OPTIMA Newsletter 38

Publications
with a list of island endemics, statistical
digests of biogeographical elements of the
native and alien flora, as well as a synopsis
of species protected by law. Three of the
appendices concern the alien flora, indicating
for each species the status, abundance,
year of first appearance, way of introduction,
country of origin, etc., and a full documentation
of findings for those that are first 3 for
species previously reported from Minorca
but without concrete locality. Also appended
are lists of species to be excluded, or of
which the presence is unconfirmed. A bibliography
of 26 pages testifies to the thoroughness
with which this book was written.
I do like island inventories (I have published
a few myself). The present one, with
its many attractive features, I shall adopt as
one of my favourites. It provides a benchmark
for similar works yet to come.
W.G.
64. 63BFabio CONTI, Giovanna ABBATE,
Alessandro ALESSANDRINI & Carlo
BLASI (ed.) – An annotated checklist
of the Italian vascular flora. –
Palombi, Roma, 2005 (ISBN 88-7621-
458-5). 420 pages, 1 loose sheet of errata
& addenda, tables; hard cover.
Writing a critical checklist for the whole
flora of Italy, including the islands, is a major
challenge. Integrating in it distribution
data in tabular form, which mention for
every taxon the occurrence and status in each
of Italy’s 20 administrative regions, is a
breathtaking enterprise. The fact alone that it
has been brought to a happy conclusion must
dispose the critic to leniency toward shortcomings
of detail. Let me try and be lenient.
To assess the task by looking at the outcome:
6711 species plus several taxa at additional
ranks (aggregate, subspecies) had to
be dealt with, 7634 “units” in all (the number
of different taxa cannot be inferred, as
some duplication is involved). If we count
with an average presence in 10 regions
(probably an overestimate), this signifies over
70000 unit records. The literature to be
scanned was enormous. To cope with their
task the editorial team, four plus two assistants,
could dispose of the cooperation 32
regional advisers, 15 taxonomic advisers and
a large number of other contributors. [Also,
41 “authors” are mentioned; this group is
coextensive with the editorial team plus the
regional and some taxonomic advisers.] Such
a large network of expertise was doubtless
necessary to ensure the good quality of the
result – but to think of it as a help to the
editors would be cynical. In my experience,
it results in a major additional demand on
their time and energy, while helping them
avoid, in many cases, to make a fool of
themselves.
As I already inferred, the result is impressive.
The core of the book, just 141
pages, is a concentrate of valuable information
in easy-to-use format. It may be (indeed,
has proved to be) full of inaccuracies
of detail, and will therefore elicit contradiction
and stimulate critical research, as is
indeed desirable; but primarily it has the
merit to exist and be available for use.
The remaining bulk is corollary information,
necessary for back-checking and explaining
the information given in the main
part. The index, which does not include the
accepted names (they are already alphabetical)
but refers synonyms to them, is more
than half as long as the core list. There are 23
pages with almost 1000 explanatory notes,
grouped together as endnotes. In deference
to the needs of local administrations, separate
lists of exclusive, endemic, legally protected
and alien species are provided for each
of the 20 regions. And then, the inevitable
additions and corrections begin: first on the
two final pages of the book itself, then on a
loose sheet, the following year (2006) in the
local journal “Natura vicentina”, and again
(2007) in the Informatore botanico italiano”
– already well over 100 printed pages, and
no end is in sight.
Many of the errors could presumably
have been avoided by allowing more time
(36) OPTIMA Newsletter No. 38 2009