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Drosanthemum floribundum

Perennial herb whose stems form a mat. Cylindrical leaf reminiscent of a rice grain.

Scientific name: Drosanthemum floribundum (Haw.) Schwantes

Common name: showy dewflower

Family: Aizoaceae

Status in Portugal: Invasive species in the Azores and naturalized on Madeira and mainland Portugal.

Risk Assessment Score: 10 | Value obtained according to a protocol adapted from the Australian Weed Risk Assessment (Pheloung et al. 1999), by Morais et al. (2017), according to which values above 13 mean that the species has risk of having invasive behavior in the Portuguese territory | Updated on 30/09/2017.

Synonymy: Drosanthemum candens (Haw.) Schwantes

Last update: 28/11/2016 ! Profile prepared by the LIFE+ Terras do Priolo project team.

Help us map this species on our citizen-science platform

Avistamentos actuais da espécie: 
Family: 
Aizoaceae
Appearence: 
Succulents

How to recognize it

Perennial herbaceous plant with prostrate stems forming a mat and rooting in the oldest nodes, internodes 1-3 cm, thin, rigid. Cylindrical leaf blade, slightly dilated apically. Aromatic pink flowers.

Leaves: cylindrical leaf blade, slightly dilated at apex, 1.2-1.4 x 0.25 cm.

Flowers: flowers (1-)3, on short lateral branches, aromatic, 1.8(-2.5) cm in diameter, linear calyx lobes (6 x 3 mm), obtuse apex, scarious margins, 30-40 pink petals, 1-series (8-15 x 2 mm), 2-3 times the length of the calyx.

Fruits: capsules on erect peduncles. 200 seeds per fruit, 0.5 mm.

Flowering: from March to July.

 
Similar species

Other Aizoaceae have some similarity but not all opposite, sessile, cylindrical leaves with papillae.

Characteristics that aid invasion

The plant reaches sexual maturity after one year and reproduces seminally (hundreds to thousands of seeds/plant/year) and vegetatively through stem fragments. Dispersion is natural by portions of the stem and by hydrochory. Planting in gardens also helps to increase their dispersal..

Native distribution area

South Africa.

Distribution in Portugal

Mainland Portugal (Douro Litoral, Beira Litoral, Alto Alentejo, and Estremadura), the Azores (Corvo, Graciosa, Terceira, São Jorge, Pico, Faial, and São Miguel islands), and on Madeira (Madeira and Selvagens islands).

For more detailed locations of this species, check the online interactive map. This map is still incomplete – we need your help! Contribute by submitting records of the location of the species where you can find it.

 

 

Geographic areas where there are records of Drosanthemum floribundum (Haw.) Schwantes.

Other places where the species is invasive

Western and Southern Europe, North America, and New Zealand.

Introduction reasons

Intentional introduction for ornamental reasons.

Preferential invasion environments

Rocky coasts, cliffs, coastal lava flows, roadsides, rubble deposits, walls, vegetation of anthropic origin, urban areas

Although legally not considered invasive in Portugal, it shows invasive behaviour in some locations.

Impacts on ecosystems

The species forms dense patches that disrupt the structure, abundance and succession of the ecosystems it invades. It prevents the development of native vegetation and reduces the diversity of species by competition; recruitment.

Natura 2000 Network habitats more prone to impacts:

– Vegetated sea cliffs with endemic flora of the macaronesian coasts (1250);

– Fixed coastal dunes with herbaceous vegetation ("grey dunes") (2130);

– Siliceous rocky slopes with chasmophytic vegetation (8220).

Controlling an invasive species demands a well-planned management, which includes the determination of the invaded area, identifying the causes of invasion, assessing the impacts, defining the intervention priorities, selecting the adequate control methodologies and their application. Afterwards it is fundamental to monitor the efficiency of the methodologies and recuperation of the intervened area as to perform, whenever necessary, the follow-up control.

The control methodologies used for Drosanthemum floribundum include:

Physical control

Hand pulling (preferential methodology): in more compacted substrates, the uprooting should be carried out during the rainy season in order to facilitate the removal of the root system. It must be ensured that there are no larger fragments left in the soil, which easily take root, causing new invasions. After being pulled out, they must be removed to a “safe” place, where they can be left to dry out, preferably covered with black plastic in order to accelerate their destruction/degradation. Alternatively, the rests can be left in place but with the roots facing upwards, with no contact with the substrate.

Chemical control

Foliar application of herbicide: spray with herbicide (active ingredient: glyphosate) limiting the application to the target species.

Visit the webpage How to Control for additional and more detailed information about the correct application of these methodologies.

DAISIE European Invasive Alien Species Gateway (2012) Drosanthemum floribundum (Haw.) Schwantes. Disponível: http://www.europe-aliens.org/speciesFactsheet.do?speciesId=7219 [Retrieved 08/10/2015].

Flora Iberica – Plantas vasculares de la Península Ibérica e Islas Baleares. Drosanthemum floribundum. Disponível: http://www.floraiberica.es/floraiberica/texto/pdfs/02_047_10_Drosanthemu...  [Retrieved 15/10/2015].

Silva L, Corvelo R, Moura M, Ojeda Land E, Jardim R (2008) Drosanthemum floribundum (Haw.) Schwantes. In: Silva L, E Ojeda Land & JL Rodríguez Luengo (eds.) Flora e Fauna Invasora da Macaronésia. TOP 100 nos Açores, Madeira e Canárias, pp. 329-231. ARENA, Ponta Delgada.

Marchante H, Morais M, Freitas H, Marchante E (2014) Guia prático para a identificação de Plantas Invasoras em Portugal. Coimbra. Imprensa da Universidade de Coimbra. 207 pp.

Morais MC, Marchante E, Marchante H (2017) Big troubles are already here: risk assessment protocol shows high risk of many alien plants present in Portugal. Journal for Nature Conservation 35: 1–12

Pheloung PC, Williams PA, Halloy SR (1999) A weed risk assessment model for use as a biosecurity tool evaluating plant introductions. Journal of Environmental Management. 57: 239-251.

Schäfer H (2005) Flora of the Azores. A Field Guide. Second Enlarged edition. Margraf Publishers, Weikersheim.