The Congress consists of four days, with Scientific sessions that focus on the main Botanical themes and include one plenary conference, two round tables, a poster session, one special event on topics of significant Botanical-social impact and major issues of public interest.

Tuesday 19 September
10h00-18h – Meetings of the Scientific commissions of OPTIMA [Palermo, Section of Botany of the Department STEBICEF in Via Archirafi 38]

18h15 – Bus transfer to Erice.

Wednesday 20 September [Erice]
9h00 – Welcoming of the participants and registration (Instituto San Rocco)

9h00 – Joint Meetings of the Executive Council and International Board of OPTIMA (restricted, Instituto San Rocco)

11h30 – Opening Ceremony followed by the Plenary conference – K. H. C. Başer (Nicosia, Cyprus): Essential oils: science, technology, and applications, yesterday and today (Auditoriun Pam Dirac)

14h30 – Symposium 1 – Palazzo Sales - Mediterranean refugia: importance for plant conservation.
Chairs: F. Médail (Marseille, France), M. Fennane (Rabat, Morocco)

14h30 – Symposium 2 – Instituto San Rocco- Taxonomy, ecology and conservation of Mediterranean fungi, lichens and bryophytes.
Chairs: M. Ros (Murcia, Spain), G. Venturella (Palermo, Italy), P. Campisi (Palermo, Italy), S. Ravera (Palermo, Italy)

20h00 – Welcome cocktail

Thursday 21 September [Erice]
9h00 – Symposium 3 – Palazzo Sales - Biosystematics in the Mediterranean area 1.
Chairs: K. Marhold (Bratislava, Slovak Republic), C. Oberprieler (Regensburg, Germany), L. Peruzzi (Pisa, Italy), P. Bareka (Athens, Greece)

9h00 – Symposium 4 – Instituto San Rocco- Taxonomy, ecology and conservation of Mediterranean marine and freshwater algae.
Chairs: A. M. Mannino (Palermo, Italy), C. Rodriguez-Prieto (Girona, Spain), M. Cantonati (Bologna, Italy)

14h30 – Symposium 5 – Palazzo Sales - Biosystematics in the Mediterranean area 2.
Chairs: K. Marhold (Bratislava, Slovak Republic), C. Oberprieler (Regensburg, Germany), L. Peruzzi (Pisa, Italy), P. Bareka (Athens, Greece)

14h30 – Symposium 6 – Instituto San Rocco- Ecosystems restoration and species conservation.
Chairs: J. M. Iriondo (Madrid, Spain), P. Marino (Palermo, Italy)

18h00 – Roundtable – Palazzo Sales – World Flora Online, Euro+Med, APD, inaturalist, efloraMaghreb, how to get ahead, how to structure the synergies with databases.
Chair: C. Chatelain (Genéve, Switzerland)

Friday 22 September [Erice]
9h00 – Symposium 7 – Instituto San Rocco – Herbaria and the understanding of Mediterranean plant diversity: past, present and future.
Chairs: M. Carine (London, U.K.), G. Domina (Palermo, Italy)

9h00 – Symposium 8 – Palazzo Sales - Useful plants in the Mediterranean Countries.
Chairs: K. H. C. Başer (Nicosia, Cyprus), G. Malfa (Catania, Italy), E. Kožuharova (Sofia, Bulgaria)

11h00 – Symposium 9 – Palazzo Sales - Health Benefits of Wild Mediterranean Plants.
Chairs: K. H. C. Başer (Nicosia, Cyprus), R. Acquaviva (Catania, Italy), V. Spadaro (Palermo, Italy)

14h30 – Poster Session - Instituto San Rocco.

16h30 – Roundtable – Auditorium Pam Dirac- Plant diversity and restoration of the historic garden «Giardino del Balio» (Erice) and presentation of the project for its restoration [financed by the Italian Ministry of Culture with funds from the PNRR].
Chair: J. Wade (Cernobbio, Italy)

20h00 – Congress Dinner [Erice]

Saturday 23 September [Erice]
9h00 – Symposium 10 – Instituto San Rocco - Crop Wild Relatives in the Mediterranean countries.
Chairs: B. Valdès (Sevilla, Spain), A. Giovino (Palermo, Italy), M. Rejdali (Temara, Morocco)

9h00 – Symposium 11 – Palazzo Sales – Invasive plants and their impact in Mediterranean countries.
Chairs: O. Vasic (Beograd, Serbia), F.M. Raimondo (Palermo, Italy)

15h00 – Special Event – Ancient forests in the National Park of Aspromonte (south Italy): The beech forest of « Valle Infernale » UNESCO Heritage Site – Palazzo Sales.

16h00 – Closing Ceremony and General meeting of OPTIMA – Palazzo Sales.

18h15 – Bus transfer to Palermo.

20h00 – Farewell Cocktail.

 

Sunday 24 September [from Erice]

8h00 – Post-Meeting excursion to the Natural Reserve Isole dello Stagnone di Marsala: Mothia and Isola Grande.

17h00 – Bus transfer to Palermo.