{"id":8009,"date":"2026-04-13T09:56:56","date_gmt":"2026-04-12T20:56:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.unitec.ac.nz\/epress\/?page_id=8009"},"modified":"2026-10-13T12:06:44","modified_gmt":"2026-10-12T23:06:44","slug":"flora-portugal","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.unitec.ac.nz\/epress\/index.php\/perspectives-in-biosecurity\/volumes\/2026-11\/flora-portugal\/","title":{"rendered":"Perspectives in Biosecurity | 2026 | Volume 11 | pp 01\u201331"},"content":{"rendered":"<nav class=\"items-justified-center wp-block-navigation is-content-justification-center is-layout-flex wp-container-core-navigation-is-layout-16018d1d wp-block-navigation-is-layout-flex\" aria-label=\"Perspectives in Biosecurity\"><ul class=\"wp-block-navigation__container items-justified-center wp-block-navigation\"><li class=\" wp-block-navigation-item wp-block-navigation-link\"><a class=\"wp-block-navigation-item__content\"  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class=\"wp-block-navigation-item__label\">Articles |<\/span><\/a><\/li><li class=\" wp-block-navigation-item wp-block-navigation-link\"><a class=\"wp-block-navigation-item__content\"  href=\"https:\/\/www.unitec.ac.nz\/epress\/index.php\/perspectives-in-biosecurity\/editorial-board\/\"><span class=\"wp-block-navigation-item__label\">Contact Us<\/span><\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav>\n\n\n<div style=\"height:50px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>Research Paper<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"has-text-align-right\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.unitec.ac.nz\/epress\/index.php\/perspectives-in-biosecurity\/volumes\/2026-11\/\" data-type=\"page\" data-id=\"8002\">Volume 11<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Cataloging the alien flora of Portugal: New findings and updates<\/h1>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-4144-2422\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-4144-2422\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"20\" height=\"20\" class=\"wp-image-5587\" style=\"width: 20px;\" src=\"http:\/\/www.unitec.ac.nz\/epress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/image.png\" alt=\"ORCID\"><\/a> Filip Verloove<sup>1<\/sup>, <a href=\"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-4931-0582\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-4931-0582\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"20\" height=\"20\" class=\"wp-image-5587\" style=\"width: 20px;\" src=\"http:\/\/www.unitec.ac.nz\/epress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/image.png\" alt=\"ORCID\"><\/a> Paulo Alves<sup>2<\/sup><br><br>Affiliations:<br><sup>1<\/sup> Meise Botanic Garden, Nieuwelaan 38, B-1860 Meise, Belgium.<br><sup>2<\/sup> Floradata, Campo 24 de Agosto, 129\u2014Escrit\u00f3rio 704, 4300-504 Bonfim, Porto, Portugal.<br>Corresponding author: <a href=\"mailto:filip.verloove@botanicgardenmeise.be\">filip.verloove@botanicgardenmeise.be<\/a><br><br>Received: 15 January 2026 | Accepted: 8 March 2026 | Published: 12 October 2026<br>Senior Editor: Peter J. de Lange<br><a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.55457\/pibs.01101\">https:\/\/doi.org\/10.55457\/pibs.01101<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-right\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.unitec.ac.nz\/epress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/PBS-verloove-n-alves-2026.pdf\" data-type=\"attachment\" data-id=\"8183\">Download PDF<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Abstract<\/strong><br>During recent fieldwork in Portugal \u2013 mainly in the regions of Estremadura and Ribatejo in the autumn of 2024, but also earlier and elsewhere in the country \u2013 many interesting non-indigenous taxa were recorded. The following 25 taxa were not yet known from Portugal: <em>Amaranthus blitum <\/em>subsp. <em>pseudogracilis<\/em>, <em>Amaranthus palmeri<\/em>, <em>Bassia indica<\/em>, <em>Cardiospermum grandiflorum<\/em>, <em>Casuarina cunninghamiana<\/em>, <em>Chloris gayana<\/em>, <em>Crepis bursifolia<\/em>, <em>Cyperus papyrus<\/em>, <em>Elatine ambigua<\/em>, <em>Eleocharis obtusa<\/em>, <em>Eragrostis mexicana<\/em>, <em>E. pectinacea<\/em>, <em>Guizotia abyssinica<\/em>, <em>G. schimperi<\/em>, <em>Hedera algeriensis<\/em>, <em>Hydrocotyle bowlesioides<\/em>, <em>H. sibthorpioides<\/em>, <em>Ipomoea hederacea<\/em>, <em>Megathyrsus maximus<\/em>, <em>Nassella tenuissima<\/em>, <em>Physalis angulata<\/em>, <em>Sida spinosa<\/em>, <em>Solanum bonariense<\/em>, <em>Vitis riparia <\/em>and <em>V. <\/em>\u00d7 <em>ruggerii<\/em>. Among these, <em>Hydrocotyle bowlesioides <\/em>is especially noteworthy as this record represents the first confirmed occurrence on the European mainland, extending the known non-native range of the species. In addition, several other taxa were recorded for the first time in particular regions, especially Estremadura and Ribatejo. Most newly recorded species belong to Poaceae and Asteraceae, families that dominate alien floras in Mediterranean regions. Biogeographically, they originate mainly from tropical and subtropical America and Africa, reflecting both climatic affinity and strong anthropogenic dispersal. Regional analyses highlight contrasting patterns: Estremadura, with its urban and coastal environments, acts as a primary entry zone linked to horticultural and transport activities, whereas Ribatejo \u2013 especially along the Tagus River (Rio Tejo) valley \u2013 functions as a linear dispersal corridor for riparian and agricultural invaders. Several taxa are clearly naturalised, and some show local dominance, underlining an accelerating transition from casual to established status. These findings illustrate the ongoing dynamism of Portugal\u2019s alien vascular flora under the combined influence of globalisation, urbanisation and climate change, and emphasise the need for continued monitoring and documentation through co-ordinated fieldwork and digital biodiversity platforms, particularly in light of the high invasive potential demonstrated by many of the species involved.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:50px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Cite as<\/strong><br>Verloove, F., &amp; Alves, P. (2026). Cataloging the alien flora of Portugal: New findings and updates. <em>Perspectives in Biosecurity<\/em>, 11: 1\u201331. <a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.55457\/pibs.01101\">https:\/\/doi.org\/10.55457\/pibs.01101<\/a><br><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Research Paper Volume 11 Cataloging the alien flora of Portugal: New findings and updates Filip Verloove1, Paulo Alves2 Affiliations:1 Meise Botanic Garden, Nieuwelaan 38, B-1860 Meise, Belgium.2 Floradata, Campo 24 de Agosto, 129\u2014Escrit\u00f3rio 704, 4300-504 Bonfim, Porto, Portugal.Corresponding author: filip.verloove@botanicgardenmeise.be&#8230; <a class=\"more-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.unitec.ac.nz\/epress\/index.php\/perspectives-in-biosecurity\/volumes\/2026-11\/flora-portugal\/\">Continue Reading &rarr;<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":0,"parent":8002,"menu_order":1,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-8009","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.unitec.ac.nz\/epress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/8009","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.unitec.ac.nz\/epress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.unitec.ac.nz\/epress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.unitec.ac.nz\/epress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/12"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.unitec.ac.nz\/epress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8009"}],"version-history":[{"count":17,"href":"https:\/\/www.unitec.ac.nz\/epress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/8009\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8421,"href":"https:\/\/www.unitec.ac.nz\/epress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/8009\/revisions\/8421"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.unitec.ac.nz\/epress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/8002"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.unitec.ac.nz\/epress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8009"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}