Atlas of alien plants of Madrid, III. Papaveraceae-Urticaceae

Abstract

In this third part of the atlas of alien plants of Madrid, the orders Ranunculales, Proteales, Buxales, Saxifragales, Vitales, Zygophyllales, Fabales and Rosales have been included. Taxa introduced outside urban areas, naturalised or not, and those naturalised in urban areas are considered. Ninety taxa with certain or probable presence are analysed, and 22 others of doubtful presence or status are discussed. Of the taxa analysed, 82 are alien in Madrid (48 naturalised and 34 without evidence of being so, although 7 of them naturalised in nearby localities) and 8 in nearby localities (7 naturalised and 1 without evidence of being so). Half of the species are rare, and another 20% are scarce. Three species are abundant, with expanding populations, Gleditsia triacanthos, Robinia pseudoacacia and Ulmus pumila, the latter with invasive behaviour. Four cultivated archaeophytes, Vitis vinifera, Medicago sativa, Prunus amygdalus and Ficus carica, are widely naturalized, although without an expansive tendency. Four other species appear scattered, without being abundant but seem to be expanding: Papaver somniferum subsp. somniferum, Berberis aquifolium, Spartium junceum and Prunus cerasifera var. atropurpurea. Another 16 species appear scattered throughout the region, occasionally naturalized, but with no apparent expansive trend.