extra sheets and rather limited general distribution, to name: cover inside; laminated boards. Dactylorhiza cordigera, D. macedonica, As mentioned in the preface to the book, Gymnadenia frivaldii, and three of the this is the third edition to appear under the Ophrys microspecies. same title and authorship (an information On the whole there is little to criticise, that is conspicuously absent from the pub- just some relatively minor points. Figure lisher’s imprint). The first edition was pub- captions are inadequate or (e.g. for the land- lished in 1997 (see OPTIMA Newslett. 32: scape and vegetation photographs of the (10-11). 1997); the second, of 2005 (not introductory chapters) altogether lacking. seen), appears to be no more than a new The “distribution maps”, as such, are a printing, perhaps with minor corrections. laugh: each map, without exception, shows a The present, third one, on the contrary, dif- single locality dot – hopefully designating fers substantially. Many of the former pho- the place where the pictures were taken, tographs have been replaced and new ones although this is not made explicit. More added, increasing the total number from 602 worrying is the fact that at least two of the to 922. There has been a parallel raise in the photographs were transposed (the close-ups number of species considered, from 898 supposed to illustrate Anacamptis corio- (850 wild, 48 cultivated ornamentals) to phora subsp. coriophora and subsp. fra- 1060 (1000 + 60, respectively) – figures grans); that the plant shown under the name that, as noted in my former review, are sub- Orchis pauciflora appears to be O. provin- ject to some caution. Another change of note cialis; and that identification of the pictures is the replacement of the minute drawings of Ophrys epirotica and the three Serapias illustrating the family key by 77 small but taxa is at best doubtful. informative colour photographs. Apart from these imperfections the book As the number of pages did not change, is a jewel: elegantly produced, artfully illus- one may wonder how the additional infor- trated, beautiful in every respect. It is sur- mation has been squeezed in. For the photo- prising that in a time when Greece, eco- graphs, the answer is clear: there are, on nomically speaking, is sailing in rough seas average, more images per page, with corre- it has been possible to publish such a book, sponding reduction in size. As the resolution be it with a substantial contribution from the of the originals has improved concurrently European Union. Let us take it as a sign, and the page layout is handled more flexibly that the world of politics and finance is than before, the reduction does not result in more open-minded toward the domains of appreciable quality loss. Fortunately, the

2013 OPTIMA Newsletter No. 41 (5) Publications

text, was not condensed by use of smaller 17 volumes have been published over a pe- print but rather by editorial cropping of un- riod of 26 years, almost exactly one every essential phrases and downgrading of some 1½ years. In parallel to the publication species treatments to the level of notes, with proper, three major correlated databases omission of their distribution map. have been designed, implemented and kept Due to improved coverage, the new edi- running: the Flora iberica database, which tion has added merit as compared to its pre- permits online consultation of the published decessor. If you own ed. 1 (or 2), and have volumes in pdf format, also providing for used it to your satisfaction, you may still posting updates and offering to the contribu- want to consider the purchase of the present, tors the opportunity of online editing and again moderately priced version. W.G. data sharing; Anthos, a reference system holding 1.3 million georeferenced locality data from herbaria and literature, able to 6. Santiago CASTROVIEJO † (gen. ed.), S. generate distribution maps for individual TALAVERA, C. ANDRÉS, M. ARISTA, M. taxa, and also including information on P. FERNÁNDEZ PIEDRA, M. J. GALLE- chromosome counts and vernacular names; GO, P. L. ORTIZ, C. ROMERO ZARCO, and Phyteia, said to be an inventory of legal F. J. SALGUEIRO, S. SILVESTRE & A. protection norms for plant species (but not QUINTANAR (vol. ed.) – Flora iberica. currently available for consultation under Plantas vasculares de la Península Ibérica the cited Web link). Indeed an impressive – e Islas Baleares. Vol. XI, Gentianaceae- and by no means exhaustive – scenario! Boraginaceae. – Real Jardín Botánico, Work on volume 11 (as for vol. 9, yet to Madrid, 2012 (ISBN 978-84-00-09415- come) started as long ago as 1997, which, 7, volume; 978-84-00-06221-7, set). the preamble claims, ensures eo ipso that its XLVIII + 672 pages, map, 124 plates of scientific standard is particularly high. It is drawings; cloth with dust jacket. by and large the product of the project team To my mind, Flora iberica is and re- in Sevilla, where 9 out of 10 volume editors mains unchallenged as the best designed, and 10 of 19 text authors are based, who most carefully edited, most detailed and wrote the treatments for 64 of the 76 genera. informative among modern critical Floras. If the volume is to have its hero, it can be no Users who do appreciate its qualities will other than Benito Valdés, who authored the easily concur with my assessment, but few accounts for more than half of the Boragi- will be aware of the complex, keen effort naceae species, including the two largest behind the stage that is needed to achieve and arguably most difficult genera, Myosotis such result. To truly appreciate that fact you (20 species) and Echium (19). The next most have to be familiar with co-operative pro- important genera, this time, are Solanum jects of a comparable size, and with the (18), Convolvulus (15), Gentiana (13), Cen- difficulty of having them funded over a taurium (11), and Cuscuta (9). thirty-year period. Carlos Aedo’s most read- Nine families are included, one of which able preamble gives us the essential facts. large (Boraginaceae), three of medium size The Flora Iberica Programme consists of 4 (Convolvulaceae, Gentianaceae, Solana- research teams in as many Spanish cities, ceae), and 5 small (Apocynaceae, Asclepi- with additional participation from 14 com- adaceae, Hydrophyllaceae, Menyanthaceae, mitted university departments. Funding for Oleaceae). Family delimitation is pleasura- the ninth triennial project phase (2011 to bly traditional, with Asclepiadaceae kept 2014) has just been granted by Spain’s Re- separate from Apocynaceae and Hydrophyl- search Ministry (congratulations!). So far, laceae distinct from Boraginaceae in which

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Heliotropium still finds its place. Generic The title is an understatement. The book definitions tend to be on the narrow side, is much more than a set of identification with Gentiana, Gentianella, Gentianopsis keys, it is a fully fledged portable Flora, a and Comastoma, Buglossoides and Aegony- smaller version of the bulky and heavy 4- chon, Lithodora and Glandora, Cynoglos- volume Flora of East Andalusia published sum and Solenanthus (but not Pardoglos- two years previously (see OPTIMA News- sum) treated as independent. Concerning lett. 39: (6-7). 2010). Just the taxon descrip- Lithodora and Glandora, I take exception to tions were omitted (but the remainder is still the suggested etymology (and consequent there: synonymy, growth form, overall size, pronunciation) of the names. It makes little phenology, habitat, general and local distri- sense to derive the second word element, - bution, frequency, threat category), as were dora, from δορά (skin). The obvious mean- ¾ of the colour photographs (535 remain, as ing is gift (δώρον), used adjectivally as in compared to the original 2181). The reduc- classical ϴεόδορος and ϴεοδώρα, gift of tion in size and weight has been achieved to a God (note the shift in stress, between mas- large extent through the use of smaller print culine and feminine), the intended significa- and illustrations, and thinner paper. One of the tion of Lithodora, the name of a very deco- five editors of the large edition (Fernández rative chasmophytic shrublet, being: gift of López) has dropped out, being replaced by the rock. The stress is to be placed on the Salazar; but the 77 text authors remain. penultimate syllable (Lithodóra, Glandóra). The book is not a mere abstract of the Four volumes (9, 16, 19, and 20) are major Flora, as one might suspect. Reader still to come, 2018 being the target date for feedback has made it possible to incorporate completion. Publication of vol. 9 and 20 is numerous corrections and improvements said to be imminent, but the two largest regarding taxonomic status (63 cases), local families, Compositae and Gramineae, have distribution (146), habitat (45), and mis- been left for the end – in view of their size, spellings (90). Most importantly, 44 species they will presumably each form a twin vol- and subspecies have been newly added, as ume, same as Leguminosae. These monster well as two families and several genera, and families will present a major challenge for the identification keys have been adapted to editors and project teams, but hopefully not accommodate them all. The new additions a stumbling block. We wish them energy, raise the E Andalusian vascular flora to a good health, and generous funding, and can total of 3724 native or naturalised species assure the funding agencies that every Euro and subspecies; which means that the large they have spent and will spend on this pro- edition of the Flora, two years after having ject is money well spent! W.G. been printed in 4000+ copies (!), is already slightly out of date. No way, obviously, of 7. Gabriel BLANCA, Baltasar CABE- getting a new edition printed; but ed. 2 has ZUDO, Miguel CUETO, Concepción nevertheless been prepared and is added to MORALES TORRES & Carlos SALA- the present book in full, on a compact disk, ZAR (ed.) – Claves de la flora vascular as a single, searchable pdf file. In my review of de Andalucía Oriental. – Universi- the 2009 edition I had pointed at the discom- dades de Granada, Almería, Jaén y fort of using the CD-ROM then delivered, Málaga, Granada, 2011 (ISBN 978-84- due to the splitting of the information in four 338-5217-5 [etc.]). 802 pages, figures, files, each corresponding to one volume. This analytical drawings, map, 128 plates of concern has now been taken into account. colour photographs; with a CD-ROM; The problem that remains (or has arisen?) is laminated flexible cover. that the new CD-ROM’s search facilities do

2013 OPTIMA Newsletter No. 41 (7) Publications

not co-operate well with Windows Vista – asset of this Flora. Many grayscale photo- there is no problem with other operating graphs showing overall habit are included, systems, though, including Windows XP. plus excellent close-ups of analytical details Let me stress that the present volume is such as flowering/fruiting heads, achenes, a valuable addition to any botanist’s library, and sometimes leaves or underground parts. being practical, informative and easy to use Nomenclatural types are often but not con- – especially if you are short-sighted and/or sistently indicated, mostly for generic and have a magnifying glass ready at hand. W.G. Linnaean names; in the special case of the subendemic Crepis bellidifolia Loisel., originally decribed from Corsica, the holo- 8. Daniel JEANMONOD (ed.) – Complé- type has been traced and is illustrated. No ments au Prodrome de la flore corse. nomenclatural novelties are included, disre- Asteraceae – III: Cichorieae (sauf Ta- garding the odd new name Muralis (p. 47) raxacum, Hieracium et Pilosella), par used for a genus that is not accepted nor Daniel JEANMONOD & André SCHLÜS- indexed – which upon closer inspection SEL. – Conservatoire et Jardin botani- proves to be an error for Mycelis. ques, Ville de Genève, 2012 (ISBN 978- This being a critical Flora, it is natural 2-8277-0818-5). 306 pages, 94 black- that the authors did not follow slavishly any and-white figures (maps and photo- established taxonomic frame but have de- graphs), map, 2 graphs, 2 tables; lami- veloped their own classification scheme, nated flexible cover. based on the most recent published results The subtitle is explicit: The third Aste- and on their own study of (mostly Corsican) raceae volume of this serial Flora does not, plant material, and supported by arguments as one might have hoped, bring the treat- set out in considerable detail. In view of the ment of the family to its conclusion. Three speed with which generic boundaries and genera, the essentially apomictic Taraxacum names are currently changing – changes that and Hieracium plus the equally critical are usually triggered by new molecular stud- Pilosella, are left for a dessert. Even so, the ies – it is gratifying to find that the Med- amount of information presented is substan- Checklist solutions, five years later, are still tial, and the quality and interest of the data considered as valid in all but one case (La- are as remarkable as ever. goseris segregated from Crepis). At species The present volume treats 24 genera and and subspecies level, I noticed two diver- 57 species considered to be members of the gences, one upgrade (Tragopogon porri- Corsican flora (including two species only folius subsp. eriospermus to T. eriospermus) known as former casuals). The treatments and one downgrade (Cichorium pumilum to are authored by Jeanmonod (17 genera/32 C. endivia subsp. pumilum), both of them species), Schlüssel (3/15), both of them borderline cases in which rank is open to together (1/5), or both plus Isabelle Cha- discussion. palay, a former master student at the Geneva A most commendable feature of the Conservatoire botanique (3/5). Half of the work is the thoroughness with which the genera are represented by a single species, authors have tracked down the sources of the largest one, Crepis, by nine. All taxa are unconfirmed records that haunt the litera- carefully described and discussed, and their ture, being all but impossible to eradicate. Corsican distribution is mapped. Whereas They managed to eliminate convincingly no few users will read the lengthy specimen less than 8 species and one subspecies, and enumerations in small print upon which the even one whole genus (Scorzoneroides), that maps are based, illustration remain a major have been cited for Corsica in error. W.G.

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9. Dmitar R. PEEV (ed.) – Flora na Re- it splits such as Diosphaera (here unac- publika Bălgarija [Flora reipublicae countably merged with Trachelium) and bulgaricae], 11 (Stefan I. KOŽUHAROV † Balkan ‟Symphyandra”; but where are we & Minčo E. ANČEV, ed.). – Akademično to draw the line? Izdatelstvo “Prof. Marin Drinov”, As to the arrangement and presentation Sofija, 2012 (ISBN 978-954-322-522-4). of the data, the editors have managed to 527 pages, 97 plates of drawings, inset adhere faithfully to the traditionally high folded map, hard cover. standards of the Flora. The time gap of pub- lication did not, I am glad to say, result in a Ever since volume 10 of this important break of general style and appearance, and S European national Flora came out, bota- even the details have remained unchanged. nists have been anxiously awaiting its con- Same as last time, when the title was altered tinuation; at long last, after 17 years, their to reflect the country’s new denomination, patience has been rewarded. As I then wrote the Preface (but nothing else) is bilingual, (in OPTIMA Newslett. 31: (7). 1997), Bul- Bulgarian and English; and the Bulgarian- garia has been going through difficult times. to-Latin dictionary of technical terms – in- Beholding this impressive new book, it is valuable for foreign botanists who want to my hope and wish that it signals the end of use the work – has also been maintained. these difficulties, at least of the worst ones. Two new Campanula taxa, one subspecies Volume 11 comprises the treatment of and one nothospecies, are described (in three families – one (Morinaceae) with a Latin) and validly named in an Appendix, single species, the other two (Dipsacaceae, which also lists 17 nomenclatural novelties Campanulaceae) medium-sized – and one (new combinations and/or rank transfers) at subfamily, Asteroideae of the Compositae: infraspecific ranks (one subspecies, 15 va- 262 species in total, 241 native and 21 natu- rieties, one forma). As these combinations ralised aliens. The two largest genera are are validated twice in the same volume, in Campanula (34 species) and Achillea (22), the main text and in the Appendix, cross- followed at a distance by half a dozen with references in both places would have been 11 to 14 species: Anthemis, Artemisia, Inula, useful, for indexers in particular (in June Knautia, Scabiosa, and Senecio. Even 2013, when this review was written, none of though several of the Compositae treatments the new names had yet made it to the IPNI were written well over 20 years ago (their database). Incidentally, Flora of the Repub- author, Bogdan Kuzmanov, died in 1991), lic of Bulgaria is exceptional if not unique taxonomic frame adopted for that family is among contemporary floristic publications surprisingly modern: the Med-Checklist in that it persists adopting infraspecific taxa classification of genera, even though still at more than one rank. unfamiliar to many, has been adopted The illustrations are one of the Flora’s throughout. Minčo Ančev’s Campanulaceae major assets. They are due to the skills of and Ana Petrova’s Dipsacaceae are less Dimitar Vlaev, the artist who has produced convincing in this respect. The delimitation the drawings, all based on actual (but un- of Scabiosa, in particular, is incompatible specified) specimens, for this and many with modern concepts of that genus. As to previous volumes. All indigenous species Campanula, it is hard to predict the conclu- and some invasive aliens have been thus sions that will eventually be drawn from portrayed. When more than one subspecies ongoing large-scale molecular studies, but if is present in Bulgaria, subspecies names are one is to keep that genus reasonably wide sometimes but not always mentioned in the yet natural, it is not tenable to exclude from caption; if they are not, one may probably

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assume that the drawing is of the “typical” the by itself exceptional production of the subspecies, but I was unable to find confir- whole previous year. The number of ac- mation for that assumption. cepted species (408, not counting interspeci- All being well, the next, twelfth volume fic hybrids) is the highest ever, by far. will bring this Flora to completion. Being The Labiatae (as the family should bet- devoted to the remainder of Compositae, i.e. ter have been named for consistency, as the Carduoideae with their two large and previously the same Flora had used Um- critical tribes, Cardueae and Cichorieae, it belliferae in preference to Apiaceae) are, will no doubt be a very sizeable book. May I moreover, among the most complex and express the hope and wish, doubtless shared taxonomically most critical members of the by many, that it can be produced and printed country’s flora. To witness, they include 3 in a timely fashion, more so than its prede- of Iran’s most species-rich genera: Nepeta cessor now before us. W.G. (79), Salvia (61), and Stachys (38); as well as the validation of the names of 11 new taxa (5 species, 1 nothospecies, 2 subspe- 10. Mostafa ASSADI, Ali Asghar MAAS- cies, 3 varieties) plus 5 new combinations or SOUMI & Valiolah MOZAFFARIAN rank transfers, concerning the genera Ajuga, (ed.) – Flora of Iran. No. 74: Salica- Dracocephalum, Lamium, Nepeta, Phlomis, ceae, by Ali Asghar MAASSOUMI, Mo- Salvia, Stachys, and Teucrium, which add to stafa ASSADI & A. HEMMATI (ISBN several such novelties published by the au- 978-964-473-334-5); No. 76: La- thor beforehand, in separate papers. To note miaceae, by Ziba JAMZAD (ISBN 978- that, in agreement with the new tenets of 964-473-357-4). – Research Institute of phylogenetic systematics, the formerly ver- Forests and Rangelands, [Tehran], 2011; benaceous genus Vitex is now treated as a 2012. 90, 1068 pages; 11, 303 figures member of Labiatae, in a separate subfamily (line drawings); 38, 615 maps; paper (76 Viticoideae. also as hardcover). All in all a splendid achievement, in Since my last review of this major na- which the author, and Iranian botany in gen- tional Flora, “only” two further issues have eral, may take justified pride. The plentiful been published (N° 75, announced for Ama- and excellent, mostly full-page original ranthaceae, has apparently not been distrib- drawings of 300+ species, many of which uted to date); but what issues! The smaller had rarely or never been illustrated before, of the two, Salicaceae, is already quite sub- adds to the usefulness of the book for those stantial with its 30 Salix species, many of unfamiliar with farsi language and/or Arabic them endemic, plus 6 infraspecific hybrids script. W.G. and two species of poplars. Those who have been thinking of willows as a speciality of central and northern Europe will do well to Popular Books reconsider. The really impressive achievement, 11. H. Walter LACK & Kathrin GROTZ however, is Ziba Jamzad’s Lamiaceae (ed.) – Floras Schätze – die Erfassung treatment: the single most sizeable issue so der grünen Welt. Flora’s treasures – far, of the largest family yet treated as a recording the green world. – Bota- single unit (other major families, such as nisches Museum Berlin-Dahlem, Berlin, Compositae, Leguminosae and Caryophyl- 2012. 132 pages, photographs (mostly in laceae, are being published by bits). By colour), facsimiles, drawings, graphs, sheer page number, this treatment exceeds maps; laminated flexible cover.

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The Berlin Botanical Museum’s special [Publication hors-série N° 11c.] – Con- exhibition “Flora’s treasures” opened at the servatoire et Jardin botaniques, Genève, end of April 2012, to last 10 months. It was 2012 (ISBN 978-2-8277-0126-1). 431 devoted to Floras with a capital F; that is, to pages, greyscale illustrations (mostly written books inventorying and describing photographs), drawing, table, map; all plants of a given area; and it aptly fea- laminated flexible cover. tures as its logo a colourful image of the When reviewing the first three volumes homonymous Roman goddess, a beautifully of which I have qualified as “one of the preserved mural from Pompeii. This may most important works in Mediterranean well have been the first time ever that Floras plant science published in recent years” (see – the way they are prepared, written and OPTIMA Newslett. 40: (12-14). 2011), I published – form the acknowledged subject explained extensively its coverage, data of a major public display. content and way of presentation. This I am The present, entirely bilingual (German not going to repeat. and English) slim volume was published as Volume 4 is the penultimate planned, a companion to that exhibition, with the with volume 5 scheduled to be published in second half serving as the latter’s catalogue. 2013 (perhaps already available but not yet Its first portion is a loose series of ten es- received when these lines are being written). says, to serve as a general frame. It starts The dicot families treated here, alphabetically with Lack’s introduction of Flora writing as arranged, are those beginning with the let- a never ending synthesis – an implicit hom- ters F through N. This means that all those age to Lincoln Constance, who coined the included here have been covered in vol. 3 phrase “unending synthesis” to qualify sys- and 4 of Med-Checklist, provided the same tematic botany as a whole. A text on keys family name are accepted, and mostly, as it for identification follows, and thereupon happens, even when the names differ (e.g., accounts of exploratory field campaigns in Labiatae vs. Lamiaceae, Leguminosae vs. Cuba and China; Raus’s review of Greek Fabaceae). The only exceptions I am aware Floras (the only item of immediate concern of are Nitrariaceae (to be included in Zygo- from a Mediterranean perspective); an essay phyllaceae for Med-Checklist purposes), on Floras documenting changes over time, Grossulariaceae and Hydrangeaceae (there taking Berlin as example; and a somewhat to remain in Saxifragaceae). Other unfamil- idealistic outlook on future Flora writing as iar family names here adopted, resulting a communal, Wikipedia-style exercise. from recent splits, include Gisekiaceae and All in all an attractive, well presented Lophiocarpaceae, whereas conversely, Glo- and generously illustrated assemblage of bulariaceae, to be merged with Plantagina- texts and documents relevant to the general ceae, will be treated in the final volume. subject, Floras. Take a look, you may find As mentioned in a small chapter on sta- inspiration, one way or another, for your tistics, this volume treats 34 families, 219 own work. W.G. genera, 1519 species and 275 infraspecific taxa; which brings the number of species so Floristic Inventories and Checklists far accepted to a total of 5893. As in previous volumes, several nomen- clatural novelties have been validated her e 12. Alain DOBIGNARD & Cyrille CHATE- and are explained in an apposite addenda LAIN – Index synonymique de la flore section, by Dobignard. This time, all eight d’Afrique du Nord. Volume 4, Dicoty- such novelties – concerning the genera ledoneae, Fabaceae à Nymphaeaceae. Lathyrus, Ononis, Tripodion, Erodium (3),

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Marrubium, and Sideritis – involve a change obscures that fact that the second and larger in rank to that of subspecies. The Addenda part, pp. 36-104, is a fully fledged analytical furthermore include interesting novel con- checklist of a particular area, Suva Gora. siderations, such as the resurrection of More on the latter follows further down. Pomel’s long forgotten monotypic genus The initial chapter assembles new, Maropsis, to accommodate the peculiar specimen-based locality data for 120 taxa, former Sideritis deserti. A whole series of among which 15 (8 species, 4 subspecies, 2 entries is based on Guittonneau’s comments varieties and 1 forma) are first records for on Erodium taxa. With these, I disagree in the Republic Makedonija – one of them, one particular case, the taxon renamed Rubus wahlbergii, being new for the entire Erodium crassifolium subsp. hirtum. On the Balkan Peninsula (its nearest occurrences basis of the criteria mentioned, and also of are in the Czech Republic). Along with the ecology, the plants of Cyprus (E. crassi- new records, earlier literature data for the folium s. str.) and Crete do not differ for taxon (if any) are cited, and maps showing those of Egypt (E. hirtum) and neighbouring the new and old localities, marked by differ- countries, but are unlike those from Mo- ent symbols, are provided for all but two of rocco. The latter must bear the name E. them. Colour photographs (apparently com- crassifolium subsp. maroccanum (Maire) puter printouts of fairly good quality) illus- comb. & stat. nov. (E. hirtum var. maroc- trate several of the more spectacular addi- canum Maire in Bull. Soc. Hist. Nat. Afri- tions (there are six of them for the Rubus que N. 14: 135. 1923; E. maroccanum alone). The corresponding list of references at (Maire) Förther & Podlech 2001, non E. the end, which runs over 6 full pages (105- marocanum Batt. & Pit. 1918). 110), looks like an all but exhaustive bibli- One may spot a few minor imperfec- ography of the country’s floristic literature. tions that are not compatible with the idea Suva Gora, the book’s main subject, is a that the text has been generated directly from complex of mountains at hills to the south- the database. To give one example: The east of Tetovo, peaking at Mt. Dupen Ka- running head for each page includes men- men (1857 m). The area was poorly known tion of the family and genus for the initial previously, with merely 227 taxa recorded in text portion – but on p. 351 (Teucrium), the literature (4 of which are dismissed as unaccountably, the family Cordiaceae has unconfirmed). Teofilovski adds no less than displaced Lamiaceae. Curiously, in vol. 3 1132 taxa, bringing the known flora up to a the header Cordiaceae, which would right- total of 1307 species (1355 taxa). In addi- fully belong to p. 353, also appears on p. tion to the checklist proper, statistic tables 351 – hardly a mere coincidence? W.G. of life forms and chorotypes are provided. This is a valuable work, but (like many other publications from this remote part of 13. Aco TEOFILOVSKI – Prilozi za florata the Balkans) it is fairly rare, only 50 copies na Republika Makedonija [Contribu- having been produced. W.G. tions to the flora of the Republic of Ma- cedonia]. – Privately published, Skopje, 2011 (ISBN 978-9989-57-741-3). 142 14. Andrej Vasil’evič ENA – Prirodnaja pages, 10 plates with 67 colour photo- flora krymskogo poluostrova [A. V. graphs, map, 117 distribution maps, 5 Yena – Spontaneous flora of the Cri- tables; paper. mean Peninsula]. – Orianda, Simfer- opol’, 2012 (ISBN 978-966-1691-61-1). The title of this work is fully appropri- 232 pages, 2 maps, 1 graph, 4 tables, 6 ate for its first portion, up to p. 35; but it portraits; laminated flexible cover.

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The main body of this slim and unpre- appropriate to mention the presence of por- tentious book is an annotated checklist of traits (some not previously published) of the the Crimea, running from p. 40 through 200. fathers of Crimean botany: Pallas, Marschall It lists 2536 accepted vascular plant taxa von Bieberstein, Steven, Busch, Rubtsov, and (species and subspecies) in total, singling Golubev, not to forget Yena’s own image out endemics, aliens, and a few cases of that appears on the back cover. W.G. extinction. Apart from an utterly streamlined 6-lines abstract in English (p. 5) the text is 15. Georgij A. LAZ’KOV & Bejšekan A. written entirely in Russian. SULTANOVA – Kadastr flory Kyr- The checklist proper is preceded by 5 in- gyzstana. Sosudistye rastenija [Alex- troductory chapters characterising the terri- ander SENNIKOV (ed.), Checklist of vas- tory covered, outlining the history of its cular plants of Kyrgyzstan]. [Norrlinia floristic exploration, discussing alien cate- (ISSN 0780-3214), 24]. – Botanical Mu- gories and species concepts, and explaining seum, Finnish Museum of Natural His- the conventions used. At the end, there is a tory, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, statistic summary of the Crimean vascular 2011 (ISBN 978-952-10-7588-9). 166 flora with its 760 genera of 127 families pages, map, portrait photograph; paper. (defined and named according to the new, molecular-based concepts of phylogenetic Kyrgyzstan is a Central Asian republic, systematics). Predictably, Asteraceae are by formerly part of The Soviet Union, situated far the largest family, whereas among gen- to the SE of Kazakhstan. Its national Flora, era, perhaps surprisingly Carex with 39 taxa Flora Kirgizskoj SSR, was published be- comes on top, preceding Astragalus, Eu- tween 1948 and 1970, in 11 volumes plus 2 phorbia and Taraxacum. supplements. According to Sennikov’s Eng- At the end of each genus follows a tri- lish editorial foreword (on which this review partite explanatory section of Notes, Addi- mostly relies), it is considered “of inferior tions and Deletions. This is an incredibly in- academic quality” and is “completely obso- formative if highly condensed assemblage of lete and unreliable”. No other inventory of data, fully referenced to a final bibliography Kyrgyzstan’s vascular flora exists, as the with no less than 628 items. Interestingly, present text, originally intended as part of a the excluded taxa, on average, outnumber the national biodiversity register, could not be newly added ones. This fact, together with published locally. It is fortunate that the taxonomic mergers mentioned in the Notes Botanical Museum in Helsinki accepted to where synonymies are given, accounts for the host it in its serial Norrlinia. recent tendency of the taxon number to de- The checklist is based on literature, on crease. There is an interesting table in the the holdings of the herbarium of the authors’ historical chapter, according to which the institution (FRU) at the Kirghiz capital, number of taxa of the Crimean flora steadily Bishkek, and on their reassessment of the from Pallas’s initial 978 of 1795 to Golu- taxa of the major families and genera of the bev’s 2775 of 1996, which number has been flora. It lists 3869 species, including 71 gradually eroded to the current total, by al- aliens: the first and only reliable figure that most 10 %, through Yena’s studies. Clearly a exists for the Kirghiz vascular flora. Due to tidying-up of the historical ballast of errors an exhaustive reference list, it also serves as was badly needed, and the new checklist has guide to the published information of Kir- undertaken that task with remarkable success. ghiz floristics. One does not usually expect to find il- The editor, apologetically, comments lustrations in a work of this kind, so it is that the genus and family concepts here used

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do not reflect “recent advance of molecular over, or heavily transformed by seaside re- phylogeny”, being “at least 20 years old and sorts, or covered with mounds of mud partly obsolete”. I wonder: might this not dredged out of the lagoon. rather be a strong point? Let me challenge The surprising result of the present Sennikov’s idea by proposing a bet: that 50 study is that the flora of this tiny strip of years from now the taxonomy here used will badly mistreated land is still quite rich – or be less at variance with the then prevailing perhaps, speaking in terms of species num- taxonomic tenets than the scheme he cur- ber, richer than ever before. The authors list rently prefers. I wish him long life, so he 652 species plus 15 additional subspecies, may be able to find out who won. W.G. 667 taxa in all. Discounting the 151 species that are only known from the Occitan terri- Regional Studies tory (where a small area with remnants of coastal maquis on calcareous bedrock ex- ists), and moreover 36 cultivated species, 16. Toni BUIRA I CLUA, Rafel BALADA I which best escape, the wild Catalan flora LLASAT & Claude SASTRE – Plantes present still encompasses 480 taxa, only two vasculars del quadrat UTM 31T of which are presumed extinct. True, many EH04 Estany de Salses. [ORCA: of these are widespread, often weedy and Catàlegs floristics locals, 18.] – Institut sometimes exotic plants; yet according to d’Estudis Catalans, Secció de Ciències the analysis here presented over ¾ are Medi- Biològiques, Barcelona, 2012 (ISBN terranean in the strict or wider sense. 978-84-9965-129-3). 71 pages, maps, It is surprising that no mention is made graphs; paper. of existing or needed conservation meas- ORCA’a series of local floristic invento- ures. A single sentence, under the subtitle ries, each devoted to one unit square of the “Former floristic studies”, refers to the fact Catalan mapping grid, is thinning out; but that the whole of the Salses-Leucate lagoon, the flow has not stopped completely. Num- including the near totality of the study area, ber 17 was published in 2008 (see OPTIMA has been classified as a Natura 2000 site, Newslett. 39: (18). 2010); four years later and inventoried accordingly prior to 2008. comes the next following one. It is peculiar True, conservationists have focused princi- in that it is the first to deal with a territory pally on the 280 bird species known from that lies outside of Spain and, moreover, is the lagoon. But might not plants, too, profit only partly relevant to the Catalan territory from that attention? W.G. as defined in the Floras and mapping project for the area. The Etang de Salses, as it is 17. Werner GREUTER – Results of the called in French, is a large, brackish coastal Seventh “Iter Mediterraneum” in the lagoon separated from the Mediterranean Peloponnese, Greece, May to June Sea by a bar of dunes, which for its northern 1995. (Occasional Papers from the Her- half belongs to the harbour of Leucate barium Greuter – No 1.) [Bocconea (where Occitan French is spoken) and only (ISSN 1120-4060), 25]. – Herbarium for its southern portion to the Catalan Port Mediterraneum Panormitanum, Pal- del Barcarès. This sandy bar, the flora of ermo, 2012 (ISBN 978-88-7915-025-5). which is the all but exclusive subject of this 127 pages, greyscale photographs, maps, pamphlet, is one of the areas in which the table; paper. Montpellier botanists of old, including Gouan and the elder Candolle used to bot- The material gathered by the partici- anise. Most of it is now completely built pants to the VII Iter Mediterraneum had

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been lying ever since, safely but virtually principally the vegetation are described. untouched, in a vault of the Patras Herbar- Throughout the book you will find plant ium (UPA), following the departure to Ath- names mentioned ever and again, particu- ens of the botanist in charge of them. I had a larly in the section that details itineraries for first look at that material in November 2011, 32 advised (geological) excursions. A sig- then in April 2011 had it transferred to the nificant proportion of the colour photo- Palermo Herbarium (PAL) where I could graphs show characteristic vegetation types start working on it, meaning: identify and or feature individual plants, including sev- label it, sort and despatch duplicate series, eral rare endemics. The two most remark- and prepare the results for publication. The able are close-ups of that extremely rare, work, with interruption, took the better part inconspicuous and difficult-to-spot plant, of a year. The first and second set are now Horstrissea dolinicola, one of the island’s in PAL-Gr and UPA, the subsequent ones in two surviving endemic plant genera. My B, SALA, MA, BRNM, W, RNG, BEO, etc. only regret is the lack of an index to scien- In conformity with the declared goal of tific names of organisms. OPTIMA’s Itinera the Greek organisers The author, an all-round naturalist, has ensured that ill-known, not well investigated acted as a botanist all along his academic areas would be explored in the first place. career. Being now retired, he can afford to The fact that I found no less than 10 taxa spend time on his other pet disciplines, among the material that, in my opinion, among which geology is prominent; but were new when collected is therefore less even in the purely geological chapters you surprising than it might appear. Only one of will sense his biological heartbeat, e.g. when them (Achillea occulta) had been named in he writes about the fossil elephants, rhinos the meantime; the other 9 (7 species, 2 sub- and deer of the Pleistocene. One of the most species), in Allium, Asperula, Ballota, Kla- useful aspects of this pocket guide is the sea, Lolium, Minuartia, Nepeta, Oenanthe, incredibly thorough coverage of all kind of and Trifolium, are newly described here. primary literature sources. Even in botany, I The booklet, which also includes a con- found the citation of a relevant paper I had cise, synoptic enumeration of all Itinera missed! Other domains, with which I am Mediterranea to have taken place to date, less familiar, are equally well referenced, so can be obtained for free (upon refund of that the cumulative bibliographic list, at the mailing costs) by OPTIMA members in good end, takes 33 pages. W.G. standing. Just write! W.G. Excursions 18. Ulrich KULL – Kreta. [Sammlung ge- ologischer Führer (ISSN 0343-737X), 19. Ina DINTER – Insel Kárpathos mit 107.]. – Borntraeger, Stuttgart, 2012 Insel Saría. Botanische Studienreise (ISBN 978-3-443-15095-2). VI + 320 vom 31. Mai – 14. Juni 2011. – Privately pages, colour photographs, maps, assembled/printed, Ostfildern, 2011. 90 graphs; laminated flexible cover. sheets + CD-ROM, maps, figures, col- our photographs, tables; paper, plastic You may be surprised to find a geologi- front cover sheet. cal field guide reviewed in this column. Well, there are good reasons – the one most 20. Ina DINTER – Nordostgriechenland immediately obvious being the presence of a mit Insel Samothráki. Botanische sizeable botanical chapter (22 pages of Studienreise vom 1. – 15. Mai 2012. – tightly written text), in which the flora and Privately assembled/printed, Ostfildern,

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2012. V + 101 pages + CD-ROM, maps, Trees and Shrubs figures, colour photographs, tables; pa- per, plastic front cover sheet. 21. Tiziano FRATUS, con contributi di The first of Dinter’s excursion accounts Francesco Maria RAIMONDO e Giuseppe that she let me have is of 1993, and many BARBERA – Il bosco di Palermo. Itiner- more have followed since. Their general ari alla scoperta dei maggiori alberi style has not changed fundamentally during esotici d’Europa. – Meridiana, Firenze, these 20 years, but they have become much 2012 (ISBN 978-88-6007-217-7). 127 more attractive in detail, thanks to modern pages, colour photographs; paper. text and graphic software, and printing fa- cilities. The newer ones have a sophisticated This book is essentially a hymn to a sin- graphical layout, are richly illustrated in gle tree species; perhaps essentially a single colour, and are accompanied by a CD-ROM. clone of a tree, as – propagated by cuttings – Two Mediterranean excursions, both to it pervades the city of Palermo in the man- Greece, were undertaken in 2011. The trip ner of a fragmented forest, jumping from to NE Greece and the island of Samothraki garden to garden, park to park, square to marginally overlaps with that of the previ- square. The main author, a writer enam- ous year to NE Greece and Thasos, in so far oured in monumental trees, has presented in as Mt. Pangeo and Mt. Falakro where vis- an exhibition in the Palermo Botanic Garden ited on both; but for the remainder they dif- his many photographs of that tree, which fer, the 2011 one extending eastward to also illustrate the present small but precious Thrace whereas the 2010 one had been lim- volume. ited to E Macedonia. The total number of The tree’s name, presently, is Ficus ma- species listed is 517. crophylla, first mentioned by René Louiche The excursion to Karpathos was a sec- Desfontaines in a plant list of the Paris bo- ond edition, following by and large the itin- tanic garden, then three years later, in 1807, erary of the 1998 one (see OPTIMA News- formally described by Christiaan Hendrik lett. 34: (8-9). 1999). This time, the account Persoon (it does not, as Fratus erroneously includes the customary cumulative species believes, appear already in Desfontaines list at the end, contrary to the 1998 edition Flora atlantica). The species grows wild in which, at least for my copy, lacks that item. NE Australia, with one population (some- The 382 species observed or gathered in- times regarded as a separate subspecies) clude an interesting discovery: Ferulago endemic to Lord Howe Island. It probably humilis, an eastern species not so far re- reached Palermo from France, to be raised corded from Karpathos. Another umbel, by Vincenzo Tineo in the botanic garden in shown in a photograph on p. 71 with the the 1840ies, under the erroneous name Ficus attribute “unknown” then tentatively as- nervosa under which it had arrived. Anton- signed to Seseli gummiferum, is in fact Hel- ino Borzì, a subsequent director of the Pal- lenocarum multiflorum. The CD-ROM is ermo Garden, used that same tree, in 1897, particularly well stocked: apart from the to describe a new species: Ficus magno- usual colour photographs it includes a search- lioides. It has been claimed that it corre- able copy of the account itself, label copies sponds to the Lord Howe Island plant, for the collected specimens, and a variety of which may or may not be distinct from the E other useful documents. Part of the speci- Australian population. mens were collected, and photographs taken, Fratus’s telling photographs and texts, the year before (2011) during Dinter’s pre- lined up along three imaginary itineraries paratory trip to the same localities. W.G. through the city of Palermo, enliven the

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book. The botanists’ interest, however, will accepted only when backed by “compelling be raised principally by Raimondo’s narra- taxonomic or nomenclatural arguments”. tive of the history of the Palermo Garden Synonymy is far from exhaustive, being and its role as an early centre of plant intro- limited to names accepted elsewhere in re- duction and diffusion. Did you know that cent literature. Cultivars are not mentioned, the mandarin, Citrus reticulata (syn.: C. although relationship to specific cultivar deliciosa), was first introduced to the Euro- groups is sometimes commented upon. Data pean mainland in Palermo? W.G. categories given for each recognised taxon include known uses (16 use classes, with 113 subclasses), range of occurrence as Applied Botany native, naturalized or casual, and common names. The latter data field is particularly 22. John H. WIERSEMA & Blanca LEÓN – impressive, as plant designations in 20 lan- World economic plants. A standard guages using the Latin alphabet and 7 more reference. Second edition. – CRC Press, that use other alphabets are listed, the latter Boca Raton, 2013 (ISBN 978-1-4398- both in their original and in Romanized form. 2142-8). XXXVI + 1300 pages, 2 figures, Thanks to apposite indexes (562 pages, i.e., 3 tables; laminated hard cover. almost half the book!) the work can be used as a unique multi-language botanical dictionary. Appropriately declared to be a “standard reference” in the subtitle, this bulky and World economic plants is a spin-off heavy volume is indeed an unequalled mine from USDA’s Germplasm Resoures Infor- of information on economically important mation Network (GRIN), a gigantic database vascular plants and their wild relatives. Its with c. 100,000 scientific names primarily coverage is world-wide, even though per- related to the holdings of the US’s National haps somewhat more complete for the New Plant Germplasm System. These names are World than for other continents, but ex- continuously vetted in agreement with the cludes avascular cryptogams. Plants with a current rules of plant nomenclature, on negative impact on agricultural yield, such which John Wiersema, a member of long as major weeds (2136 species), are included, standing of the editorial committee for the as are all individual species mentioned in International Code of Nomenclature is one the CITES appendices (708 species) and of the world’s leading experts. The contents large number of ornamentals with some here printed are available identically economic importance (5361 species) – the (though with the option of future updates), latter category being the most sizeable and for free, in a fully searchable online version the most difficult to delimit objectively. at http://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi- All taxa (species, subspecies, varieties, bin/npgs/html/taxecon.pl?language=en. and some formae) are listed alphabetically This is a second edition. The first, by by their accepted scientific name, with John Wiersema alone, was published in cross-referenced synonyms inserted in the 1999. Since then, the number of accepted same sequence. Family affiliation is given; taxa has increased by 30% to the current it follows APG III for flowering plants, but figure of 12,235, with 3500 listed synonyms, familiar alternatives are mentioned. The and the number of names held in the GRIN accepted taxonomy is essentially modern, database, concomitantly, augmented by ⅔. aimed at recognising monophyletic units, Modern databasing techniques, enhanced by even though recent name changes based on new generations of ever more powerful pro- molecular studies, particularly when disrup- cessor chips, have assisted human brainpower tive with respect to current practice, are to produce this remarkable achievement.

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There is little doubt that the next edition, if the famous author of 200 writings (papers still printed, will exceed the size of one and books, we would now say), with the manageable volume. Whether in future equivalent of a top-level Hirsch index at times skilled botanical brains will still be of which, had he known, he would have essence is less certain. W.G. sneered; writings that at his death came to, and were burnt with, the famous library in Alexandria in Egypt, so that most of them Bibliography and Biography are lost to us forever. But all this is not the essence of what Amigues wants to convey. She knows her 23. Suzanne AMIGUES – Théophraste literature, every bit of it, but she also knows d’Eresos. – Mimosa, Montpellier, 2013 and loves Lesbos, and that’s what makes the (ISBN 978-2-9540076-4-9). 52 pages, unique mix of her prose. She looks at the colour photographs, drawings, maps; island, Eresos in particular, in the light of laminated flexible cover. Theophrastus’ and other classical texts; she thinks of his adolescence as a fuller’s son 24. Suzanne AMIGUES – Θεόφραςτος της and companion to shepherds and olive Ερεσού. – Mimosa, Montpellier, 2013 growers, and finds traces of his youth in his (ISBN 978-2-9540076-5-6). 52 pages, mature writings; she ferrets out the master’s colour photographs, drawings, maps; discreet apology of the ill-famed Lesbian laminated flexible cover. women with their beauty contests, not writ- No: what Suzanne Amigues wrote at the ten down by himself but quoted by a con- request of Theophrastus (not the man him- temporary of his; and she dwells at length self, of course, but the homonymous cultural on the wondrous discoveries of exotic plants association of Eresos’ citizens) is not a biog- brought in from Egypt or observed by Alex- raphy really. You may call it an essay, or a ander’s companions on his conquest of series of essays, their purpose being to make south-west Asia. I will leave it at that: dis- the father of botany take shape in the cover the remainder on your own. Just let reader’s mind, regain life in our imagina- me add that the illustrations are remarkably tion. You will find dates mentioned, occa- well chosen, and some are particularly sionally, of particular episodes of relevance: meaningful to me: Theophrastus’ statue in the Gymnasium in the Palermo Botanic his birth in Eresos, 372 B.C., still named Tyrtamos, and death in Athens, aged 85; his Garden, just beside my office door, under first short stay in Athens where he became whose benevolent eyes (are they really un- the pupil of Aristotle, with whom at Plato’s seeing?) I pass several times a day; and the three concluding photographs, showing death (c. 347 B.C.) he returned to his native island of Lesbos or Mytilini that became Theophrastus’ date palm at its classical Cre- their common field laboratory for some tan location of Vai. W.G. years; his appointment to Macedonia, in 343 B.C., as tutor of to-be Alexander the Great; 25. Stefan STANEV – Beležiti bălgarski Aristotle’s call to join him at the Lyceum in botanici. Zvezdi gasnat v planinata. Athens that he had founded in 335 B.C., Razkazi za našite redki rastenija. Treto which Theophrastus was destined to lead dopălmeno izdanie. – Paisij Hilendarski, after his master’s death in 322 B.C. There Plovdiv, 2013 (ISBN 978-954-423-821- are other hard facts and figures, too. Think 6). 503 pages, black-and-white photo- of Theophrastus (whose new name, awarded graphs, 32 plates of photographs, mostly by Aristotle, means “divine spoken”) as of in colour; laminated hard cover.

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These are two books in one. The first établi et traduit par Suzanne AMIGUES. (pp. 5-294), Prominent Bulgarian botanists, [Collection des Universités de France comes as the third revised edition of a book (ISSN 0184-7155), série grecque, 490]. originally published in 1982. It comprises – Les Belles Lettres, Paris, 2012 (ISBN the well illustrated biographies of 22 leading 978-2-251-00574-4). pages [III]-XXXII + Bulgarian representatives of various do- [1] + [2]-115 + [2]-237; paper. mains of botanical sciences, 8 of whom, After writing her marvellous, illustrated, deceased after 1982, are additional to the semi-popular French version of Theophras- first edition. Some of them, of my own gen- tos’ History of plants (see review in OP- eration, were good friends, unforgotten, such TIMA Newslett-39: (27-28). 2010), French as Emanuel Palamarev, Stefan Kožuharov, philologist Suzanne Amigues, professor of and Bogdan Kuzmanov. I shall never forget old languages and expert of ancient Greek, how Bogdan in 1972, from the passenger has reverted to the hard core of her studies: seat of my Citroen 2CV, addressed in elo- the scholarly, critical translation of Theo- quent English some Bulgarian milicija agent phrastos’ writings, as they came down to us who, lurking behind a bush, stopped us to fine through the zealous copying of Medieval me for speeding (good sport: the tariff was 2 monks. Having completed her work on the leva); then signalled me to take off as soon eight genuine volumes of the History (or as, exasperated, the man said “go to hell”. Research on plants, the title that she herself The second portion (pp. 295-499) is prefers), it was but natural that she should very different, definitely less academic in turn next to the second major work of the style: Stars sinking on the mountains, subti- “father of botany”, Пερὶ φυτῶν αἱτιῶν or De tled “stories of our rare plants”, first pub- causis plantarum. It is the lesser known of lished independently in 1975, is now in its the two, which is but natural in view of its sixth, revised edition. You must be fluent in general theme. Whereas the History de- Bulgarian to appreciate its contents, as sci- scribes the plants, both indigenous and for- entific plant names are used but exception- eign, known in Greece in those times, the ally (they do appear consistently, though, in Causes observe and try to explain the mani- the captions to the colour photographs). festations of plant life: their life cycle (pro- There are insets throughout the text, each pagation, germination, growth and death), with the portrait and biographical sketch of ecology, physiological and chemical proper- a correlated botanist. Many are Bulgarian, ties. The observations are those of a keenly sometimes duplicating the fuller information interested nature philosopher, one of those given in the book’s first portion, but foreign admirable minds who brought mankind to its personalities prevail: Fischer, Janka, Din- early intellectual peak that was to stand gler, Frivaldszky, Pančić, Velenovský, Stři- unequalled for centuries; but the questions brný, Škorpil, Kellerer, Degen, and Adamo- asked, in hindsight, were premature, and the vić. Bulgarian royalty is represented by its answers far beyond what basic knowledge “botanical” kings Ferdinand I and Boris III, of the time, well over 2000 years before the the respective patrons of Saxifraga ferdinandi- bases of genetics and physiology were laid, coburgii and Abies borisii-regis. W.G. permitted. So in conclusion, the Causes tell us more about the man who conceived them History and Arts than about the plants causing his wonder. Same as the History, the Causes proba- bly originated as lecture notes, each forming 26. THÉOPHRASTE – Les causes des phé- the backbone of a teaching course, both nomènes végétaux. Livres I et II. Texte offered in parallel to students at the Lyceum

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in Athens. The text of six (of originally the illustrations to Briganti’s Historia fun- eight) volumes of the Causes is known with gorum regni neapolitani, published posthu- certainty; the two last being either lost or mously in 1848). In 1837 he returned to else, perhaps, were handed down to us under spend the rest of his life in his hometown, as their own, different title. As a whole, the its appointed medical surgeon, devoting his work uses a dual approach, dealing with the unrelenting energy not only to health care natural plant phenomena on one hand and, and local politics but also to the study of on the other, those induced by human skill natural history in its widest sense. (the Greek word is τέχνη, which means art In 1844, Minà published his Introduzi- and technique alike). The first two volumes one alla storia naturale delle Madonie, a now before us are devoted to the former programmatic declaration of intent to pro- aspect, even though a chapter on grafting is duce, or help produce in a cooperative ef- also included: volume I principally to repro- fort, a monographic inventory of the natural duction, both by seed and vegetatively, vol- riches of his homelands. During his investi- ume II to the environment and its effects on gations of 60 years, he collected and studied plant life. The present translation parallels the animals (insects, mollusks and verte- the previous one, with Greek original and brates), plants, fungi, fossils, minerals and French translation printed on opposite pages prehistoric artefacts found in the area. While (2-115) with identical numbers (a somewhat hampered by hid isolation, far apart from the unusual pagination), followed by an exten- centres of learning, overcome but partly by sive section (118 pages) of explanatory end- extensive correspondence and the acquisi- notes in small print. W.G. tion of literature, he managed to produce an amazingly diverse printed output, including inventories of butterflies then Lepidoptera, 27. Pietro MAZZOLA & Francesco Maria Hemiptera, and birds. He also contributed RAIMONDO (ed.) – Francesco Minà substantially to the work of others, e.g. Palumbo. Iconografia della storia Inzenga’s Funghi siciliani (1865-1869). He naturale delle Madonie. Iconography filled his whole house with his collections, of the natural history of the Madonie. library and archives, turning it into a mu- – Sellerio, Palermo, “2011” [2012]. 139 seum that he opened liberally for study by + 387 + 305 + 377 pages, 13 figures + his many learned visitors. 185 + 134 + 181 colour plates (some on twin pages) in facsimile; 4 volumes, At his death his collections went to his cloth with dust cover, in case. nephew and adopted son, Michele Morici, reputed to have watched them jealously. Francesco Minà Palumbo (1814-1899) Eventually, his heirs donated them to the is a towering figure in Sicilian natural his- city of Castelbuono which, in 1991, made tory of the 19th Century – even though he them the core of the appositely created himself, ever a modest man, would hardly Museo naturalistico “Francesco Minà have accepted such a qualification. Born to Palumbo”. Sadly the zoological specimens, a craftsman family of Castelbuono, a moun- with few exceptions, are no longer extant, tain borough of NC Sicily, he studied medi- having fallen victim to insect attack and cine at Palermo University, graduating as a inadequate storage during a series of dis- surgeon in 1834. During the two following placements following their donation. How- years he perfected his medical training in ever, along with the non-organic material Naples, where he also pursued studies in (fossils, minerals, artefacts), most of the zoology and acquired skills in taxidermy about 9000 herbarium specimens have sur- and naturalistic illustration (he contributed vived. It is ironic that, in spite of his keen

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botanical efforts, Minà never came to pub- are among Castelbuono’s prominent citizens lish anything botanical outside the field of of today, or – for the non-botanical portions, applied botany and agronomy (such as cul- left to the care of specialists – have been ture techniques, cultivars and pests of edited by them. They are fully bilingual manna ash, grapevine, almond, olive and (Italian and English), and are basically of pistachio trees). Even his manuscript Cata- two kinds: standardised data and comments logue of the Madonie plants, repeatedly accompanying each plate or figure, and a quoted by Strobl, is no longer extant. series of general chapters that make up vol. The present four-volume work will rem- 1 or preface the individual sections of the edy Minà’s oblivion as a botanist and will other volumes. These chapters are very in- restore his all but forgotten reputation as an teresting and informative if somewhat dis- allround biologist. In essence, it is the fac- cursive, and the preceding digest is solely simile publication of Minà’s Iconografia based on them. All texts are fully referenced della storia naturale delle Madonie, a col- to a bibliography given chapter-wise (not an lection of 500 illustrations of plants and ideal solution), but unfortunately, a full bibli- animals painted, mostly in watercolour, by ography of Minà’s own writings is lacking. Minà himself (except for some of the birds, Carolina Lo Nero has transposed (rather due to artists working under his supervision, than slavishly translated) all texts into a flu- and a few butterflies). This unique iconog- ent English that is pleasant to read and easily raphy was originally intended to illustrate understood – often more so than the Italian the Storia naturale delle Madonie, planned original –, which makes one gladly condone in conformity with Minà’s 1844 Introduzi- the few observed inaccuracies. W.G. one, which never found a publisher. When all efforts to have them printed had failed, 28. Aldo Gerbino (ed.) – Organismi. Il Minà bound them up into 4 volumes (a few sistema museale dell’Università di Pa- remaining loose), which to date remain in lermo. – Plumelia, Bagheria, 2012 the property of the Morici family. Two of (ISBN 978-88-89876-43-5). 255 pages, the bound volumes, brought together in vol. many photographs and facsimiles, 2 of this edition, are of vascular plants (185 mostly in colour; paper with cover flaps. plantes); a third one (now vol. 4) depicts birds (181). The fourth plus loose items Old universities, Italian ones in particu- (vol. 3) are heterogeneous, assembling the lar, own a cultural heritage more recent (and oldest paintings; they feature fungi (11), more northerly) centres of academia can plants (75), slugs (1), fishes (1), Orthoptera only dream of. The question is: do they really (4), butterflies and some moths (39), and value, even take pride in it? Or won’t they mixed objects (3). Palaeontological, minera- rather feel it as a millstone round their neck, logical and archaeological illustrations have something for which they are held responsi- been omitted, not being part of Minà’s con- ble and have to spend money on without due cept of the Iconografia. reward? Won’t they, in a time when they The work’s obvious fascination lies in undergo unfair and politically short-sighted the astounding quality and variety of Minà’s financial restraints, tend to neglect culture in illustrations, which taken as a whole are a favour of what is now perceived as their monument of 19th Century naturalistic picto- core duties, teaching and research? rial art and a unique documentation of the It is not for me to answer this question natural riches of the Madonie area. The generally, of course. But for the individual accompanying texts have been written by case of Palermo University the answer has two botanists, Mazzola and Raimondo, who been given by the competent person, Rector

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Roberto Lagalla – and it is the answer one labour. It bears witness, not only of this would have hoped for. It comes in form of particular University’s cultural riches but of the present book, devoted entirely to the the pride it takes in them. To my mind, its presentation of the University’s treasures, most tangible quality is that it flags the posi- public or hidden (or both). To begin with tive attitude of all concerned toward collec- buildings, the best known is the 14th Century tions. And again the University’s Magnifi- Palazzo Chiaromonte, better known as Pa- cent Rector (yes, indeed, the title Magnifico lazzo Steri, which hosts the rectory and cen- is still in use for Rectors, in Italy) comes to tral University administration. Immediately mind, Lagalla, a towering personality – behind it are lower structures, recently re- physical, intellectual, oratorial – who has stored, which throughout the 17th Century initiated this book and supported it through- served as the Inquisition’s dungeons (no out its genesis. He has also had the foresight parallel intended: today’s Palermo students to set up a common structure, “sistema receive kinder treatment). Many other old museale”, in which the various collections buildings were acquired by the expanding are meant to obtain a degree of autonomy, University in the course of time, among financially and administratively, from the them the 16th Century Convent of the Re- department-based normal university set-up. pented, populated by former prostitutes who It is my dear wish that, during his term of had taken vows, initially funded through a office, Lagalla makes this system truly op- tax placed on their (as yet) non-repented erational, beginning with – why not – the likes, perhaps foreshadowing social security largest of his crown jewels: the Botanic contribution; a funerary crypt and altar per- Garden with its herbarium and library. W.G. taining to the monastery was recently un- covered and restored. Nomenclature In many ways the whole University, with its paintings, statues and institutional 29. John MCNEILL, Fred R. BARRIE, Wil- collections, is one huge museum. Within it liam R. BUCK, Vincent DEMOULIN, one can find several individual museum Werner GREUTER, David L. HAWKS- units, open to a greater or lesser extent to WORTH, Patrick S. HERENDEEN, Sandy researchers or the general public. Within the KNAPP, Karol MARHOLD, Jefferson domain of natural history alone, there is a PRADO, Willem F. PRUD’HOMME VAN geological, a zoological, an astronomical and a REINE, Gideon F. SMITH, John H. mineralogical museum, one on the history of WIERSEMA & Nick J. TURLAND – In- radiology, and collections of human anatomy ternational Code of Nomenclature for and agricultural entomology; and of course algae, fungi, and plants (Melbourne there is the Botanic Garden and Herbarium Code) adopted by the Eighteenth Inter- Mediterraneum, presented by Franco Rai- national Botanical Congress, Melbourne, mondo on pp. 112-123, arguably the most Australia, July 2011. [Regnum Veg. (ISSN deeply rooted of all in the heart of Paler- 0080-0694), 154.] – Koeltz Scientific mo’s citizens. In my experience, no univer- Books, Königstein, 2012 (ISBN 978-3- sity institution is better apt to secure public 87429-425-6). xxx + 208 pages; hard cover. awareness, hence public support – desper- ately needed in times when political greed 30. Werner GREUTER & Rosa RANKIN and lack of conscience threaten the very RODRÍGUEZ (transl.) – Código Inter- roots of academia – than is a botanic garden. nacional de Nomenclatura para algas, The present volume results from the hongos y plantas (Código de Mel- work of many and from many months of bourne), adoptado por el decimoctavo

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Congreso Internacional de Botánica, Due to the fact that it presents itself Melbourne, Australia, julio de 2011. without most of the Appendices, responsible Preparado y editado por J. MCNEILL, for ⅔ of the bulk of previous editions (and Presidente, F. R. BARRIE, W. R. BUCK, now supposed to form a volume of their V. DEMOULIN, W. GREUTER, D. L. own, but anyway more easily consulted on- HAWKSWORTH, P. S. HERENDEEN, S. line), the Melbourne Code is pleasingly slim KNAPP, K. MARHOLD, J. PRADO, W. F. and light. Additionally it profits from a new, PRUD’HOMME VAN REINE, G. F. SMITH, modern graphical layout that definitely im- J. H. WIERSEMA, Miembros, y N. J. proves readability. I do hope that you will like TURLAND, Secretario del Comité Edito- it – but buy it anyway. Incidentally, the some- rial. – Consejo Superior de Investigacio- what unusual combination of colours chosen nes Científicas, Madrid, 2012 (ISBN 978- for the cover – green print on a yellow back- 84-00-09653-3). XXXIV + 213 pages; ground – is a homage to the Congress’s host laminated flexible cover with flaps. country, Australia, and to its national plant the wattle, now allowed, after much heated Botanical nomenclature (that in fact we debate, to keep its Latin name Acacia. may no longer call “botanical”) has been brought back on orbit at the XVIII Interna- The need of botanists worldwide to tional Botanical Congress in Melbourne. In work with the Melbourne Code makes it 1999 it had been grounded by the reaction- desirable that it be speedily translated into ary St Louis Congress, to remain stuck in other languages. This has already happened virtual immobility in 2005 at Vienna. for Spanish (see above): it is good news that Twelve years have been lost for no gain, but the Spanish edition became available within forget it: it is the future that counts. At and a week after the English version was re- after Melbourne nomenclature has made the leased. Potential buyers will be grateful to headlines by placing electronic publication the publishers for the very reasonable price on equal footing with hard-copy printing; by – less than ¼ of what you have to pay for providing for the mandatory registration of the English hard copy edition. Non-Spanish fungal names, while endorsing the study of OPTIMA members may be interested to know similar provisions for plants and algae; and that, according to reliable information, trans- by adopting the principle of lists of pro- lation into Portuguese, Turkish and Italian tected fungal names. The option to publish are being actively prepared, not to mention descriptions of new taxa in English, also several more exotic languages. W.G. widely noted and applauded, is a trivial change in comparison. 31. Nicholas TURLAND – The Code de- The new edition of the nomenclatural coded. A user’s guide to the Interna- Code, now abbreviated ICN in preference to tional Code of Nomenclature for algae, the unpalatable ICNAFP, is obligatory read- fungi, and plants. [Regnum Veg. (ISSN ing for anyone working on the systematics 0080-0694), 155.] – Koeltz Scientific and taxonomy of algae, fungi, or plants. If Books, Königstein, 2013 (ISBN 978-3- you want to publish a paper in that domain 87429-433-1). V + 169 pages, 19 figure you must use and cite the Code’s new edi- (some in colour), 11 tables; hard cover. tion, which not only incorporates the men- Cooking recipes for plant names? Sort tioned changes plus a number of minor ones, of – except that “plant” has become all but a but has also been reorganised substantially, non-word in the formerly botanical Code. especially with regard to the chapters on valid The book has been written primarily, but not publication in which the numbering of arti- exclusively, for the benefit of newcomers to cles and paragraphs has changed radically. the field of nomenclature. As stated in the

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preface, the “text ... is relatively simple” and names – their formation and use, which is “will fail to cover every rule and explain what the Codes are about – are not a play- every circumstance”: a wise choice, because field for aficionados but have serious practi- otherwise an unwieldy, impractical manual cal, even economic importance. In the me- would have resulted. To facilitate consulta- dium or long term, the bases of nomencla- tion, the individual chapters address spe- ture must change. Databasing, the compul- cific, frequently asked questions, such as: sory inventorying of extant and registration how to publish a new name, how to find the of new names and their basic parameters, is correct name for a taxon, how to spell plant the answer. The techniques exist, but so far [sic!] names, how to change the Code. If those governing the rules – biologists alto- your problem is different or more specific, gether, eventually – have been reluctant to refer to the three indexes: to subjects, provi- put them to use. The progress achieved at sions, and scientific names; but bear in mind the Melbourne Congress (see above) is no that, as this is a first edition, they are neither more than a first step in the right direction. perfect nor necessarily complete. An exam- Somewhere toward the end of Turland’s ple: alternative names governed by Art. 36.2 book there is a subtitle, referring to the Code are mentioned, if briefly and inadequately, as “Decreasingly ambiguous and increasingly on pp. 39 and 117, but there is no reference detailed”. Turland does not elaborate: he has to either page in the subject index, and the written a book instead. Under present circum- provisions’ index only mentions p. 117. stances, the only appropriate answer. W.G. Much useful basic information is made readily accessible by this book, so unless Herbaria and Libraries you know the Code by heart anyway, you will love it. The insets outlining “best prac- 32. Fabio TAFFETANI (ed.) – Herbaria. Il tice” in situations authors will usually face grande libro degli erbari italiani. Per are certainly worth reading, even though (or la ricerca tassonomica, la conoscenza rather: because) they do not limit themselves ambientale e la conservazione del pa- to what the Code recommends or mandates. trimonio – Nardini, Firenze, 2012 (ISBN “Do not honour yourself in the name of a 978-88-404-1190-3). XVI + 814 pages, new taxon or replacement name”, while photographs (mostly in colour), draw- sound advice, is not based on any formal ings, maps, graphs, tables; laminated provision; nor can I find a written source for flexible cover with flaps. the [implicit and unintended] recommenda- We are living in uncertain times, gener- tion (pp. 36-37) to store unmounted holo- ally speaking. The future of natural history types in non-yellowing newspaper. collections, in particular, teeters on a knife- This is a fine and useful book by a com- edge. On the one hand, there is increased petent author. The one point that worries me awareness, in academia and among the gen- is that it has proved necessary to write it. eral public, of their great value; on the other, The rules governing organismal nomencla- the general economic situation, particularly in ture should be clear, straightforward, and countries like Italy, can at any moment pose easily understood – but they are not. The a threat on their very survival. A book like practice of nomenclature being addictive (I the present one, with its incredible richness am speaking for myself, but know I am not of well presented information, may perhaps alone) has resulted in its rules becoming tilt the balance in favour of at least some ever more complex and challenging – com- herbaria. So let me give it a warm welcome, parable perhaps to a computer game. Sooner not only because of its obvious intrinsic or later this will have to change. Scientific merits but also as flagship of our cause.

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By its title, the Big Book of Italy’s Congresses and Meetings Herbaria reminds Kew’s well known Her- barium handbook, by which some of the technical chapters have indeed been in- 33. Tuna EKIM, FRANCESCO MARIA AIMONDO ERNER REUTER spired. But whereas the Handbook was writ- R , W G & ten primarily for curators and herbarium Gianniantonio DOMINA (ed.) – Pro- technicians, the Big Book addresses univer- ceedings of the XIII OPTIMA Meet- sity students and their teachers in the first ing, Antalya, 22-26 March 2010. [Boc- place. Its main body is arranged in 14 chap- conea (ISSN 1120-4060), 24.] – Herbar- ters, forming 3 sections of which the first ium Mediterraneum Panormitanum, Pal- encompasses all aspects of the collections ermo, 2012 (ISBN 978-88-7915-024-3). themselves, the second describes collection- 339 pages, greyscale photographs, draw- based research, and the third discusses their ings, tables, graphs, maps; paper. possible role as an instrument of nature con- Following Bocconea 23, of 2009 (see servation. OPTIMA Newslett. 39: (31). 2010), the Do not be misled by the prominence present volume of the Herbarium Mediter- that, consequent to the title, is given to the raneum’s monograph series is again devoted term “herbarium” throughout the book. In to the Proceedings of an OPTIMA Meeting. fact, any kind of collection of any organism That very successful and rewarding meeting once treated as plant, or part thereof, is was attended by 236 participants, who gave taken into consideration. There are several 55 lectures and presented 146 posters. No chapters on “herbaria” of, e.g., fungi (should meeting account is included in the present we now say fungaria, or rather myco- volume, but details can still be consulted theques?), collections of wood and pollen online (http://www.optima- samples, etc. Collections of live plants and bot.org/meetings/flora2010/main.htm). germplasm banks are also covered, a spe- Publishing symposium contributions is cial, sizeable chapter being devoted to It- not always a good idea, certainly not for all aly’s botanic gardens. Unaccountably I can- of them. As presented, results are often pre- not find any mention of culture collections; liminary or partial, destined to be published nor anything on the desirability, or need, to elsewhere in greater detail, more mature document permanently the gardens’ hold- shape or broader context. Moreover, strict ings by preparing dried specimens: the idea peer review is now a must for any journal, of a “garden herbarium” has not yet, it Bocconea being no exception, and is bound seems, gained ground in Italy. to eliminate some of the presented manu- A sizeable Appendix (over 100 pages) is scripts. As a result, the papers included here of particular relevance for plant taxonomists are relatively few, less than one sixth of the world-wide. It is an update and extension of total number of scientific contributions pre- Index herbariorum (herbaria). In addition to sented at the Meeting. They correspond to the 68 Italian herbaria recognised in Index 10 lectures (18%) and 22 posters (15%). herbariorum, the Appendix includes similar, As by tradition, the subjects treated are detailed data for 96 more collections, with manifold and often concern borderline areas notes on their holdings, preservation, etc. of Mediterranean botany. In the present There is also information on the loss of pre- volume, beside floristic and taxonomic stud- viously recorded collections, or of their ies, you will find papers from the fields of transfer to and integration into other her- plant ecology and vegetation science, biodi- baria. Regrettably, private herbaria have versity informatics and data modelling, eth- been excluded from the account. W.G. nobotany and archaeobotany, seed banking

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and herbarium collections, etc. It would be New Journals unfair to single out individual papers (the table of contents can be seen at http://unipa.it/herbmed/publications/boccon 35. Takhtajania. – Armenian Botanical So- ea24.html); let me just mention the most ciety; Institute of Botany of National sizeable among them: the monographic revi- Academy of Sciences of Armenia [no sion of the Astragalus angustifolius group, ISSN]. Vol. 1, Erevan, 2011 (ISBN 978- by Brullo & al., in which several taxa are 99941-2-564-7). 204 pages, numerous newly described or renamed. W.G. photographs (partly in colour), draw- ings, maps, graphs, tables; laminated flexible cover. – Also available online 34. Simonetta PECCENINI, Gianniantonio for free, in pdf format, posted Feb. 2012 DOMINA & Cristina SALMERI (ed.) – (http://takhtajania.asj- Società Botanica Italiana, Gruppo per la oa.am/view/year/2011.html). Floristica e la Biosistematica Vegetale. The Armenian Botanical Society’s jour- Flora vascolare d’Italia: studi biosis- nal, Flora, rastitel’nost, i rastitel’nye resursy tematici, taxa endemici e loci classici. Armenii – which since 1999 featured the Comunicazioni. Orto botanico, La Sa- alternative English title “Flora, vegetation pienza Università di Roma, 19-20 otto- and plant resources of Armenia” – has bre 2012. – Società Botanica Italiana, ceased to exist. In its place, after a few Firenze, 2012 (ISBN 978-88-85915-06- years’ break, a new journal has been born, 0). 52 pages; paper. dedicated to the memory of that botanical In Rome in 2012, at their by now tradi- giant, Armen Tahtadžjan, a son of Armenia tional joint October meeting (see OPTIMA and venerated teacher of most if not all Ar- Newslett. 40: (31-32). 2011 for the two pre- menian botanists. vious ones), members of the Italian Botani- The change of title has not entailed any cal Society’s study groups for floristics and major change in the journal’s style and con- plant biosystematics presented 18 work- tents, except perhaps in three respects. The bench reports: short preliminary papers of 2-5 first and most obvious is the cover, which pages each. This time, the taxa concerned are: now looks modern and colourful, with pho- Allium sect. Codonoprasum and sect. Cupa- tographs of Winteraceous Takhtajania per- noscordum, Alyssum sect. Odontarrhena, rieri in flower and fruit on the front and Callitriche, Campanulaceae, Erysimum, Geum back, respectively; the second and most micropetalum, Halocnemum, Myosotis alpes- important is size, as the present first volume tris, Orchis, Pinguicula hirtiflora, Polycne- is more than twice as thick as any of its re- mum, and Romulea bulbocodium. Studies of cent precursor issues; and the third, equally typification and Italian loci classici were welcome is the fact that papers in English mentioned for Tuscany and Sicily, and for language, while still a minority, have nota- taxa described by Balbis and Lojacono. bly increased in number. To note: the jour- By a majority vote, group members had nal accepts papers in Russian or English, but previously decided that no nomenclatural not Armenian, whereas title and abstract are novelties were to be accepted any more for given in all three languages. publication in their annual pamphlets; but that Volume 1 starts on a series of half a vote does not, obviously, preclude effective dozen contributions to the memory of Ar- new type designations, of which I noted men Tahtadžjan, deceased 2009, aged 99. three: for Adenostyles hybrida, Asparagus Many precious photographs illustrate the aetnensis, and Statice sibthorpiana. W.G. stations of his life, including two from the

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1st Balkan Botanical Symposium in Bul- Agab. Note that of all Armen’s admirers garia, in 1973, where we first met; one of Marjam Agababjan, one of his last pupils, them appears in a homage by Nora Gabriel- was the only one to dare using his given jan, his youthful companion on that trip. name – which he would certainly have Another homage was contributed by Nataša wholeheartedly approved. Snigirevskaja, whom some may remember This is not the place to mention one by as the scientific secretary of the XII Interna- one the 31 scientific papers that make up the tional Botanical Congress in Leningrad, in rest of the volume. Suffice it to note that a 1975, of which Armen was the president. whole series of them are treatments of given There is also Tahtadžjan’s formal biogra- groups for the Armenian or South Transcau- phy, by T. Vel’gorskaja, lacking a list of casian territory, obviously to serve as up- publications but with an enumeration of dates for those that appear in Armenia’s scientific names honouring him: 5 of genera, national Flora. They concern Dianthus, two of which became the type of a family Acantholimon, Boraginaceae, Astragalus name (one fossil, one non-fossil), one even subg. Astragalus, Erysimum, Crataegus, of an order; and 36 of species, including two Polygonum s.l., Salsola s.l., and Lens. beetles. Four of these names were validly The present volume is a perfect start for published in the present volume: Acantholi- a new journal. Let me express the wish that mon takhtajanii Ogan., Amberboa takhta- the impetus thus gained be sufficient to en- janii Gabrieljan, Dianthus takhtajanii sure speedy production of the next issue. Nersesian, and Papaver armenii M. V. W.G.

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