Nicodemia madagascariensis (Lam.) R. Parker (Family Scrophulariaceae), a casual alien plant new to Italy

Abstract

In this note the authors report the first case of naturalization of the Malagasy smoke bush within Italian territory. Along with a description of the abiotic and biotic characteristics of the invaded site, the current demographic and dynamic trends of the detected population by means of growth-ring analysis was also assessed. Moreover, an overview on the history of its introduction in Europe is provided, underlining the key role played by the Mediterranean cities with respect to the acclimatization and spread of alien tropical and subtropical plants. Due to its low frequency under cultivation, the Malagasy smoke bush should not behave as an invader in the future; on the other hand, its ability to cover and smother neighbouring trees in very short times, make its spread within the whole Mediterranean area worth regular monitoring.