Abstract
During the five-day post-symposium excursion to Sicilian Mountains (June 25–29, 2017) we visited three main mountain ranges of Sicily: Etna Massif, the largest active volcano in the Mediterranean Basin; Nebrodi Mts, the smoothest and most forested part of the so-called Sicilian Apennines; and Madonie Mts, the highest and most heterogeneous mountain system of the Sicilian Apennines. After an intensive introduction to the Sicilian flora by Riccardo Guarino and his colleagues and friends Giuseppe Baiamonte, Giuseppe Bazan, Salvatore Brullo, Orazio Caldarella, Chiara Catalano, Leopoldo de Simone, Emanuele Genduso, Lorenzo Gianguzzi, Gianpietro Giusso del Galdo, Alessandro Gristina, Vincenzo Ilardi, Alfonso La Rosa, Corrado Marcenò, Pietro Minissale, Teresa Napolitano, Pippo di Noto, Salvatore Pasta, Rosario Schicchi, and Angelo Troìa, each of us, vegetation scientists from abroad, became familiar with plenty of Sicilian plant species. Moreover, many of us visited other Sicilian sites during the pre- and mid-symposium excursions or on private trips. We used this opportunity to make a short survey among the participants and the local guides and asked a simple question: Which is you favourite plant in Sicily and why? Based on the responses, this summary on jewels of the Sicilian flora was compiled, and here – the winning plants are introduced.