First report of Austrocylindropuntia cylindrica in Algeria
Austrocylindropuntia cylindrica (Cactaceae) is native to South America (Colombia, Ecuador and Peru) and is reported as an invasive alien plant in Australia, South Africa and the EPPO region (Italy and Spain). It is also recorded in France. In Algeria, A. cylindrica was observed for the first time in 2016 in an abandoned garden of a former colonial farm in Larbi Ben M’Hidi (Wilaya of Skikda). In this site, a small population occurs with 30 individuals, growing among other alien succulent species including Aloe arborescens, Opuntia ficus-indica, Opuntia robusta and Opuntia stricta. In 2019, another small population was observed not far from the first, confined to the edge of a sandy path under Eucalyptus camaldulensis. Both populations are stable and are slowly increasing in size and numbers of individuals.
However, flowers and fruits have not been observed, despite repeated visits in all seasons.
Sources
Sakhraoui N, Verloove F, Essl F, Hadef A (2022) First record of Austrocylindropuntia cylindrica (Lam.) Backeb. and first data about the naturalization of Austrocylindropuntia subulata (Muehlenpf.) Backeb. in Algeria. BioInvasions Records 11(2), 351–359. https://doi.org/10.3391/bir.2022.11.2.07