Report from the International Symposium 50 YEARS OF OPTIMA AND 30 YEARS OF FLORA MEDITERRANEA AND BOCCONEA, INTERNATIONAL COLLABORATION AND ONGOING PROJECTS ON FLORAS AND TAXONOMY IN EUROPEAN AND MEDITERRANEAN COUNTRIES

Abstract

This report provides an account of the international symposium for the 50th anniversary of OPTIMA (Organization for the Phyto-Taxonomic Investigation of the Mediterranean Area) and the 30th anniversary of the publishing activities of the Fondazione pro Herbario Mediterraneo, held on June 27–28, 2025, at Palazzo Braciforte in Palermo. The program began with the awarding of the prestigious Theophrastos Prize by the Foundation pro Herbario Mediterraneo to K. Husnu Can Baser (Nicosia, Cyprus) and continued with 20 contributions providing updates on the state of floristic research in various Mediterranean countries and on the state of systematic knowledge of single taxonomic groups.