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16 Giardina & al.: A catalogue of plants growing in Sicily

6. Categories indicating rarity
In the text, rarity classes are indicated as follow: EX (extinct), RR (vary rare), R (rare),
NC (uncommon), C (common), CC (very common).
Classes refer to the Sicilian territory but they are not indicative of the local abundance.

7. Confirmation of localities

Relevant records to a note locality are not usually indicated. Old data are usually con-
firmed. Doubts on the present existence of taxa in localities referred in old reports are
always expressed. Recent confirmations for those localities in precarious conditions are
reported (human impact, environmental disasters, etc.).

8. Ancient Herbaria

Todaro and Tineo herbaria were dissolved in the Sic. Panormitanus herb. by Lojacono in
1888-1909. Reference to Todaro Herb., therefore, refer to single sheets characterized by
Todaro’s name on it and now inserted in the present Herbarium Mediterraneum
Panormitanum (PAL).

9. Classification matter

The plant catalogue follows the order in the Flora Europaea (Tutin & al. 1964-80; Tutin
& al. 1993, with sequences of families referred to Melchior 1966 and Engler-Diels 1936),
in Cronquist (1988) and for what concerns Monocotyledonae in Dahlgren & al. (1985),
except the case of Orchidaceae that refers to Delforge (2005). Pteridophyta have been
classified according to Ferrarini & al. (1986). About taxa above the species rank (genera
and families), recently updated or introduced, the order proposed follows the new treat-
ment (for ex. in Persicaria, proposed by Asenov in Jordanov 1966, Asenov treatment is
followed and not the one concerning Polygonum in Tutin & al. 1993). At the end of the
Catalogue, genera and families are reported in an analytical index containing also genera
recently fallen in synonymy; the latter is indicated in italics and not bold.

10. Caution

In some works too many mistakes are included. In the case of taxa generally considered
absent in Sicily, being their occurrence not probable or reported by mistake (especially in
the lack of specimens confirming their real presence there), in order to avoid redundancies,
this taxa have been overridden. This policy seems methodologically correct, considering
the fact that the aim of the present catalogue is to help researchers in their work.
The amendment of the past errors, therefore, is left to those who are interested in a nar-
row territory, condition that will obligate the researcher to consider meticulously the studies
of the past. Therefore, rare or very rare species, probably extinct and quoted for the Arena of
Catania by Cosentino (1825) are not considered – also if they might have been interesting