EUCAMED: an inventory of eucalypts introduced to the Mediterranean Basin
The eucalypts (genera Eucalyptus, Corymbia, and Angophora) comprise 934 species, most of them endemic to Australia. In the EPPO region, in particular in Mediterranean countries, these trees have been utilised extensively in forest plantations (for wood pulp, paper), and for horticulture in parks and gardens due to their rapid growth. The EUCAMED (Eucalypt records in the Mediterranean Basin) inventory is the first up-to-date expert-verified inventory on the introduction history, diversity, distribution patterns, and biogeographic status of eucalypts across the Mediterranean Basin. EUCAMED currently comprises 4 103 records (taxon × country × site) on 387 taxa spread across 21 Mediterranean countries extracted from 445 references. These are categorized into: 3 811 records (387 taxa) as cultivated, 205 records as casual (19 taxa), 50 naturalized records (17 taxa), 34 records (14 taxa) that failed to establish populations, and 3 invasive records represented by two taxa. Overall, 296 species, 17 subspecies, 17 autonyms, 3 varieties, 2 cultivars, and 52 hybrids were found. Each record incorporated into the inventory was verified by qualified plant experts. EUCAMED provides a new resource to support macroecological and biogeographical research on this environmentally and socioeconomically important taxonomic group in the Mediterranean Basin.
Sources
Brundu G, Aksoy N, Bazos I, Brunori A, Dufour-Dror JM, Fried G, Lozano V, Mifsud S, Novoa A, Santoianni LA, Silva JS, Sayari N, Šibanc N, Uludağ A, Westergren M, Richardson DM (2026) EUCAMED: the first inventory of eucalypts introduced to the Mediterranean Basin, Botany Letters https://doi.org/10.1080/23818107.2026.2699979