As a stock of genetic material of native plant species throughout Greece , ATHU allows modern approaches to botanical and ecological research . Finally , ATHU is capable of offering multidimensional education both to students of the Department of Biology and to groups of visitors who will use its space and plant collections .
Access and use of ATHU acquisitions
Based on current circumstances , ATHU is not fully accessible to scientists or the public . This is due to the lack of staff belonging to the Botanical Museum , lack of suitable working places within the Botanical Museum and also , incomplete archiving of the botanical material itself . Scientists can consult it by contacting their Director , Professor Margarita Arianoutsou , or by contacting their curators , as they appear on the Index Herbariorum webpage ( http :// sweetgum . nybg . org / science / ih /). Almost every work that is currently taking place at ATHU is based on a voluntary basis . Historical samples are not sent on loan but can be photographed and photos sent electronically . Extracts from its database are available to scientists and researchers , upon request , to support research activity . ATHU cooperates with other institutions in Greece and abroad , in order to promote research , information dissemination and education .
Theophanis Constantinidis Associate Professor , Department of Biology , NKUA
The Balkan-Aegean Dendrochronology Project : Tree- Ring Research for the Study of SE-European and East Mediterranean Civilizations
Greece has attracted dendrochronologists ’ interest since the late ‘ 80s , with the pioneer work of P . I . Kuniholm , whom together with C . L . Striker collected and analyzed tree ring series from several historical buildings , forests and archeological sites in Greece and the surrounding Aegean region . The “ Balkan-Aegean Dendrochronology ( BAD ) Project : Tree-Ring Research for the Study of SE-European and East Mediterranean Civilizations ” is a new research project , funded by the National Science Centre of Poland , which aims to continue and expand this first work . The primary goal of the BAD project is absolute dating of key events shaping the history of the East-Mediterranean cultures by means of dendrochronology to systematize the historic chronologies . This strategic target will be achieved by the development of an independent and objective “ biological archive ” – a set of continuous , absolute , tree-ring chronologies as a solid foundation for the re-interpretation of historic chronologies and as a basis for studying both the environmental and the cultural history of the Balkans , Aegean and of the surrounding area . The study area offers a special case for long-term , high resolution , investigation of the relationships between climate and human responses . Turning points of western civilization , such as climate extremes ( e . g . extreme drought events ) or volcanic catastrophic events ( e . g . Thera ), are expected to be dated with annual precision .
Dr . Anastasia Christopoulou Nicolaus Copernicus University , Faculty of Biology , NKUA
Endemic Plants of Greece : Amorgos
Burkhard Biel & Kit Tan have recently published the book “ ENDEMIC PLANTS OF GREECE : Amorgos ” ( Katagramma editions , ISBN 978-618- 83737-0-9 ) in English and Greek language . The book starts with a synoptic introduction to the island of Amorgos , the geography , the geomorphology , the geological substrate and the main vegetation units observed on it . The authors mention that the botanical exploration of the island of Amorgos started in June 1700 by Joseph Pitton de Tournefort and the results of his expedition were published in « Relation d ’ un voyage du Levant ( Tournefort 1717 ). Tournefort found Origanum calcaratum Juss ( syn . O . tournefortii Aiton ) on the rocky vertical cliffs of the island , a species also collected 80 years later by John Sibthorp . Karl Heinz Rechinger visited Amorgos during 1932 and 1934 and included floristic knowledge of the island in Flora Aegaea ( 1944 ) and Flora Aegaea supplementum ( 1949 ). Atlas of the Aegean Flora ( Strid 2016 ) provides descriptions and distribution maps of nearly all species in the Aegean and the authors mention that the descriptions of taxa in this book have mainly been compiled from the Atlas . In this edition , the 28 Greek endemic taxa are presented in alphabetical order , with one or two photos , a description , distribution maps on Amorgos and information about their habitat , ecology and general distribution . Of these 28 taxa , two are local endemics , Symphytum davisii subsp . davisii and Erysimum senoneri subsp . amorginum . It is also noteworthy that the cliffs of Amorgos give refuge to 12 of the 28 endemic plant taxa which are obligate chasmophytes . The authors also mention that a complete flora of Amorgos is planned for publication in the near future . References Rechinger , K . H . ( 1944 ). Flora Aegaea . Flora der Inseln and Halbinseln der Agaischen Meeres . Akad . Wiss . Wien . Math . -Naturwiss . Kl . DenKschr . 105 ( 1 ): 1-924 . Rechinger , K . H . ( 1949 ). Flora Aegaea Supplementum . Phyton ( Horn ) 1 : 194-228 . Strid , A . ( 2016 ). Atlas of the Aegean Flora . Englera 33 ( 1 & 2 ). Tournefort , J . P . de ( 1717 ). Relation d ’ un voyage du Levant fait par ordre du Roy . Anisson & Posuel , Lyon .
Maria Panitsa Assistant Professor , University of Patras
Illustrated Flora of Cyprus
The new Illustrated Flora of Cyprus by Yiannis Christofides ( ISBN-13 : 9789963854226 ) includes descriptions of all native and adventive flowering plants ( except the Poaceae ), their distribution in Cyprus , flowering times and conservation status , all new records and recent taxonomic changes , keys for difficult genera , an introduction to the geology and habitats of Cyprus , indication of which plants are also found on Crete , photographs of representative species from each genus , close-up photographs of fruits and photographs of most endemic species , bulbs and orchids .
Atlas Florae Europaeae , volume 17 , Rosaceae , Sorbus s . l ( ISBN : 9789519108186 )
The last of the five volumes devoted to the Rosaceae , which in terms of the number of species , is among the three largest plant families of Europe . The European botanical community have devoted considerable effort and time in mapping the Rosaceae . Because of the uncommon complexity of Sorbus s . lato and the evident need to treat this group as several genera , particular consideration has been given to reviewing its nomenclature and taxonomy . The maps of 189 species of Sorbus s . lato and three sub-species of S . aucuparia are based on 11,374 distribution records .
2nd Mediterranean Plant Conservation Week
“ Conservation of Mediterranean Plant Diversity : Complementary Approaches and New Perspectives ”, 12-16 November 2018 , La Valetta , MALTA
“ Conservation of Mediterranean Plant Diversity : Complementary Approaches and New Perspectives ” is the title of the “ 2nd Mediterranean Plant Conservation Week ” that will take place at La Valetta , Malta , 12-16 November 2018 . It will include a combination of presentations , workshops and discussion panels . This event also represents a fantastic networking and learning opportunity for all the participants . Detailed information in : http :// www . medplantsweek . uicnmed . org / public _ html / medplantsweek / en / home /.
Plant of the month : January-June 2018
January 2018 Colchicum asteranthum Vassil . & K . M . Perss . Colchicum asteranthum was discovered relatively recently in 1999 , and was described three years later . So far , it has been found only on Lerkio of Peloponnesus , where its distribution is limited to slopes with southwest to southeastern exposure . This very limited distribution makes Colchicum asteranthum one of the rarest species of the genus Colchicum in Greece . It prefers areas of the mountain with terra rossa and without extensive tree cover , at an altitude of 950 to 1450 m . Its white or pink flowers open in the winter , during December and January , leaving a honey perfume . The plant ’ s winter flowering poses the risk of reduced sexual reproduction due to the possible bad weather and the resulting lack of pollinators . However , there is the possibility of vegetative reproduction through roots that compensates for the losses . It has been estimated that there are several thousands of individuals on the mountain , but they appear in an area of very limited size . For this reason , C . asteranthum is included in the Red Data Book of Rare and Threatened Plants of Greece ( 2009 ), characterised as “ Vulnerable ”. ( K . Goula )
February 2018 Alnus glutinosa ( L .) Gaertn . subsp . glutinosa . Deciduous tree commonly named alder that thrives in moist soils , reaching to a height of 20-30 m . Anthesis occurs from February to March and seed maturation on October . It grows in deep and moist , clay-sandy soils , often almost in the water , in streams or rivers , usually , at altitudes of 0-1500 m . It needs plenty of light , grows quickly at an early age , stabilizes the river banks very effectively and is very resistant to pruning and flooding . It mainly occurs in North and Central Greece but extends to the Northwest Peloponnese , and to some of
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