A new endemic species from western Iran, Teucrium elymaiticum Attar, Sotoodeh & Mirtadzadini, spec. nova is described. It belongs to section Scordium. Considering the combination of some characteristics like indumentum, bracts, pedicel, calyx, corolla size, and nutlet shape and size, the new species is related to T. scordium subsp. scordioides (Schreb.) Arcang.. The differences between these two species are highlighted. Images, distribution map and an updated identification key for the genus are presented.

This paper presents a re-evaluation of the taxonomic relationships of Silene sericea var. balearica based on morphological features Critical examination of herbarium specimens (including type material) and living plants has shown that S. sericea var. balearica should be recognized at species level. Therefore, the new name, Silene migjornensis, is proposed to designate the endemic species growing on maritime sands in southern Mallorca (Balearic Islands, Spain). This taxon is described, illustrated and compared with its morphologically closest relatives from Silene sect. Dipterosperma.

2 to 6 at the School of Pharmacy (Complutense University) with the title 'Vegetation Diversity and Global Change'.European Vegetation Survey is a working group of IAVS (International Association of Vegetation Science) born in 1992 as a new initiative related to the European Habitats Directive (Bulletin of the European Communities) which urged member countries to conserve their most significant natural spaces.That directive led the countries to work in the preparation of detailed cartographies of its vegetation and the creation of Natura 2000 Network, which included the most important "natural vegetation units" of each country and provided them with special protection.More than 160 experts from 25 countries has attended it.The Department of Pharmacology, Pharmacognosy and Botany has organized this event for the first time in Madrid.Traditionally Pharmacy has been considered as guarantor of environmental health and its relationships with the Official Professional Pharmaceutical College of Madrid has resulted in sponsoring the congress, and count on the presence of its president, Luis González Díaz in the Opening Ceremony, together with the vice-dean of the Faculty, Manuel Córdoba on behalf of the Dean Irene Iglesias, the general secretary of EVS (European Vegetation Survey) Milan Chytry, and the chair of the Organizing Committee Rosario G. Gavilán (see Figures 1,2).The congress included three keynotes lectures and 124 presentations as oral or poster organized around 12 oral and three poster sessions over three days.Adrian Escudero, Alexandro Chiarucci and Pilar Rodríguez Rojo as keynote speakers covered greatly some of the main features of EVS: functional aspects of plant community assembly, ways of measure biodiversity (habitats) and different types of Iberian grassland vegetation.Then, oral sessions widely covered other aspects of vegetation: vegetation types from forest (temperate, boreal and thermophilous or Mediterranean) to sand dunes, halophilous vegetation, high mountain vegetation, wetland, riparian or aquatic vegetation.Six particular sessions were dedicated to the assessment and conservation of European habitats and to the dynamic and succession of vegetation.Other sessions included the development of new methodologies and databases for vegetation studies and also vegetation patterns for big areas.All of those thematic aspects of vegetation studies were also reflected in the poster sessions showing all works EVS members are developing now along Europe and surrounding territories.On Friday, two post-symposium excursions were also organized, one to the Sierra de Guadarrama National Park, to visit upland areas including the glacial circus of Dos Hermanas and Peñalara peaks and Peñalara lagoons.The second excursion was organized to the southeast of Madrid, to see the diversity of vegetation in gypsum marls (Gavilán, Sánchez-Mata & Gutiérrez Girón, 2019; see Figure 2).The third event organized after the Meeting was the social dinner to share some traditional values of the country; a flamenco show in Madrid was the appropriate atmosphere to relax from the intensity of the work done altogether the former days.

The study analyzed the variations of physiological, morphological and anatomical leaf traits during its development in Corylus avellana L. saplings. Three different phases were identify during leaf development: the first phase (hereafter IP) considered in the developing leaves, the second phase (IIP) in the mature green leaves and the third phase (IIIP) in the senescent leaves. In particular, variations in parameters estimated from the photosynthetic light response curves, in chlorophyll fluorescence variables and in morphological leaf traits were analyzed during the three phases. The principal component analysis (PCA) carried out using all the considered morphological characters (leaf mass per area - LMA, and leaf tissue density - LTD) and physiological traits (the maximum net photosynthetic rates - ANmax, dark respiration rates - RD, light compensation point - LCP, light saturation point – LSP, maximum quantum yield - ɸmax, fluorescence-based maximum quantum yield of PSII photochemistry - Fv/FM and effective quantum yield of PSII photochemistry - ɸPSII) showed a complete separation among the considered phases. The results showed that the major differences occur between the phases IP and IIP. In particular, a greater variation was found for LMA, ANmax, RD. On the contrary a lower variation was observed for ɸmax which remain quite constant from IP to IIP indicating that chloroplasts present in juvenile leaves are fully functional.

Tabernaemontana sananho is a tree member of the Apocynaceae family referred to as sikta in Kichwa language. It is widely used in northern South America as painkiller, stimulant, antiseptic and is also highly valued as a sacred plant. In this work, we report the traditional knowledge and uses of sikta by the scarcely contacted Kichwa community of Pakayaku (Pastaza province, Ecuador) and further provide a scientific framework for its scientific validation. A review of the available literature revealed the presence of a wealth of biologically active indole alkaloids that potentially account for the great number of medicinal uses of sikta. This case study is illustrative of the importance of scientific validation of traditional knowledge (i) for indigenous communities —as empowering tool—, (ii) for the sake of scientific knowledge and (iii) for plant conservation.

Nepeta are widely distributed worldwide and in different parts of Iran where seventy-nine species were registered. The essential oil of these aromatic plants, which accumulates and secrets by trichomes, has been used in medicinal and industrial products. In addition, these epidermal structures can be used as taxonomic traits. We examined the morphology and density of leaves trichomes of twelve Nepeta species using the light and scanning electron microscopes. Three types of indumentum are found in these species, which composed of two main types of glandular: peltate and capitate, and nonglandular; branched and unbranched trichomes. The number of the observed hairs differed between the studied species and analyses of variant test (ANOVA) showed significant variations among some of them. CA-joined plot proved that trichomes could be used as distinguishing characteristic. Therefore, we suggested that the type of indumentum and the most abundant glandular and non-glandular trichomes have high taxonomic value in species identification within the genus.

The translation and interpretation of works by Andalusi botanists and agronomists provide an increasingly sharp image of the species and forest landscapes in al-Andalus (Iberian area under Muslim rule in the Middle Ages). Regarding agriculture, it is known that domestication processes and the introduction of new species and singular forms of use were carried out, thus changing agricultural landscapes. Consequently, new life styles and consumption habits developed. A lot less is known about forestry management, especially when referring to forest landscapes and tree species in the Iberian Peninsula. The authors of this work have been studying agricultural and forest flora in al-Andalus for many years. In addition to numerous miscellaneous contributions, their first approximation on the trees and shrubs cultivated there was published in 2004, and the first volume of Flora Agrícola y Forestal de Al-Andalus covering 80 species of monocotyledons appeared in 2012. In anticipation of the volume devoted to woody dicotyledons to be published in 2019 (including over 150 species, 100 genera and 50 families), a synthesis of the forest landscapes and the most unique species in the Arabic texts is presented in this work. Among the taxa identified are Iberian endemics such as Flueggea tinctoria and Corema album, rare taxa or highly localized ones like Rhododendron ponticum subsp. baeticum, Tetraclinis articulata and Zizyphus lotus with species of peculiar forestry interest such as Arctostaphylos uva-ursi, Taxus baccata, Buxus sempervirens, Ilex aquifolium, Laurus nobilis and Vitex agnus-castus, and archaeophytes like Celtis australis or Anagyris foetida.

Plantago lanceolata is a perennial herbaceous plant widely distributed throughout the Mediterranean region. Variation in germination requirements and tolerance to osmotic stress and salinity were tested using seeds from two wild populations. Germination experiments were conducted under controlled conditions at constant (15, 20 and 25ºC) and alternating (20/10 and 25/15ºC) temperatures, and under a 16 h/8 h light/dark photoperiod. Seeds of both populations were non-dormant and incubation temperature significantly affected the final germination percentage and germination rate. Germination percentages ranged from 27 to 85% for the different temperatures and populations. Significant inter-population variation was found for the germination percentages reached at alternate temperature regimes. To determine the effect of osmotic stress and salinity, four polyethylene glycol (PEG 6000: 10, 20, 30 and 40% w/v) and four NaCl concentrations (50, 100, 200 and 300 mmol·L-1) were tested. Seed germination significantly decreased with increasing in PEG and NaCl concentration. Seed germination recovery when they were transferred to distilled water after PEG or salinity treatments was variable depending on population, suggesting that P. lanceolata seeds are moderately tolerant to osmotic and salt stresses at germination stage.

In Tuscany (Italy), oak mixed woods with high cover values of Quercus petraea are rather infrequent but well documented within local and national phytosociological studies, even if, in the literature, not always analyzed and well characterized from the syntaxonomic view point. We gathered 71 published and unpublished Tuscan phytosociological relevés where Q. petraea was dominant or with relevant cover values, that were investigated by means of multivariate analysis. The ecological requirements of the resulting groups were indirectly calculated by means of Ellenberg Indicator Values (EIV), and the fidelity coefficient (PHI) for the diagnostic species of each group was calculated. According to our analysis, five different types of Q. petraea woods were found to be present in Tuscany. Each group was characterized floristically and ecologically, allowing to investigate their syntaxonomic aspects. Thus we have attributed the Tuscan Q. petraea communities to five different associations, two of which already existing and three are here described as new associations. In the end, some conservation aspects of these woods regarding Natura 2000 habitats are discussed.

The Spanish bryoflora contains 1291 taxa, 272 of them included in the Spanish Red List under any threat category. Although bryophytes show a low rate of endemicity compared to vascular flora, Spanish administration’s responsibility for the conservation of these plants is very high, since the country has 63 exclusive or rare species on a European or world scale. However, the representation of this group of plants in the Spanish legislation on species conservation is merely anecdotal. Royal Decree 139/2011 of 4 February develops a list of wild protected species (LESRPE and CEEA, Spanish abbreviations) and includes only 10 species of bryophytes, all of them from the Directive Habitats and the Bern Convention. The legal protection of endangered species of bryophytes is needed, not only to ensure the integrity of the most sensitive bryophyte populations, but also because it will result in the overall protection of their habitats and other species that coexist with them. Their inclusion in LESRPE and CEEA will allow a periodical monitoring of the species and a better assessment of the success or failure of commonly used management measures. The criteria for the incorporation of species into national protection catalogues are rather restrictive and inclusion of species without specific studies is not easy. During the work developed for the Atlas and Red Data Book of the threatened bryophytes of Spain, valuable information was obtained in this sense, although it covered only a fraction of the total number of species on the Red List (74 species were evaluated). Based on the available information, a list of species has been drawn to elaborate a proposal that should be raised to the Spanish Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, Food and the Environment, which would imply a qualitative leap in the level of protection of this neglected group of plants and a new impetus to the necessary work started at the first phase of the Bryophyte Atlas.