[Science News] - New edition of the official Flora of Belgium

Meise Botanic Garden has published a new edition of the Official Flora of Belgium and neighbouring regions. This new edition covers 2,781 plant species, including 75 new arrivals. The Flora is an important reference work for the identification and study of plant species in Belgium and neighbouring regions. It is the most complete and scientific source for this region. The new edition also includes hundreds of new illustrations and easy-to-use determination keys for identifying species. 

Compared with the previous edition, 10 plant species have definitely disappeared from the region, while 75 new species have been added, mainly as a result of climate change and human activities. 

In addition to the new species, hundreds of revisions have also been made to the flora on the basis of recent knowledge of taxonomy and DNA research. This has led to adjustments in the classification and understanding of the relationships between plants. Particular attention has been paid to groups such as willows, roses, brambles and dandelions. Distribution data has also been updated.

This new edition of the Flora has been updated with botanical drawings illustrating each plant genus or important plant detail. These drawings are very detailed and contribute to the user-friendliness of the Flora.

The fourth Dutch edition of the Flora was created under the direction of Filip Verloove and Fabienne Van Rossum of Meise Botanic Garden. The Flora complements the "Field guide to the wild plants of Benelux", also published by Meise Botanic Garden, and is on sale for €55 at Meise Botanic Garden and soon in bookshops. The French edition of Flora is expected by the end of 2023.