Report from the International Symposium 50 <scp>YEARS OF OPTIMA AND</scp> 30 <scp>YEARS OF <i>FLORA MEDITERRANEA</i> AND <i>BOCCONEA</i></scp>, INTERNATIONAL COLLABORATION AND ONGOING PROJECTS ON FLORAS AND TAXONOMY IN EUROPEAN AND MEDITERRANEAN COUN

On June 27–28, 2025, Palermo hosted an international symposium to mark two milestones: 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. Founded on October 1, 1974, from an idea by Vernon H. Heywood, Hans Runemark, Guido Moggi, and Werner Greuter, OPTIMA was established to unite Mediterranean botanists and foster transnational collaboration. Starting with 100 members, the association has grown to nearly 700 members at its peak, serving as a hub for young botanists to exchange ideas and advance their training. Through its general meetings—such as the upcoming XVIII OPTIMA Meeting in Urgüp, Cappadocia (Turkey, September 22–26, 2026)—and 13 international explorations of lesser-known Mediterranean flora (Itinera Mediterranea), OPTIMA has significantly contributed to botanical research across Europe, Asia, and Africa. A cornerstone of OPTIMA's mission has been supporting the creation of the Herbarium Mediterraneum in Palermo, a vital repository for plant specimens and a center for the study of Mediterranean flora. Since 1991, OPTIMA's journals—Flora Mediterranea, Bocconea, and, in its sixth year of publication, Borziana—have been published by the Foundation pro Herbario Mediterraneo. Recognized as a legal entity by the Italian Ministry of University and Research (MURST) on March 1, 1995, the Foundation was established to collaborate with the University of Palermo in developing the Herbarium and promoting botanical research. After years of dedicated work, Francesco M. Raimondo, President of both OPTIMA and the Foundation pro Herbario Mediterraneo, organized an international symposium to celebrate these milestones with the financial support of the Research, Documentation and Training Center Planta. Held on June 27–28, 2025, the event featured an afternoon session on Friday and a morning session on Saturday, adopting a blended format that attracted 40 in-person attendees and 40 online participants. The symposium took place in Palazzo Branciforte, a sixteenth-century Sicilian palace in Palermo's historic center. Once the residence of local nobility, the building later served as a civic pawnshop and a bank before being transformed into a museum under the stewardship of the Fondazione Sicilia. The program included 20 presentations, beginning with the prestigious Theophrastos Prize awarded by the Foundation pro Herbario Mediterraneo to K. Husnu Can Baser (Nicosia, Cyprus, Fig. 1). This honor recognized his outstanding contributions—both scientific and societal—to advancing the use of Mediterranean plants in pharmaceuticals and medicine. Following the award ceremony, Professor Baser delivered the keynote lecture: “Essential oil-bearing plants of the island of Cyprus”. The invited talks provided a comprehensive overview of current developments in both national and international floristic and systematic projects. Francesca Floccia opened this session by presenting the collaborative efforts between the Italian Botanical Society (SBI) and the Higher Institute for Environmental Protection and Research (ISPRA) to integrate fungi into environmental policymaking. Gianniantonio Domina, Vivienne Spadaro, and Francesco M. Raimondo then detailed the three-decade publishing legacy of the Fondazione pro Herbario Mediterraneo, highlighting its contributions to Mediterranean botany. Floristic research updates followed, with Mohamed Fennane discussing Morocco's flora, Benito Valdés sharing insights on the Iberian Peninsula, and Jean-Marc Tison presenting the current state of knowledge on French flora. Amina Daoud-Bouattour provided updates on Tunisia's floristic investigations, while Gianniantonio Domina covered recent developments in Italy. Vedran Šegota and Nina Vuković presented the Flora Croatica Database project, and Svetlana Bancheva outlined Bulgaria's floristic achievements. The symposium also featured updates on major supranational initiatives. Alexander Sennikov reviewed the Atlas Florae Europaeae, Cyrille Chatelain discussed the African Plant Database, and Nadja Korotkova presented the latest developments with the Euro+Med PlantBase. Taxonomic advancements were showcased through Christoph Oberprieler's work on hybridizing plant genera, Gonzalo Nieto Feliner's research on Arenaria sect. Plinthine (Caryophyllaceae) in the western Mediterranean, and Pepy Bareka and Georgia Kamari's exploration of karyology's role in plant biosystematics. Werner Greuter provided a progress report on the Med-Checklist project, emphasizing the need of a forthcoming completion of its coverage for remaining dicotyledon and monocotyledon families. Further enriching the program were presentations on collaborative conservation efforts, with Gianluigi Bacchetta addressing Mediterranean flora preservation, and Vivienne Spadaro examining traditional uses of wild Apiaceae and Asteraceae species. The scientific discussions were complemented by convivial gatherings hosted by the Foundation pro Herbario Mediterraneo and Planta within the historic setting of Palazzo Branciforte (Fig. 2). In closing, the organizing committee, led by Giuseppe Venturella and Francesco M. Raimondo, expressed their gratitude to all participants and reaffirmed OPTIMA's commitment to future initiatives, including digital flora projects and integrative taxonomic approaches. The symposium not only celebrated OPTIMA's 50-year legacy but also underscored its ongoing role in fostering botanical scholarship, exploration, and institutional partnerships across the Mediterranean region.