TÜRKİYE is among the wealthiest countries in the globe regarding plant diversity. Only in Istanbul, two thousand and five hundred plant species are grown; even this figure is higher than some of the plant species in European countries. Only one-third of the plant species in Türkiye are specific to the country, and so far, there has been no study to record these plants with illustrations. The study is planned to be the most comprehensive corpus in its area and is among the rare examples in the world. The project under the auspices of the Presidency of the Republic of Türkiye is realized by the cooperation of Ali Nihat Gökyiğit Foundation, Nezahat Gökyiğit Botanic Garden and

Flora Research Foundation. It is expected to be completed by 2030.

12 THOUSAND PLANTS ILLUSTRATED 

Türkiye hosts thousands of plant species due to its position at the junction of three flora types. Istanbul does not stand out for its flora, but even this city contains numerous plants, some of which are endemic. In this city, three regions are being protected for the plants they host. Three new plant species were discovered in Istanbul in the last five years. The book will be recording Türkiye’s and Istanbul’s rich plant variety in detail with illustrations for the first time and will contain detailed information on nearly 12 thousand plants.

A STUDY THAT LASTED FOR MANY YEARS

The Ali Nihat Gökyiğit Foundation finances the Illustrated Türkiye Flora project. The scientific research and illustrations are performed at the Nezahat Gökyiğit Botanic Garden of the foundation in cooperation with the Flora Research Foundation. Nearly 100 academics are working on the botanic subject across Türkiye, and approximately 60 painters are working as part of the project. Speaking on the study conducted by visiting the herbariums of Türkiye and the world’s other regions for sampling and illustrations, the Secretary General of Flora Research Foundation Burçin Çıngay said, “The first volume was published in 2014. Studying a single species may take years

in some cases.”

THE GLOBAL TREND

Çıngay mentioned that World Flora Online supports the studies and works in this area. Many countries have been writing about their flora from scratch or revising it. Countries such as China, Italy, Greece, Pakistan, and the USA have worked in this area, and Türkiye is among the countries that conduct studies to record the world’s flora by studying the plants in its homeland. The research results are being shared via World Flora Online for the researchers.

Learning about the plant before protecting it

Prof Dr Adil Güner-Director of the Nezahat Gökyiğit Botanic Garden and Chief Editor of Illustrated Türkiye Flora Book: The main characteristic of this book is that it contains scientific Turkish plant names as the society automatically ostracizes all plants with Latin names. How can one protect what one does not recognize? The fact that each type of plant is defined under a Turkish name would result in societal recognition. We aim to serve such a target. We believe this book will help develop plant literacy and make the concept of protecting plants prevalent in society.

We illustrate the plant’s life

Şebnem Akyıldız-Illustrated Türkiye Flora Painter: We draw all the details of a plant in our illustrations. Sometimes, we try to zoom plants that are less than a centimetre using a microscope.  So far, no study has been made with such detailed content, so sometimes, we have the honour of illustrating a certain plant species for the first time. Plants may not look different from each other at first glance. However, numerous finest details distinguish them, and by illustrating their colours and the tiniest feathers, we help these details exist in this comprehensive work.

Learning how to see 

Sema Niğdeli-Illustrated Türkiye Flora Painter: We are performing our works after a lengthy research process and recording the images of the sources obtained by the botanists. The art form known as ‘scientific knowledge painting’ developed in Türkiye after 2005. Many details that photographs fail to reflect can be effectively displayed through illustrations. In this regard, the Illustrated Türkiye Flora is a priceless work as it conveys that a plant is not just a name but also an organism that needs to be seen and protected.