When you will discover the new “Atlas of the Aegean Flora” your first impression might look like a wow! Indeed the two parts of this Atlas are sober, elegant and first impress by their size. When you will start browsing through the book and discover the maps, the illustrations, the identification keys or the index… I am convinced that — at this point — you will develop an addiction to this compelling piece of work…

The Aegean Atlas published by Arne Strid is a very complete work. This Atlas provides descriptions for the native and naturalized species occurring in the Aegean region (3,316 species in total). The taxonomic references are very substantial and rely on the most recent works on the region ( Dimopoulos et al., 2013), identification keys are clear and explicit and, at the end of the part 1, you will find more than 400 colour plates. A description is given for each species with additional information on variation, etymology or biogeography in most of the taxa. Identification keys and description form the first part of the Atlas. The second part is dedicated to species distributions and provides 3,362 colour detailed maps. As a plant cartographer, I am impressed by the quality and accuracy of the maps presented in this Atlas. The reader is able to obtain accurate geographical and altitudinal information for species that could be used for e.g. ecological and conservation purposes. Moreover, a text box on each species map presents information on its habitat, altitudinal range, phenology and potential other specific additional information related to its conservation. Only a scientist who masters the ecology, biogeography and systematics of Aegean plants can publish such complete and thorough book. This work results from the Flora Hellenica Database (a compendium of herbarium specimens, published literature and field notes), which has been managed by Arne Strid since 1989. This monumental work (917,000 records including 516,000 for the Aegean area) is now published and valued on paper format.

It has been 70 years since the last Aegean Flora was published ( Rechinger, 1944), but the wait was worthwhile ! I am sure that this Atlas will be a powerful tool for botanists, curators, conservation planners, scientists, students and all the people interested by the beautiful, and sometimes threatened, plants of this region. I want to congratulate Arne Strid and the Englera editorial team in Berlin for such an enjoyable publication.