OPTIMA

Herbarium Mediterraneum Commission (2007-2013)

Members:        G. Kamari, Patras
                      J. M. Iriondo, Madrid
                      S. Jury, Reading
                      B. Valdés, Sevilla
                      G. Venturella, Palermo

In 1990 the statutes of an International Foundation "Pro Herbario Mediterraneo" were finalized. As the ratification process was being carried out in Italy, an interim committee was established under the leadership of F.M. Raimondo to run current business such as publication of the new journals.

From 1991-1994 progress with the plans for the "Herbarium Mediterraneum" in Palermo was rather slow due to difficulties with the acquisition of the buildings as well as legalistic complexities affecting the set-up of the "Pro Herbario Mediterraneo" Foundation. At its meeting in Borovetz on July 17th, 1993, the Commission discussed the plans for furnishing and arranging the already acquired portion of the premises (50% as of that date) as a provisional home for the "Herbarium Mediterraneum Panormitanum".

So far, the activities of the Commission have largely concentrated on the publication field with some Commission members actively involved in the editorial process. At the end of 1995, the "Pro Herbario Mediterraneo" Foundation was officially recognized by the Italian Government. The scientific activities to be supported by the Foundation will be controlled by a Scientific Committee in which the members of the OPTIMA Herbarium Mediterraneum Commission will actively participate.

2008. Unfortunately, in spite of constant efforts by Raimondo (the Foundation’s Administrator), no substantial progress could be achieved with respect to the project of new buildings for the Herbarium Mediterraneum. Realisation of the plans, for which thanks to the support by the Italian Government the prospects seemed and still seem promising, has been hampered by the impediment to purchase the prospective premises’ three missing portions.
In the spring of 2008, the OPTIMA Secretary’s personal Herbarium and Library were transferred to the Herbarium Mediterraneum, with the prospect of being donated to Palermo University. These collections, consisting of over 100,000 plant specimens and several thousand books, pamphlets and journal volumes, are destined to enhance Palermo’s novel pivotal role in Mediterranean botanical research. As can be seen in a recent paper (Raimondo in Taxon 38: 321-322. 2009), the collections are now sumptuously housed in the “Ginnasio” buiding, just behind the main gate to the Palermo Botanical Garden.
The herbarium, and its associated library, will remain separate entities within the Herbarium Mediterraneum context, to be known and cited with the acronym PAL-Gr. They are meant to be living, growing collections, to benefit botanical science and OPTIMA as a whole, and will be pleased to accept donations by Mediterranean botanists who wish to see their specimens well kept and, together with their publications, prominently placed in the public domain.
2007. The Herbarium Mediterraneum received as a gift the Herbarium Giardina consisting of about 10.000 specimens mainly collected in Sicily.
The Foundation “Pro Herbario Mediterraneo” has provided the Government of the Regione Siciliana an outline project, prepared with the assistance of the present Commission, for restoring the building that is to house the Herbarium Mediterraneum. At the request of the President of the Regione Siciliana, this project, estimated at 12.5 M€, has been placed on the list of realisations that shall commemorate the 150th anniversary of the Unification of Italy. The Presidency of the Council of Ministers of the Italian Government participates in the funding of these works, which are expected to be completed by the end of 2011.
2006. In 2006 seventeen ordinary members took advantage of the offer and the Herbarium received a total of 612 herbarium specimens.
2005. In 2005 three ordinary members took advantage of the offer and the Herbarium received a total of 384 herbarium specimens. In addition, OPTIMA member S.W. Breckle donated his private herbarium of over 4,000 specimens to the Herbarium Mediterraneum Foundation. These specimens were included in Herbarium BIEL which will cease to exist upon S.W. Breckle’s retirement.
2004. In 2004 the Herbarium Mediterraneum Foundation upheld its offer to accept herbarium specimens in exchange for OPTIMA fees and/or the purchase of Bocconea volumes. Each herbarium specimen was accepted as equivalent to 1.67 Swiss Francs, postage being refunded. In 2004 twelve ordinary members took advantage of this offer and the Herbarium received a total of 476 additional herbarium specimens. The Herbarium Mediterraneum also offers OPTIMA members the possibility of research visits to the Herbarium.
As the budget of the Foundation has been reduced by 50% due to the drop in interest rates (6% to 3%), the publication of future Bocconea volumes will be funded by external sources. The Proceedings of the XI OPTIMA Meeting will be published as a volume of Bocconea and will be funded by subscription.
Two research grants were funded by the Herbarium Mediterraneum. The recipients of these grants, Svetlana Bancheva from Bulgaria and Miriam Aghababyan from France , presented the results of their studies in the form of posters at the XI OPTIMA Meeting.
With regard to the building of the Herbarium Mediterraneum, several meetings were held with the architects to discuss the progress on the project. There were still some problems with one of the former owners of the building, although actions were in course for a final solution.

This page last updated 02 November, 2009.