Breaking the silence of the 500-year-old smiling garden of everlasting flowers: The En Tibi book herbarium

We reveal the enigmatic origin of one of the earliest surviving botanical collections. The 16th-century Italian En Tibi herbarium is a large, luxurious book with c. 500 dried plants, made in the Renaissance scholarly circles that developed botany as a distinct discipline. Its Latin inscription, translated as “Here for you a smiling garden of everlasting flowers”, suggests that this herbarium was a gift for a patron of the emerging botanical science. We follow an integrative approach that includes a botanical similarity estimation of the En Tibi with contemporary herbaria (Aldrovandi, Cesalpino, “Cibo”, Merini, Estense) and analysis of the book’s watermark, paper, binding, handwriting, Latin inscription and the morphology and DNA of hairs mounted under specimens. Rejecting the previous origin hypothesis (Ferrara, 1542–1544), we show that the En Tibi was made in Bologna around 1558. We attribute the En Tibi herbarium to Francesco Petrollini, a neglected 16th-century botanist, to whom also belongs, as clarified herein, the controversial “Erbario Cibo” kept in Rome. The En Tibi was probably a work on commission for Petrollini, who provided the plant material for the book. Other people were apparently involved in the compilation and offering of this precious gift to a yet unknown person, possibly the Habsburg Emperor Ferdinand I. The En Tibi herbarium is a Renaissance masterpiece of art and science, representing the quest for truth in herbal medicine and botany. Our multidisciplinary approach can serve as a guideline for deciphering other anonymous herbaria, kept safely “hidden” in treasure rooms of universities, libraries and museums

Moderation is best: Effects of grazing intensity on plant-flower visitor networks in Mediterranean communities

The structure of pollination networks is an important indicator of ecosystem stability and functioning. Livestock grazing is a frequent land use practice that directly affects the abundance and diversity of flowers and pollinators and, therefore, may indirectly affect the structure of pollination networks. We studied how grazing intensity affected the structure of plant-flower visitor networks along a wide range of grazing intensities by sheep and goats, using data from 11 Mediterranean plant-flower visitor communities from Lesvos Island, Greece. We hypothesized that intermediate grazing might result in higher diversity as predicted by the Intermediate Disturbance Hypothesis, which could in turn confer more stability to the networks. Indeed, we found that networks at intermediate grazing intensities were larger, more generalized, more modular, and contained more diverse and even interactions. Despite general responses at the network level, the number of interactions and selectiveness of particular flower visitor and plant taxa in the networks responded differently to grazing intensity, presumably as a consequence of variation in the abundance of different taxa with grazing. Our results highlight the benefit of maintaining moderate levels of livestock grazing by sheep and goats to preserve the complexity and biodiversity of the rich Mediterranean communities, which have a long history of grazing by these domestic animals.The research has been co-financed by the European Union (European Social Fund—ESF) and Greek National funds through the Operational Program “Education and Lifelong Learning” of the National Strategic Reference Framework (NSRF)—Research Funding Program: THALES: Investing in knowledge society through the European Social FundPeer Reviewe

Reporting new cases of anaemia in primary care settings in Crete, Greece: a rural practice study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Early diagnosis of anaemia represents an important task within primary care settings. This study reports on the frequency of new cases of anaemia among patients attending rural primary care settings in Crete (Greece) and to offer an estimate of iron deficiency anaemia (IDA) frequency in this study group.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>All patients attending the rural primary health care units of twelve general practitioners (GPs) on the island of Crete for ten consecutive working days were eligible to participate in this study. Hemoglobin (Hb) levels were measured by portable analyzers. Laboratory tests to confirm new cases of anaemia were performed at the University General Hospital of Heraklion.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>One hundred and thirteen out of 541 recruited patients had a low value of Hb according to the initial measurement obtained by the use of the portable analyzer. Forty five (45.5%) of the 99 subjects who underwent laboratory testing had confirmed anaemia. The mean value of the Hb levels in the group with confirmed anaemia, as detected by the portable analyzer was 11.1 g/dl (95% Confidence Interval (CI) from 10.9 to 11.4) and the respective mean value of the Hb levels obtained from the full blood count was 11.4 g/dl (95% CI from 11.2 to 11.7) (<it>P </it>= 0.01). Sixteen out of those 45 patients with anaemia (35.6%) had IDA, with ferritin levels lower than 30 ng/ml.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Keeping in mind that this paper does not deal with specificity or sensitivity figures, it is suggested that in rural and remote settings anaemia is still invisible and point of care testing may have a place to identify it.</p

Identifying bottlenecks in the life cycle of plants living on cliffs and rocky slopes : lack of knowledge hinders conservation actions

Long term survival of plant populations relies on successful reproductive cycle to obtain generation turnover. Focusing on plant species of conservation concern, we brought together a group of plant conservationists from different countries to assess whether the already available information on plant reproductive biology and autecology is adequate for identifying which phases of single species life cycle might act as bottleneck. We compiled a list of 80 plant species of conservation concern living on European cliffs and rocky slopes, for which biological and autecological information was collected from scientific literature, technical reports, and expert knowledge. Results have shown that the available information on species reproductive biology and autecology is inadequate to identify bottlenecks in the life cycle of many species and to provide insights for the practical conservation of many more. Available knowledge is mainly referred to the flowering phase, less on seed production and much less on seedling establishment and on cloning. Meanwhile and noteworthy, flowering resulted to be the less critical phase for the fulfilment of the species life cycle. Overall, with this perspective article we aim to encourage a constructive debate among the scientific community members and policymakers to set up novel concerted strategies for the conservation of plant species of conservation concern. The challenge of the discussion is the implementation of the current approach with new biological and ecological information to be exclusively targeted at identifying the constraints that limit the generation turnover and furnishing specific indications for active management.peer-reviewe

Taxonomy, essential oils and biogeography of the Labiatae family in the East Aegean: Chios Island, Greece and Çeşme-Karaburun Peninsula, Turkey

The aim of the thesis is the taxonomic and biogeographical approach of the Labiatae family in the East Aegean (E. Aegean) focusing on Chios Island (E. Aegean Islands, Greece) and Çeşme-Karaburun Peninsula (Anatolia, Turkey). The following were carried out: (i) taxonomy of the Labiatae plants in Chios and Çeşme-Karaburun and mapping of their distribution in the two regions, (ii) study of their distribution patterns in the two regions in relation to the habitat types and geological substrates they occupy, (iii) study of the infraspecific variation of their essential oil content in Chios in relation to the habitat types and geological substrates they occupy, and (iv) study of the biogeographical affinities of Chios and Çeşme-Karaburun based on the presence or absence of Labiatae plants.Σκοπός της διατριβής ήταν η ταξινομική και βιογεωγραφική προσέγγιση της οικογένειας Labiatae στο Ανατολικό Αιγαίο (Α. Αιγαίο) και ειδικότερα στη Νήσο Χίο (Nησιά Α. Αιγαίου, Ελλάδα) και τη Χερσόνησο Ερυθραία (Ανατολία, Τουρκία). Πραγματοποιήθηκαν: (α) ταξινόμηση των φυτών της οικογένειας Labiatae στη Χίο και την Ερυθραία και χαρτογράφηση της εξάπλωσής τους στις δύο περιοχές, (β) διερεύνηση των προτύπων εξάπλωσής τους στις δύο περιοχές σε σχέση με τους τύπους οικοτόπων και τα γεωλογικά υποστρώματα, στα οποία απαντούν, (γ) διερεύνηση της ενδοειδικής ποικιλότητας της περιεκτικότητάς τους σε αιθέριο έλαιο στη Χίο σε σχέση με τους τύπους οικοτόπων και τα γεωλογικά υποστρώματα, στα οποία απαντούν και (δ) διερεύνηση των βιογεωγραφικών σχέσεων της Χίου και της Ερυθραίας με βάση την παρουσία ή απουσία των φυτών της οικογένειας Labiatae

Η σύμβαση παροχής επενδυτικών συμβουλών κατά την Οδηγία MiFID II και τον Ν. 4514/2018

Η σύμβαση παροχής επενδυτικών συμβουλών αποτελεί κύρια επενδυτική υπηρεσία και ρυθμίζεται υπό τον Ν. 4514/2018 που ενσωμάτωσε στην ελληνική έννομη τάξη την Οδηγία MiFID II. Η πολυπλοκότητα των επενδυτικών επιλογών και τα υβριδικά χαρακτηριστικά των νεοεμφανιζόμενων χρηματοπιστωτικών μέσων επιτείνουν την προσφυγή στο επενδυτικό σύμβουλο. Το έργο του επενδυτικού συμβούλου συνίσταται στην παροχή ορθούς, πλήρους, σαφούς διαφώτισης, η οποία στηρίζεται σε ενδελεχή έρευνα, όσον αφορά τις εναλλακτικές επενδυτικής στρατηγικής, η οποία θα τύχει αξιολόγησης με γνώμονα τους επενδυτικούς στόχους του επενδυτή και την ανοχή του στον κίνδυνο, με βάση τον διενεργηθέντα έλεγχο καταλληλότητας. Προς αυτή την κατεύθυνση ο επενδυτικός σύμβουλος οφείλει πέραν της εξαντλητικής, από άποψης πηγών πληροφόρησης, έρευνας να μεταδώσει στον επενδυτή όλα τα απαραίτητα στοιχεία, σχετικά με τα χαρακτηριστικά και τις ιδιαιτερότητες των επενδυτικών προϊόντων, με βάση το επενδυτικό του προφίλ, ώστε να είναι σε θέση ο επενδυτής εν συνεχεία να λάβει την επενδυτική απόφαση. Με τη MiFID II, προκρίνεται η ατομική προστασία των συμφερόντων του επενδυτή, ως προστατευτέο έννομο αγαθό.Investment advice, as an ancillary service, constitutes the provision of personal recommendations to a client, in respect of one or more transactions, relating to financial instruments. Investment advice is regulated under MiFID II and Law 4514/2018. The continuous relevance of personal recommendations for clients and the increasing complexity of services and instruments required enhancing the conduct of business obligations in order to strengthen the protection of investors. When providing investment advice the investment firm shall obtain the necessary information regarding the client’s knowledge and experience in the investment field relevant to the specific type of product or service, that person’s financial situation, including his ability to bear losses, and his investment objectives including his risk tolerance so as to enable the investment firm to recommend to the client the investment services and financial instruments that are suitable for him and in accordance with his risk tolerance and ability to bear losses, so as the client receives the suitable investment decision. MiFID II strengthens the protection of investors integrity along with the efficiency of the financial system

Tracing the introduction history of the tulip that went wild (Tulipa sylvestris) in sixteenth-century Europe

Tulipa sylvestris, commonly called the “wild tulip”, was introduced from the Mediterranean to northern Europe in the sixteenth century and became widely naturalized. Research has focused on tulips that came from the Ottoman Empire, but the introduction path of this native European, early ornamental tulip is unclear, and so is its taxonomic status: three subspecies are provisionally accepted, sometimes treated as species. Here we elucidate the history of introduction of T. sylvestris and discuss its taxonomy based on our historical findings. The first bulbs came from Bologna (northern Italy) and Montpellier (southern France) in the 1550–1570 s. Several renowned botanists were involved in their introduction, namely Gessner, Wieland, Aldrovandi, De Lobel, Clusius, and Dodoens. There were various introduction routes, including one from Spain which was apparently unsuccessful. The strong sixteenth-century Flemish botanical network facilitated the introduction and naturalization of T. sylvestris across Europe. Based on the latest tulip taxonomy, the diploid subspecies australis is native in the Mediterranean, and the tetraploid sylvestris is naturalized over Europe, but our historical findings show that both sylvestris and australis were introduced to northern Europe. This underlines the need to reconsider the taxonomic status of T. sylvestris, highlighting the importance of botanical history in understanding the complex taxonomy of naturalized cultivated plants

DNA Barcoding of St. John's wort (Hypericum spp.) Growing Wild in North-Eastern Greece

Plants of the genus Hypericum, commonly known as St. Johnes wort (spathohorto or valsamo in Greek), have been used since antiquity for their therapeutic properties. Wild-harvested Hypericum plants are still popular today in herbal medicines, commercially exploited due to their bioactive compounds, hypericin and hyperforin, which have antidepressant, antimicrobial and antiviral activity. Species identification of commercial products is therefore important and DNA barcoding, a molecular method that uses small sequences of organismse genome as barcodes, can be useful in this direction. In this study, we collected plants of the genus Hypericum that grow wild in North-Eastern Greece and explored the efficiency of matK, and trnH-psbA regions as DNA barcodes for their identification. We focused on 5 taxa, namely H. aucheri, H. montbretii, H. olympicum, H. perforatum subsp. perforatum, and H. thasium, the latter a rare Balkan endemic species collected for the first time from mainland Greece. matK (using the genus-specific primers designed herein), trnH-psbA, and their combination were effectively used for the identification of the 5 Hypericum taxa and the discrimination of different H. perforatum subsp. perforatum populations. These barcodes were also able to discriminate Greek populations of H. perforatum, H. aucheri, H. montbretii, and H. olympicum from populations of the same species growing in other countries.</p

The “true Boerhaave herbarium”: an analysis of the specimens of Herman Boerhaave (1668–1738) contained in the Van Royen collection at Naturalis

Collecting plants and making herbarium specimens was quintessential for an eighteenth century botanist. Studying the extant plant specimens from this period can give us valuable insights into how scholars approached the science of botany. Several dried plant specimens in the 18th-century Van Royen collection kept at Naturalis, Leiden, have at one time been recognised as originating from Herman Boerhaave (1668–1738). The aim of this study is to establish which specimens come from Boerhaave and try to answer the question why relatively few of these survived. We verified which specimens came from Boerhaave and updated the existing identifications of 88 specimens. We studied the way the specimens were mounted, the handwritings on the various labels and the use of decorations. We taxonomically identified them and linked the accompanying labels to the seed register of the Leiden Hortus Botanicus, where these specimens originated from. The transcription of the labels provided us with valuable information about the introduction and cultivation of indigenous and exotic, predominantly Mediterranean, plant species. Little effort has been put into connecting the contribution by Boerhaave with the living collection of the Leiden Hortus botanicus at the time, that is, the herbarium specimens we now know to have been described by Boerhaave. By studying these specimens we made his contribution visible