EPPO Global Database

EPPO Reporting Service no. 11 - 2020 Num. article: 2020/255

Alien flora in Italy and new records for Europe


Field work conducted in Southern Italy (Calabria) has contributed to knowledge on the alien flora of the region. Table 1 below details 27 species of which 3 are new records for Italy, 1 for the Italian Peninsula and 3 are new records for Europe.


New records for Europe

Cascabela thevetia (Apocynaceae) was first observed in 2019 growing in a water drainage channel in Calabria. The species is an evergreen shrub which is native to tropical America and is commonly grown as a garden ornamental in the EPPO region. Numerous seeds were found beside the adult plants. C. thevetia is invasive in parts of Africa and Australia where it can invade natural areas and negatively affect native biodiversity.

Ipomoea setosa subsp. pavonii (Convolvulaceae) was recorded growing along a roadside in Calabria in 2019 though no further details are available. I. setosa subsp. pavonii is native to South America and is occasionally recorded in other regions (e.g. Jamaica and the USA).

Tecoma stans (Bignoniaceae) is native to southern USA, Mexico, the Caribbean and Peru and Ecuador. The species was observed in the Calabria region along a pavement where it most probably escaped from nearby gardens. T. stans is invasive in parts of Africa, Asia, Australia and parts of South America. It can form dense monocultures which outcompete native plant species.


Table 1. Alien flora in Calabria

Species

Family

Status

First record for

Araujia sericifera

Apocynaceae

casual 

Calabria

Asparagus setaceus

Asparagaceae

casual 

Calabria

Bassia scoparia

Chenopodiaceae

casual 

Calabria

Bidens formosa

Asteraceae

casual

Calabria

Brugmansia aurea

Solanaceae

casual

Italy

Cascabela thevetia

Apocynaceae

casual

Europe

Casuarina equisetifolia

Casuarinaceae

casual

Calabria

Cedrus atlantica

Pinaceae

casual

Calabria

Cenchrus setaceus 

Poaceae 

invasive 

----

Chlorophytum comosum

Asparagaceae

casual

Calabria

Dolichandra unguis-cati

Bignoniaceae

casual 

Calabria

Fagopyrum esculentum

Polygonaceae

casual 

Calabria

Freesia alba

Iridaceae

casual 

Calabria

Ipomoea setosa subsp. pavonii

Convolvulaceae

casual 

Europe

Kalanchoë delagoënsis

Crassulaceae

casual 

Calabria

Luffa aegyptiaca

Cucurbitaceae

casual 

Italian Peninsula

Narcissus ‘Cotinga’

Amaryllidaceae

naturalised 

Italy

Narcissus ‘Erlicheer’

Amaryllidaceae

casual 

Italy

Nothoscordum gracile 

Amaryllidaceae

invasive

----

Oxalis stricta 

Oxalidaceae

casual 

----

Passiflora caerulea

Passifloraceae

casual 

Calabria

Portulaca grandiflora

Portulacaceae

casual 

Calabria

Salpichroa origanifolia 

Solanaceae

invasive 

----

Sesbania punicea

Fabaceae

invasive 

----

Tecoma stans

Bignoniaceae

casual 

Europe

Tradescantia sillamontana

Commelinaceae

casual 

Calabria

Washingtonia filifera

Arecaceae

casual 

Calabria

 


Sources

Laface VLA, Musarella CM, Ortiz AO, Canas RQ, Cannavo S, Spampinato G (2020) Three new alien taxa for Europe and a chorological update on the alien vascular flora of Calabria (Southern Italy). Plants. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/plants9091181