First report of Cyperus eragrostis in Tunisia
Cyperus eragrostis (Cyperaceae) is native to the Americas and is reported for the first time in the natural environment from Tunisia. In the EPPO region, C. eragrostis has been present since the mid-1800s where the species was first recorded in Hamburg (Germany). Since then, the species has been recorded in a number of EPPO countries where between 1850 and 2000, the number of new records has steadily increased. Habitats where the species occurs include riverbanks, estuaries, roadsides or rail tracks, and wet meadows. During 2016, surveys were conducted around water bodies within the Kroumiria region, Northwest Tunisia. An unknown species was discovered and erroneously identified as C. flavescens, a species native to Tunisia. However, further field surveys in the same area in 2017/18, and 2020 confirmed the presence of C. eragrostis. The species grows along the banks of the river Bouhertma. Here C. eragrostis is well established and is part of the summer floristic vegetation of tributaries to the dam of Bouhertma. In continental North Africa, the exact mode of introduction of C. eragrostis is unknown. The species is a relatively recent introduction, only known from a few localities in Morocco.
Sources
El Mokni R, Verloove F (2021) First appointment of the invasive Cyperus eragrostis (Cyperaceae) as an established species in Tunisia. Flora Mediterranea 31, 83-88.