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New Alien Plant Taxa for Italy and Europe: An Update.

Authors :
Musarella CM
Laface VLA
Angiolini C
Bacchetta G
Bajona E
Banfi E
Barone G
Biscotti N
Bonsanto D
Calvia G
Cambria S
Capuano A
Caruso G
Crisafulli A
Del Guacchio E
Di Gristina E
Domina G
Fanfarillo E
Fascetti S
Fiaschi T
Galasso G
Mascia F
Mazzacuva G
Mei G
Minissale P
Motti R
Perrino EV
Picone RM
Pinzani L
Podda L
Potenza G
Rosati L
Stinca A
Tavilla G
Villano C
Wagensommer RP
Spampinato G
Source :
Plants (Basel, Switzerland) [Plants (Basel)] 2024 Feb 24; Vol. 13 (5). Date of Electronic Publication: 2024 Feb 24.
Publication Year :
2024

Abstract

Despite the wide amount of scientific contributions published on alien plant species, their diffusion dynamics, and their interactions with native taxa, it is increasingly difficult to slow down their spreading and their negative impact on habitats. Last recent years, in fact, a sharp rise in the number of new alien plant taxa introduced in Italy and Europe has been recorded. The aim of this work is to investigate most of the Italian territory in order to verify whether this alarming trend is still underway. Specimen collections and/or observations of alien plants have been performed in as many as 12 Italian regions. All the collected specimens are stored in public or private herbaria. Taxa have been identified according to the literature from the countries of origin of the investigated taxa, while the nomenclature followed the current international references. Updates on 106 taxa are reported. In particular, among 117 new records, 89 are first records, 27 are changes to status and there is 1 extinction. Seven new taxa for Italian alien flora are reported, two of which are new to Europe. The administrative regions with the highest number of records are Calabria (48), Sardegna (17) and Sicilia (15). Five of the surveyed taxa, for the first time, have been considered invasive aliens to Italian territory. The unfrequent amount of original results provided by this work, over the simple importance of data itself, proves how floristic investigation, still today, represents one of the most effective tools in broadening the current knowledge about alien taxa and their dynamics.

Details

Language :
English
ISSN :
2223-7747
Volume :
13
Issue :
5
Database :
MEDLINE
Journal :
Plants (Basel, Switzerland)
Publication Type :
Academic Journal
Accession number :
38475466
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13050620