Tropicos

Flora Palaestina encompasses the plant taxa distributed in the geo-botanical subunit between the Mediterranean eastern coast to the west and the Syrian and Jordanian deserts at the East, bordered by the mountains of Lebanon to the North and the desert of Sinai at the South. Thus this area covers Israel, the Palestinian territory, Jordan and the Golan heights. It is anchored in the Mediterranean region but includes also Irano-Turanian, Saharo-Arabian and Sudanian districts, as well as elements (chorotypes) of other rregions.

The first volume of the Flora Palaestina was published in 1966. Since then, many alterations have occurred: Dozens of new taxa, indigenous and adventive, have been added to the flora, the eco-geographical distribution of some of the species has been changed, and in several cases the taxonomic status and the nomenclature have been amended.

In this new edition we have tried to update all this information. Also, we added some remarks on the evolution/systematics of certain taxa, their biology (mating system, dispersal mode, adaptive traits), their cyto-genetic features when investigated, their usage, archaeological findings, their common names, and their distributional status when rare and/or endangered.

Regarding the changes in the systematics of various taxa, we have tried to combine these with the conservative structure of the first edition. Accordingly, though the systematic order of the families and their sub-divisions (genera - sections - species) was kept almost intact, as based on Engler’s Pflanzen Familien ( ), we present for each family its current affiliation to Order, in brackets [Ord.]. Likewise, we noted wherever significant systematic changes (unifications or splitting, at different taxonomic levels, based upon modern approaches) have been made. Generally, the families are conceived as in Heywood & al. [Flowering Plant Families of the World (2007)], the delineation and delimitation of genera follow Mabberley [Mabberley's Plant Book, 3rd edition (2008]. Species new to the Flora are described either close to their related taxa or at the end of the corresponding genus. Dubious (misidentified) species, as well as taxa found to be just casual, were remarked in smaller font or were excluded altogether.

For updating the taxonomic and floristic data we have correspondingly used the vast literature detailed in the second edition of the Conspectus Flora Orientalis, revised by D. Heller (2012), likewise the MED-Checklist edited by W. Greuter, M. Burdet & G. Long (1984), the Analytical Flora of Eretz-Israel by N. Feinbrun-Dotan and A. Danin (1998), and A. Danin’s Distribution Atlas of Plants in the Flora Palaestina Area (2004).

Uzi Plitmann

Uzi@mail.huji.ac.il

Thanks are due to the herbaria of Kew, Berlin, Edinburgh and Jerusalem, likewise to the Mossouri Botanical Garden, for their valuable assistance.