Ipomoea cainca (L.) Sweet; Conyza floribunda Kunth and Secale cereale L. are recorded as new to the Maltese flora. The first definite record of Potamogeton pectinatus L. is also given here, previous records being ascribed to errors in identification.peer-reviewe

Lanfranco, Edwin

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Centro Med. Nat. Vol 1. No, 1. ADDITIONS TO THE MALTESE FLORA ABSTRACT: Edwin Lanfranco. 3, New Street, Sliema. Ipomoea cainca (L.) Sweet; Conyza floribunda Kunth and Secale cereale L. are recorded as new to the Maltese flora. The first definite record of Potamogeton pectinatus L. is also given here, previous records being ascribed to errors in identification. A number of plants not previously known to exist in the Maltese Islands are dealt with here. Specimens of all species are deposited in the author's herbarium. IPOMOEA CAIRICA (L.) Sweet, Hort Brit. ed. 1: 287 (1827). Syn. I. palmata Forsk. Family: Convolvulaceae A large colony of this creeper Iclimber occurs on the clay slopes at Dahlet Fekruna (Xemxija) in NW Malta. It has probably escaped from cultivation from the nearby Xemxija estate. My attention was first drawn to its existence in 197~) by G.L. Bate, then residing in Malta. I have visited the place several times since then and fbe colony is flourishing. Accompanying species include Tropaeolum majus L. (anothel' widespread adventive), Hedysarum coronarillm L., Cynara cardunculus L., Oxalis pes-caprae L., Hordeum mannum Huds. and Phalaris paradoxa L. Another adventive Ipomoea, I. purpurea Roth, also used to occur in the same place when I. cainca was first found, but it does not seem to have persisted. Ipomoea cai-rica is frequently cultivated as an ornamental under the name of N I. digitata JJ which refers to I. paniculata (L.) R. Br., a different species with less deeply lobed leaves and larger flowers. I. cairica is a native of the Old vVorld tmpics, becoming naturalized in regions with a suitable climate. (5593) FIGS. 1,5. 13 Fig. 1: Ipomoea cairica from Dahlet Fekruna (photo: E. Lanfranco) CONYZA FLORIBUNDA Kunth In Humb., Bonp!. & Kunth, Nov. Gen. Sp. 4: 73 (1820). Syn. C. naudinii Bonnet Familv; Compositae First found by the author in August 1976 where it was growing as a weed in the University grounds at Tal-Qroqq (Msida). Accompanied by Conyza bona-riensis (L.) Cronq., Convolvulus arvensis L., Parietaria diffusa Merl:. & Koch, Dittrichia viscosa (L.) W. Greuter and other weeds. In Aug. 1977 Michael Briffa came across another colony growing on waste ground at Floriana. In 1978 it has been recorded from Pieta and Marsa. Conyza floribunda is very closely related to C. bonariensis from which it differs by being larger and more robust - often exceeding 200cm in height; by having a larger, usually denser inflorescence; by being greener (C. bonariensis being markedly greyish) and by having much wider lower leaves. According- to Cronquist (1976), Conyza floribunda should be regarded as a variant of C. bona-riensis since study of native populations of the two taxa does not lend support to their separation. C. floribunda is a native of South America. (5491) FIG. 2. 14 Centro Med. Nat. Vol I, No, 1. Fig. 2, Conyza floribunda (5491); Fig. 3, Secale cereale (5075); POTAMOGETON PECTINATUS L., Sp. PI. ed.l: 127 (1753) Family: Potamogetonaceae This species (together with two other Potamogetons) was recorded by Gavino Gulia (1873) as occurring in ditches at San Pawl tat-Targa. Sommier and Caruana Gatto (1915) and J. Borg (1927) cite Gulia's record, commenting that no Pota-mogeton has ever been found by others. The latter ascribes the Potamogeton records to error. Haslam et al (1977) ascribe the records to Gulia and Borg without further comment. It is probable that as far as P. pectinatus is concerned, the records are ascribable to Zannichellia palustris L. which is common at San Pawl tat-Targa whereas there is no suitable habitat for any Pota.mogeton in that locality. This year (May 1977) a large population of Potam.ogeton pect:inatus in flower was found at Ghajn il-Kbira (Girgenti) in a large reservoir by Michael Briffa and myself. Accompanying submerged aquatics were lvlyriophyl/um verti-cillatum L. and an unidentified Cladophora. The reservoir is formed by damming-15 part of the valley to retain the sprIng water. U nlike'mcrst"'othcr bodies of> .water in the Malte~e Islands, it does not dry up in summer. According to farmers In the area, there used to be a small permanent pond before the dam \\'as built. Although here P. pectinatus was growing in a purely freshwater habitat; this species is known to grow also in brackish and fully saline waters with species of R uppia and L.os/em. Sterile plants are very similar to species of Ruppia but these have finely denticulate leaf-tips while P. pectinatlls has smooth leaf-tips. (5635) FIG. 4 . . Fig. -L Potamogeton pecfinatlls (j():~j); Fig. iJ, Ipomoea caUICll ~~.jD:~). (P,10tOS E. Lanfranco). SECALE CEREALE L., S·p. PI. ed.1: 87 (17;):1). Family: Gramineae Found in a field of barley at Ghadira (Mellieha) b .. \' J. H. Silverwood in June 1973. Its seed was evidently imported by accident \vith that of barley. This is the rye of culti\'ation. There is no record of this c(,real ever being cultivated in Malta. In 1976 some variants were cultivated at the Argotti Botanic Garde~s._ (G075) FIG. :3. 16 I Centro M&d. Nat. Vo! 1. NO.1. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: I am grateful to G.L. Bate, Michael Briffa and J.H. Silverwood for providing specimens and information and to A. Hansen (Copenhagen) for help with taxonomical problems. REFERENCES: BORG, J. (1927) - Descriptive Flora of the Maltese Islands, Malta. CRONQUIST, A. (1976) - Conyza in Flora Ellropaea, 4: 120. Cambridge. GULlA, GAVINO (1873) - Il Barth, 1: 239. HASLAM, S., SELL, P.D. & WOLSELY, P.A. (1977) - A Flora of the Nlaltese Islands, Malta University Press, Malta. MARSHALL, J.B. (1973) - 522. Conyza - taxa found in Britain. Watsonia, . 9(4): 372-373. SOMMIER, S. & CARUANA GATTO, A. (1915) - Flora Melitensis Nova, Firenze. 17 

Additions to the Maltese flora

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Additions to the Maltese flora

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