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Herbaria may represent remarkable sources of viable diaspores for recovering lost genetic variation and extinct plant species, but the application of rewilding extinct species using these collections has not been explored in detail. De-extinction in plants may be achieved by germinating viable diaspores or culturing tissues preserved in herbarium specimens. Germination of old diaspores (fruits, seeds, spores) preserved in sub-optimal uncontrolled storage conditions demonstrates that the recovery of extinct plants from herbarium specimens may be possible. Plant de-extinction via herbarium specimens relies on the availability of samples containing viable diaspores, and on the inclination of curators and the conservation community to use such material for this purpose. We developed an internet-based survey to assess (i) whether the scientific community would consent to the use of herbarium specimens of extinct species to attempt de-extinction, and (ii) the limitations of removing diaspores from specimens. Despite the risk of potential damages to valuable specimens from historical collections when harvesting diaspores, a consensus for using specimens of extinct plant species emerged. Most respondents would permit the collection of a low number of diaspores, preferably from duplicate specimens and only if the integrity of the specimen is preserved. These considerations would be more restrictive for type specimens and those of historical value. These results help to formalise a decision framework for the grant and use of material from natural history collections and a pragmatic approach to attempt to resurrect extinct species from herbarium specimens.

Allium kyrenium, a new species of Allium sect. Codonoprasum, is described and illustrated from northern Cyprus. It is a very circumscribed geophyte growing on the calcareous cliffs of the Kyrenia range. This diploid species, with a somatic chromosome number 2n = 16, shows close morphological relationships with A. stamineum, a species complex distributed in the eastern Mediterranean area. Its morphology, karyology, leaf anatomy, ecology, conservation status and taxonomical relationships with the allied species belonging to the A. stamineum group are examined.

Dianthus borbonicus a new species occurring in North-Western Sicily is described and illustrated. It is a rare chasmophyte belonging to the D. sylvestris group, which is exclusive of a rupestrian stand near Rocca Busambra (Ficuzza). Its macro- and micromorphological features (seed testa sculptures, and leaf anatomy), ecology, conservation status and a comparison with the related species are provided too.

Limonium poimenum is here proposed as a new species for Science. It is a very peculiar and extremely localized species, growing on a calcareous mountain of NW Sicily (southern Italy), where it grows on rupestrian places together with many other rare chasmophytic endemics. Iconography, morphological features, ecology and conservation status are provided, as well as a morphological comparison with L. todaroanum.

Among the suffruticose cabbages of Brassica sect. Brassica, a new species from Sicily, named B. raimondoi, is described and illustrated. It is a chasmophyte restricted to some steep limestone cliffs near Taormina (NE Sicily) and is morphologically related to B. incana, with which it shares densely hairy, broad, amplexicaul leaves and winged petioles, but differs principally in its white corolla, larger floral pieces, more developed stigmatic papillae, shorter siliquae with keeled valves and a smaller, seedless beak, smaller seeds differing in testa microsculpture. A key for the identification of the currently known Sicilian taxa of the section is provided.

A new species of Brassica from Sicily, namely B. trichocarpa, is described and illustrated. This suffrutex was found on a calcareous peak of a mount near Palermo, where it is represented by a single population occupying a really small surface. It is well differentiated from the other perennial species belonging to B. sect. Brassica mainly in having hairy ovary and very short, thickened, hairy, not torulose fruits. Its relationships and taxonomical position within this group are examined too. An analytical key of the current taxa belonging to the genus Brassica sect. Brassica is also provided.

Psoralea palaestina is a critical and unappreciated species described from Palestinian territories, and currently treated as synonym of P. bituminosa, nowadays known as Bituminaria bituminosa. Nomenclatural investigations allowed to ascertain that it was validly described for the first time by Bassi (1768) and not by Gouan (1773), as previously thought. Extensive taxonomic investigations revealed that this very peculiar legume is morphologically well differentiated from the other allied known species. Therefore, it has to be properly treated at specific level and transferred to the genus Bituminaria, thus proposing a new combination: Bituminaria palaestina. Based on literature, herbarium and field data, this species occurs in some localities of the Middle East (e.g. Israel, Jordan and Lebanon) where it mainly grows in damp habitats (i.e. swamps, rivers, etc.), differing from other known species of Bituminaria for its ecological requirements. Diagnostic features, micro-morphology of pod and seed testa, pollen grains, ecology, conservation status, and chorology of this species are examined. Its chromosome number is reported. Furthermore, its relationships with the currently recognized species belonging to Bituminaria are considered, and an analytical key including all the species of this genus is provided.

Here we describe Allium telmatum Bogdanovic, Brullo, Giusso & Salmeri, a new species of Allium sect. Codonoprasum from North Dalmatia (Croatia). Its chromosome number (2n = 32), karyotype, leaf anatomy, ecology and taxonomical relationships are examined. Several features, such as phenology (flowering in autumn), occurrence in coastal salt marshes, tetraploid chromosome number, and morphology, indicate that it is most closely related to the Tyrrhenian species Allium savii. On the basis of our herbarium survey, we present here a distribution map of the autumn-flowering species of Allium sect. Codonoprasum in the Mediterranean area.

Nomenclatural and taxonomical considerations on Kali , a controversial genus recently segregated from the polyphyletic Salsola s. lat. ( Chenopodiaceae ), are provided. The Kali group includes annual plants with leaves ending in a spine and lacking hypodermis, having also a cortex alternate to longitudinal chlorenchymatous striae. The species belonging to this genus mainly have a paleotemperate distribution (Europe, Asia and North Africa), occurring as aliens in North America, Australia and South Africa. A new species collected on Mt. Etna (Sicily), and closely related to K. australe , is described and illustrated as K. basalticum Its morphological and molecular features, karyology (2n=54), ecology, distribution, phylogeny and conservation status are examined. In addition, a list of the currently known species of Kali is provided, with some new combinations: Kali nepalense (Grubov) comb. nov., Kali pellucidum (Litvinov) comb. nov., Kali sinkiangense (A.J. Li) comb. nov., Kali gobicolum (Iljin) comb. nov., and Kali ryanii (G.F. Hrusa & Gaskin) comb. nov.

Allium therinanthum, a new species of A. sect. Codonoprasum, is described and illustrated from southern Mt. Hermon (Israel). It is a late-flowering diploid species (2n = 16), growing on calcareous substrates of the mountain belt. It is a narrowly distributed geophyte, showing morphological relationships mainly with A. tardiflorum, a typical autumnal species also occurring in Israel within the pinewoods of Mt. Carmel. The morphology, karyology, leaf anatomy, ecology, conservation status and taxonomical relations are examined for both species. A taxonomic comparison with the most allied late flowering species of the sect. Codonoprasum is provided.