An overview of invasive plant taxonomy in South Africa
Pieter JD Winter & Phil McLean
Pennisetum setaceum
• Rocky or stony substrate • Seed dispersal • Tussock • Restoration Pennisetum clandestinum Cactaceae species complexes:
Opuntia engelmannii Cereus jamacaru Biocontrol-resistant strains C. hexagonus complex Opuntia robusta
(spiny invasive form)
Spineless cultivars and selections not listed, though same species.
Malva arborea (= Lavatera arborea; = Malva dendromorpha, nom. illeg.) Euphorbia cf. terracina E. subgenus Esula: c. 480 spp., 8 indigenous “Callistemons”: Melaleuca viminalis or derived cultigen
Melaleuca citrina or derived cultigen
“Endeavour” Melaleuca rugulosa
(South Australia & Victoria)
- serotinous Hypericum canariense (Genus of 400 spp.; 7 indigenous) Acacia cf. crassiuscula (Genus of c. 1000 spp.)
Opuntia ficus-indica (yellow flowered forms not invasive) Atriplex nummularia subsp. nummularia (Genus of 250 spp.; 19 in SA) Cylindropuntia spinosior No specimens? Possibly confused with C. fulgida. Echinopsis schickendantzii? or Trichocereus schickendantzii or
T. spachianus or T. sp. nov. Kali tragus? or Kali sp. A (listed as Salsola kali and Salsola tragus)
• Existing Salsola kali specimens need re-identification.
Prosopis cf. glandulosa (four naturalized spp. + hybrids) Lantana camara (Genus of 150 spp.; 4 indigenous) Psidium guajava & hybrid
Senecio pterophorus (Genus of 1250 spp.; 300 in SA) Echium vulgare (Northern Europe)
More than two exserted stamens Echium plantagineum Conyza sumatrensis var. sumatrensis? (listed as Conyza albida; = Erigeron sumatrensis; = E. floribundus)
Three virtually identical spp. segregated from indigenous Conyza spp. Eucalyptus sideroxylon
• Genus comprises over 700 spp. • c. 280 introduced Hibiscus trionum (European alien? + own form) Acacia mearnsii Often confused with A. dealbata Pyracantha angustifolia Three naturalized spp. c. 250 Rubus spp. (7 alien + 11 own + hybrids = 21+ in SA) Herbarium Knowledge Base Collections So What?
Expertise Contact for the SA Herbarium network:
Pieter Winter Email: [email protected] Phone: (021) 799 8675
SA National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI) Invasive Species Programme Compton Herbarium Kirstenbosch