Several records of alien species new to the flora of the United Arab Emirates (UAE)

Abstract

The article presents new records for five alien species previously unknown from the flora of United Arab Emirates (UAE): Euphorbia cyathophora Murr. (Euphorbiaceae), Samolus valerandi L. (Myrsinaceae), Oldenlandia umbellata L. (Rubiaceae), Cardiospermum halicacabum L. (Sapindaceae), and Corchorus aestuans L. (Malvaceae s. l. / Tiliaceae). All of them have been recorded for the first time from the emirate of Fujairah in eastern part of the UAE. Euphorbia cyathophora, which is rare in the country, was found only in “Green Oasis Nursery” at Al Dibba town, Oldenlandia umbellata– found at the beginning of the seefront at Fujairah City, and they are new for the flora of the Arabian Peninsula. Samolus valerandi was found only in the “Desert Nurseries Group store 1 (palms)” at village Al Bidiya, Corchorus aestuans – in private nursery at Al Dibba town, and Cardiospermum halicacabum was found in the Masafi friday market, they are new for the flora of Fujairah and UAE. Accepted names, synonyms, spatial distribution, habitat preferences, and species taxonomy with remarks on identification and differentiation from the most similar taxa occurring in the study area, as well as the list of localities are presented. The herbarium materials were transferred to the Herbarium of the Komarov Botanical Institute (LE, Saint-Petersburg, Russia), the duplicates – to the Herbarium of Altai State University (ALTB, Barnaul, Russia) and the Scientific Herbarium of Fujairah (FSH, Wadi Wuraya national park, Fujairah, United Arab Emirates).