New record of Cylindropuntia rosea in Saudi Arabia
Cylindropuntia rosea (Cactaceae) is a species of cactus native to Mexico. In Saudi Arabia, C. rosea was found in 2017 distributed near Jebel Hizna in the Baljurashi region of the country at 2034 m above sea level. The population consists of approximately 60 plants scattered between rocks on a sloping site. It is unclear how the species entered the area but it is most likely that C. rosea entered Saudi Arabia through the horticultural trade. Within the EPPO region, C. rosea has been recorded in the wild in France and Spain where in the case of the former, an eradication campaign was undertaken along the shoreline of Salagou lake in 2012. In Saudi Arabia, the population should be controlled and eradicated. C. rosea has the potential to invade grazing areas where it can cause injuries to livestock. The species can be spread by animals, humans and vehicles.
Sources
Al-Robai SA, Howladar SM, Mohamed HA, Ahmed AA (2018) Cylindropuntia rosea (DC.) Backeb, (Cactaceae): a new generic alien record in the flora of Saudi Arabia. Journal of Asia Pacific Biodiversity. DOI: doi.org/10.1016/j.japb.2018.04.001.