Article

Furcraea hexapetala and F. selloana (Asparagaceae, Agavoideae), new genus and species records for Tunisian alien succulents

Authors:
El Mokni R.
Publication: Flora Mediterranea
Pages: 209-215
Article history:
  1. Received

  2. returned for (first) revision

  3. (last) revision received

  4. Accepted

  5. Published online

Abstract

The present work documents the occurrence in the wild of two casual alien succulent plant species, Furcraea hexapetala (Jacq.) Urb. and F. selloana K.Koch, from the central and northern regions of Tunisia. These species, native to the American continents, have been recorded for the first time to occur as casual individuals in some localities within urban habitats. Being closely related to some species of Furcraea subgen. Furcraea, typical distinguished macromorphological features are provided to validate these new records together with photos.

References

Alvarez de Zayas, A. 1996: The genus Furcraea (Agavaceae) in Cuba. Annals of the Institute of Biology.  Autonomic National. University. – Mexico. Ser. Bot. 67(2): 329-346. 

Baker, J. G. 1888: Furcraea. – Pp. 198-203 in: Handbook of Amaryllideae. – London. 

Domingues de Almeida, J. & Freitas, H. 2006: Exotic naturalized flora of continental Portugal – a reassessment. – Bot. Complutensis 30: 117-130. 

El Mokni, R.  & Verloove, F. 2021: Additional species of Agave (Agavoideae /Agavaceae, Asparagaceae sensu lat.) introduced and naturalising in Tunisia and North Africa. – Bradleya 39: 221-235.

–– 2018: Chlorophytum comosum (Thunb.) Jacques, Asparagaceae (incl. Hyacinthaceae). In Euro+Med-Checklist Notulae, 9 [Notulae ad floram euromediterraneam pertinentes No. 38]. – Willdenowia 48: 198. https://doi.org/10.3372/wi.48.48203

–– & Verloove, F. 2022: Further records of non-native succulents within Asparagaceae sensu lato as casual or naturalising aliens in Tunisia and North Africa. – Bradleya 40: 119-129.  https://doi.org/10.25223/brad.n40.2022.a10

García-Mendoza, A. J. 2000: Revisión taxonómica de las especies arborescentes de Furcraea (Agavaceae) en México y Guatemala. – Bol. Soc. Bot. México 66: 113-129.

–– 2001: Revisión del género Furcraea (Agavaceae). México D.F. – Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México. Tesis doctoral inédita.

Homrani Bakali, A., Khamar, H. & Verloove, F. 2025: Furcraea hexapetala (Asparagaceae, Agavoideae), a new naturalised species for the flora of Morocco. – Bradleya 44 (in press).

Maire, R. 1959: Flore de l’Afrique du Nord, 6. – Paris.

Pyšek, P., Richardson, D. M., Rejmanek, M., Webster, G. L., Williamson, M. & Kirschner, J. 2002: Alien plants in checklists and floras: towards better communication between taxonomists andecologists. – Taxon 53: 131-143. https://doi.org/10.2307/4135498   

Raab-Straube, E. von 2022+: Asparagaceae. In: Euro+Med Plantbase - the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity. – https://europlusmed.org/ [accessed 31/10/2025].

Rico, E., Crespo, M. B., Quintanar, A., Herrero, A., Aedo, C. & Castroviejo, S. 2013: Furcraea. – Pp. 498-500 in: Castroviejo, S., Rico, E., Crespo, M. B., Quintanar, A., Herrero, A. & Aedo, C. (eds), Flora Iberica, 20. – Madrid. 

Sánchez Gullón, E. 2013: Flora alóctona ornamental naturalizada en la provincia de Huelva (Andalucía Occidental, España). II. – Bouteloua 15: 45-61. 

Smith, G. F. & Figueiredo, E. 2016: A further species of Furcraea Vent., Furcraea selloana K.Koch (Asparagaceae subfam. Agavoideae / Agavaceae), naturalised in South Africa. – Bradleya 34: 15-23.  https://doi.org/10.25223/brad.n34.2016.a16

Thiede, J. 2020: Furcraea–AGAVACEAE. – Pp. 323-347 in: Eggli, U. & Nyffeler, R. (eds): Illustrated Handbook of Succulent Plants: Monocotyledons. Second Edition, 1. –Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-56486-8_106     

Verhoek, S. 2002: Furcraea. – Pp. 461-462 in Flora of North America Editorial Committee (ed.), Flora of North America North of Mexico, 26.  – Oxford.

––1998: Agavaceae. – Pp. 60-70 in Kubitzki, K., The families and genera of vascular plants, 3.– Berlin.

Verloove, F. & Smith, G. F. 2024: An update on Agave and Furcraea (Agavaceae; Asparagaceae sensu lato) escaped and naturalised in Madeira. – Bradleya 42: 186-196.  https://doi.org/10.25223/brad.n42.2024.a20 

––, Thiede, J., Marrero Rodríguez, Á., Salas-Pascual, M., Reyes-Betancort, J. A. & al. 2019: A synopsis of feral Agave and Furcraea (Agavaceae, Asparagaceae s.lat.) in the Canary Islands (Spain). – Pl. Ecol. Evol. 152: 470-498. https://doi.org/10.5091/plecevo.2019.1634