An overlooked invasive alien plant of Jejudo Island: Commelina caroliniana (Commelinaceae)

Autor: Eun Su Kang, Dong Chan Son, Kang-Hyup Lee
Rok vydání: 2021
Předmět:
Zdroj: Korean Journal of Plant Taxonomy. 51:10-17
ISSN: 2466-1546
1225-8318
DOI: 10.11110/kjpt.2021.51.1.10
Popis: Invasive alien species management is pivotal for biodiversity conservation. Commelina caroliniana Walter, from the family Commelinaceae, is an alien plant native to the Himalayas and India, but it has been widely introduced around the world, including in the United States, Brazil, Philippines, and Japan. In Korea, the first population was found growing adjacent to agricultural land and farm roads on Jejudo Island, and field observations confirmed the presence of at least nine populations there. It is similar morphologically to C. diffusa Burm. f. but can be distinguished by involucral bracts that are ciliate at the base, hairs on the peduncle and obsolete upper cincinnus, brown spots on its 4-lobed antherode, and seed surfaces that are smooth to slightly alveolate. It was determined to have an invasiveness low score of 8 according to the Korean ‘Invasive Alien Plant Risk Assessment’, suggesting that it may spread to natural habitats. Although the current distribution of C. caroliniana is restricted to Jeju-si, it has spread dramatically in many other areas of the world. At present, it has had a limited impact on the local environment, but local and regulatory authorities should pay close attention to this plant and take measures to prevent its expansion in the future.
Databáze: OpenAIRE