Format: ORAL

Panayotis Dimopoulos

Laboratory of Botany, Department of Biology, University of Patras

By starting from scratch, the Flora of Greece project represents a significant initiative aimed at constructing a thorough and annotated catalogue of the countrys rich plant diversity, with both online and print components. Launched in 2010 and concluding three years later, in 2013, the Vascular plants of Greece: An annotated checklist (VPG) is the first comprehensive inventory of the flora of Greece more than a century after Eugen von Halcsy, finalized the most recent complete Flora of the country in its political borders. Since 2017, the project utilizes an advanced web tool (EDIT Platform for Cybertaxonomy) to facilitate easy access and navigation through extensive collection of taxonomic information. Users can access the electronic version of the VPG through the Flora of Greece website (https://portal.cybertaxonomy.org/flora-greece). The web checklist evolves dynamically, undergoing systematic and regular revisions to incorporate emerging scientific knowledge. The 1st version of the Flora of Greece web was published in May 2017 and the current, 5th version, summarizes all published information to the end of November 2023. This ambitious project stands as a collaborative achievement, based on the expertise of numerous scientists, aiming to the construction of a comprehensive database, currently comprising 5960 species and 2015 subspecies (6850 taxa). Looking ahead to 2024, the Flora of Greece project is poised to release an updated version. The project adheres to the nomenclatural adaptation via the APG IV, ensuring consistency with contemporary botanical standards. This new iteration, to be published in both online and print formats, will feature expanded content including additional descriptions and distribution maps. This ongoing commitment to floristic exploration and documentation underscores the projects enduring impact on the understanding and conservation of Greeces rich plant diversity.