Description

The present monograph lists all species and varieties of Greek vascular plants described by Theodor von Heldreich, based on his collections or named after him. Theodor von Heldreich (1822-1902) was the leading explorer of the Greek flora in the 19th century, living in Athens from 1843. His collections are represented in many European herbaria with the largest sets in Geneva (G and G-Boiss) and Vienna (W and WU). The monograph starts with a short biography of Heldreich with emphasis on his scientific collections, followed by a long annotated list of taxa. Some of the more interesting species are illustrated in a colorful photo appendix (54 full-page plates). About 1210 names are considered (not including their synonyms). Most of them are typified and comments are provided on their current taxonomic status, distribution and variation. About 280 currently recognized Greek species and subspecies have been described or co-authored by Heldreich, and 36 have been named after him. Finally there are exhaustive literature and reference lists and a comprehensive index to scientific names. The total number of species in the Greek flora is now estimated to be around 5600. A considerable portion of them are associated with Heldreich. This monograph is of interest to all students of Mediterranean flora and biogeography.