Proc. EWRS

3rd Symp.

on Weed Problems

in the Mediterranean

Area.

1984

Taxonomical, ecological and phytogeographical interpretation of weed flora in Cordoba (Spain). A. PUJADAS and J.E. HERNANDEZ-BERMEJO Catedra de Botanica

Agricola

de la E.T.S.

Ingenieros

Agrdnomos.

Universidad

de Cdrdoba

(Spain)

Summary: The weed flora of the Cordoba province (Andalusia) has been catalogued, specially those species growing in croplands and disturbed fields. More than six hundred different weed species have been found. Of them, several taxa were not known as important weeds in the province, or even in other regions, i.e. Theligonum cynocrambe L., Cynanchum acutum L., Cachrys sicula L. Moreover, some species have also a chorological interest, such as Euphorbia, serpens Kunth , Allium baeticum Boiss., Magydaris panacifolia (Vahl) Lange and Elaeoselinum tenuifolium (Lag.)Lange.The catalogue also includes numerous species of aloctone origin, some of them widespread and well known weeds but some scarcely quoted such as Bidens aurea (Aiton) Sherff, Euphorbia nutans Lag. and Eclipta prostrata (L.) L. Besides the presence of circummediterranean, submediterranean, palaearctic,cosmopolitan and allochthonous components of this weed flora, the phytogeographical analysis .shows the very important presence of west-mediterranean, Ibero-african and even endemic-Iberian elements; the last group includes, Linaria hirta (L.) Moench, Anchusa puechii Valdes and Prolongoa pectinata (L.) Boiss.

INTRODUCTION Cordoba is one of the eight provinces which make up the region of Andalusia, it is located in the Guadalquivir basin and has an area of 13,718 Km z. Its annual average rainfall is 675 nun. Although higher than the regional average, its seasonal distribution and harsh summers make its vegetation typically mediterranean. This vegetation would most probable be made up of holly oak, cork oak, mediterranean palm and lestisk pistache woods if it were not so degraded nowadays -with the exception of a few isolated areas in the Sierra Morena and Subbaetic Mountains- as a result of such intense and long-standing agricultural activity. During the winter the average temperatures drop to 9-10°C while in the summer they are among the highest in the Peninsula (28°C). The resultant thermophyly is evident in the spontaneous vegetation of such species as Phlomis purpurea, Hyparrhenia hirta, Vitex agnus-castus, Chamaerops humilis, Pistacia lentiscus etc. The atlantic and centroeuropean plant for33

mations are not found in this region, except for a few submediterrancan groves of Qucrcus faginea or the even less common Q. pyrenaica (Cardena and Puerto Calatraveno). The autochthonous Fagaccae woods occupy in all only 45,000 ha., i.e. 3% of the total area of the province. Near these, there are 300,000 ha. of scrubs mainly made up of species of Cistus as a result of the degradation of the woods. There are S 7,000 ha. of meadows and pasture lands. All of this forest area is concentrated in the part of the Sierra Morena in the province and in a small part of the Subbaetic Mountains. The rest of the province (low and high countryside, Guadalquivir Valley and Pedroches Valley is largely cultivated (780,000 ha.). The area is divided into 256,000 ha. of non-irrigated herbaceous, crops (wheat, sunflower, safflower, barley) and 57,000 ha. of irrigated herbaceous crops (wheat, sunflower, beet, cotton, bean, corn). 143,000 ha. is left to fallow each year. The woody crops occupy 320,000 ha. of non-irrigated land (mostly olive groves and 28,000 ha. of vineyards) and 5,000 ha. of irrigated land (orange groves, almond and other fruit trees). Studies on the provincial flora have usually been carried^ out in areas with a greater natural value (DEVESA and CABEZUD0, 1978; MUN0Z-ALVA REZ, 1982; VARELA, 1979), those analysing the regional weed flora being very few and incomplete (ARENAS et al., 1983; GARCIA-T0RRES and VAZQUEZ, 1978; GARCIA-TORRES et al. 1983; HIDALGO M0RILL0, 1982). This neglect together with the supposition of a notable floristic originality, as well as the economic importance of agriculture in the province, induced us in 1979 to begin a program of botanical exploration which would permit in 4 or 5 years the compilation of an exhaustive catalogue of weed flora along with an insight into its phytogeographical, taxonomic and ecological nature. METHOD Between 1979 and 1983, some 7,000 data of the different species of weeds found were recorded. This information came from field trips to 210 previously chosen sites distributed homogeneously on a reticulated outline of the whole province. Each site was visited two or three times. Half of these 7,000 recordings were kept in their respective herbarium specimens of our C0A (herbarium in the Dept.. of Agronomical Botany, E.T.S.I.A., Coraoba).

•v

In order to analyse the ecology of the weeds found, their respective habitats were classified as: 1.- parasites. 2.- crops (2.1.- nonirrigated woody plants, including olive groves; 2.2.- beet; 2.3.- nonirrigated sunflower; 2.4.- vineyards; 2.5.- vegetable gardens; 2.6.extensive spring irrigated fields; 2.7.- extensive summer irrigated fields 2.8.- irrigated fruit trees; 2.9.- irrigated horticultural and leguminous fields); 3-- crop-edges; 4.- crop boundaries; 5-- taluses; 6.- ditches; 7'.- roadsides; 8.- ruderal (8.1.- falow lands; 8.2.T urban-ways; 8.3-rubbish dumps and heaps; 8.4.- landscaped areas); 9.- irrigation channels. In the analysis of the phytogeographical orgin of the species found, the main floristic elements present were: Mediterranean, Submediterranean, Palaearctic, Cosmopolite and Allochthonous. Within the Mediterranean, the following subelements were also determined: Circummediterranean, Western, Iberian-African and Iberian endemic. Other marginal floristic elements, such as the Atlantic and Iranian-Turkish were considered as well. 34

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION A summary of the results obtained together with a preliminary analysis of the phytogeographical, taxonomic and ecological nature of the species found, are shown below. The number of taxa characterized as weeds found in the province is currently 670. In spite of the broad definition of weeds, this figure still seems rather high and can only be explained by: a) the natural floristic richness of the region and b) the lack of exhaustive research on the taxonomic nature of weeds in Andalusia. The families most frequently found were: Compositae (124 spp.); Gramineae (85 spp.); Leguminosae (71 spp.); Cruciferae (38 spp.); Umhelliferae (36 spp.); Labiatae (25 spp.); Scrophulariaceae (25 spp.) "and Liliaceae (24 spp.). Afterward: Papaveraceae, Caryophyllaceae, Euphorbiaceae, Boraginaceae, Ranunculaceae, Chenopodiaceae, Amaranthaceae, Geraniaceae. Polygonaceae and Rubiaceae. As can be seen from the above list, the first five families by themselves make up 50$ of the catalogue. If these figures are compared to their presence in European and Iberian flora (based on the estimation found by TUTIN e_t al., 1964, 68, 72, 76, 80) or to the catalogue of the neighbouring province of Jaen (based on the estimations found by FERNANDEZ LOPEZ, 1983), it may be concluded that some families in part owe their elevated presence to the existing regional richness; this is the case of the Leguminosae, Umbeliferae and Gramineae. In the case of the Ranunculaceae and Rubiaceae, the opposite, i.e. a decrease in their percentage (as they are also found less regionally) is observed. The most intense "weed" specialization is found in the Compositae, Gramineae, Umbeliferae, Amaranthaceae, Chenopodiaceae, Papaveraceae, Euphorbiaceae and Geraniaceae families. An opposite effect is seen in the Labiatae and Caryophyllaceae which have a much higher % of representation in the regional flora. Finally, it is also possible to see how Amaranthaceae and to a lesser degree Papaveraceae and Euphorbiaceae are present in the Cordovan weed flora with most of their European species. Some Species Representative of each Habitat. 1.- Parasites: Orobanche amethystea Thull subsp. castellana (Reuter) Rouy, 0. crenata Forskal, 0. minor Sm., Cuscuta australis R. Br. subsp. tinei Tlnsenga) Freinbun, C. epithymum (L.) L. 2.- Crops: 2.1.- Non-irrigated woody plants (specially olive groves): Fedia cornucopiae (L.) Gaernter, Diplotaxis virgata (Cav.) DC. Platycapnos spicata (L.) Bernh., Calendula arvensis L., Stellaria media (L.) Vill. 2.2.- Cereals: Convolvulus arvensis L., Polygonum aviculare L., Anagallis arvensis L., Fumaria parviflora Larak, Lolium rigidum Gaudin, Papaver rhoeas L. 2.3.- Beet: Convolvulus arvensis L., Papaver dubiura L., Anagallis arvensis L., Chenopodium vulvaria L.,Fumaria parviflora Lamk, Papaver rhoeas L. 2.4.- Non-irrigated sunflower: Galium verrucosum Hudson, Convolvulus arvensis L., Amaranthus blitoides S. Watson, Chenopodium vulvaria L., Ridoifia segetum Moris, Lactuca serriola L. 2.5-- Vineyards: Cyperus rotundus L., Convolvulus arvensis L., Amaranthus blitoides S. Watson, Lactuca serriola L., Papaver rhoeas L., Euphorbia chamaesyce L., Tolpis barbata (L.) Gaertner. 2.6.- Vegetable gardens: Amaranthus blitoides S. Watson, Portulaca oleracea L «> Polygonum aviculare L., Setaria verticilata (L.) Beauv., Cynodon

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dactylon Pcrs. 2.1.Extensive spring irrigated fields: Sonchus oleraceus L. , Picris echioides L. , Scandix pecten-veneris L., Fumaria officinalis L. , Urtica urens L-7 Chenopodium album L. 2.8.- Cotton, Corn, Tabacco: Solanum nigrum L., Cyperus rotundus L., Portulaca oleracea L., Amaranthus hybridus L., Sorghum halepense (L.) Pers. Paspalurn paspaloides (Michx) Scribner. 2.9.- Irrigated fruit-trees: Portulaca oleracea L. , Amaranthus retroflexus L., Sorghum halepensis (L.) Pers., Cyperus rotundus L. , Solanum nigrum L., Setaria verticilata (L.) Beauv. 2.10.- Garlic, Broad-beans, Onion : Convolvulus arvensis L., Muscari comosum (L.) Miller, Avena barbata Pott ex Link, Avena sterilis L., Gladiolus italicus Miller, Papaver rhoeas L. 3.- Edg_es/bordej£: Poa bulbosa L., Hirschfeldia incana (L.) Legreze Fossat, Cynara humilis L., Sanguisorba minor Scop., Spergularia rubra (L.) J. & C. Presi., Anacyclus clavatus (Desf.) Pers. 4.- Boundaries: Arundo donax L., Pragmites australis (Cav.) Trin. ex Stendel, Thapsia villosa L., Picris echioides L., Ailanthus altissima (Miller) Swingle, Rubus fruticosus L. 5.- Taluses^: Iris planifolia (Miller) Fiori, Centaurea ornata Willd., Hcreurialis tomentosa L., Lycium europaeum L., Mandragora autumnalis Bertol., Echium boissieri Stendel. 6.- Ditches^ Echium plantagineum L., Anchusa azurea Miller, Sinapis alba L. , Chrysanthemum coronarium L., Daucus carota L., Rumex crispus L. 7-- Partus: Amaranthus muricatus (Moq.) Coillies ex Hicken, Euphorbia chamaesyce L., Spergularia rubra (L.) T.&C. Presl, Polygonum aviculare L., Cynodon dactilon (L.) Pers. Tribulus terrestris L. 8.- Ruderal^ flora: 8.1.- Fallow lands: Amaranthus albus L., Datura stramonium L.. Pulicaria vulgaris Gaertner, Mentha suaveolens Ehrh., Chenopodium album L., Conyza bonaerensis (L.) Crarq. 8.2.- City Streets: Oxalis corniculata L., Polycarpon tetraphyllum (L.) L., Cyperus rotundus L., Chenopodium multifidum L., Trifolium fragiferum L., Alternanthera caracassana H.B.K. 8.3-- Rubbish dumps: Ecballium elaterium Richard, Silybum marianum Gaertn., Centaurea calcitrapa L., Urtica urens L., Datura stramonium L., Amaranthus muricatus (Moq.) Gillies ex Hicken 8.4-- Landscaped areas: Oxalis pes-caprae L. , Veronica hederifolia L., Taraxacum officinale Wigg., Parietaria diffusa Mert. &. Koch, Euphorbia helioscopia L., Bidens aurea (Aiton) Sherff. 9• - Irrig_a^ti£n Cha_nnel^s : Equisetum telmateia Ehrh., Typha dominguensis (Pers.) Steudel, Polygonum persicaria L., Calystegia sepium (L.) R. Br., Apium nodiflorum (L.) Lang. Species with Chorological Interest Among the species which make up the catalogue, there are several chorologically interesting because they are rarely found or not found at all in the province of Cordoba or even in Andalusia. This is the case of: Euphorbia serpens Kunth, Verbascum virgatum Stokes, Glinus lotoides L., Allium Tsaeticum Boiss., Glossopappus macrotus (Durieu) Briq. subsp. chrysanthemoides (G. Kunze) Maire, Tanacetum microphyllum D C , Centaurea paniculata L. subsp. castellana (Boiss. & Reuter) Dostal, Centaurea aspera. L .

36

.subsp. stenophylla (Dufour) Nyman, Centaurea scridis L., subsp. maritima (Dufour) Postal, Campanula patula L. , Cachrys sicula L., Buiuura pachypodum P.W. Ball, Magydaris panacifoiia (VahT) LaTige, Eryngium dilatatum Lam., Pimpinella villosa Schousboe, Elaeosclinura tcnuifolium (Lag.) Lange, Thapsia garganica L., etc. Species Rarely Recognized weeds. Species found which have rarely been recognized as weeds are: Moricandia moricandioides (Boiss.) Heywood, Crambe filiformis Jacq., Iberis crenata Lara., I_. linifolia Loefl., Cachrys sicula L. , Aristolochia longa L. , Petrorhagia nanteuilii (Burnat) P.W. Ball & Heywood, Theligo"num cynocrambe L. and Athamantha hispanicji Degen &. Hervier in Olive groves and vineyards; Euphorbia nutans Lag. in cotton; Glinus lotoides L., Cleome violacea L. and Cichoriura endivia L. subsp. divaricatum (Schousboe) P.P. Sell in taluses; Thapsia garganica L. and Scandix australis L. subps. microcarpa (Lange) Thell. in ditches and boundaries of olive groves, Cynanchum acutura L. in vegetable gardens, etc. Rarely Mentioned Allochthonous Species. Together with commonly found allochtnonous species in the Iberian Peninsula, such as: Coniza bonariensis (L.) Cronq., C. canadensis (L.) Cronq. , Aster squamatus (Sprengel) ilicron, Chrysanthemum segetum L., Echinoc'nloa colonum (L.) Link, etc., there were others less known in Andalusia or even the Peninsula which were beginning to Invade the province. These were: Eclipta prostrata (L.) L. in tobacco: Dldcns aurea (Aiton) Sherff and Conyza albida Willd ex Spreng. in orange groves and damp suburban areas; Eleusine indica (L.) Caertner (species almost completely unknown in SpairT] in the suburban uncultivated areas of Cordoba: Euphorbia nutans Lag. in the midst of a demographic explosion and invading tttc cotton crops in the province; Phytolacca ainericana L. in orange groves; Euphorbia prostrata Aiton and Alternanthera caracassana H.li.K. in urban ways of Cordoba City. Origin of the Flora: Floristic Elements Found The preliminary analysis of the phytogeographical origin of the species found is: Mediterranean: 50-55% (divided into: Circummediterranean: 25%; Western: 15%; Iberian-African: 7-8%; Iberian-Endemic: 456); Submediterranean: 10%; Paleartic: 10%; Cosmopolite: 5%; Allochthonous:15-20%; Other elements: 5% (divided into: Naturalized from Crops: 1-2%; IranianTurkish: 1-2%; Holoartic: 2%; Atlantic: 0,5%). Examples of the most outstanding elements are: - Iberian Endemic including species like Linaria hirta (L.) Moench, Anchusa granatensis Boiss., A. puechii Valdes, Iberis crenata Lam., Moricandia moricandioides (Boiss.) Heywood, Pimpinella villosa Schousb., Onopordon nervosum Boiss., Prolongoa pectinata (L.) Boiss. Surpassing 25 endemic species, most of them from the southern half of the Iberian Peninsula. - Iberian-African represented for example by: Echium boissieri Steudel, Ionopsidium prolongoi (Boiss.) Batt, Iberis linifolia~Loefl., Glossopappus macrotus (Durieu) Brig. subsp. chrysanthemoides (G. Kunze) Maire, Allium baeticura Boiss., Echinops strigosus L., etc. - Circummediterranean: The one represented the most with species such as: Bellardia trixago (L.) All, Ornithopus compressus L., Parentucellia visco?a (L.J Pare, Bellis annua L., B. sylvestris Cir., Pulicaria odoraTE")

37

Rerchenb., Pallenis spinosa (L.) Coss., Dittrichia viscosa (L.) W. Greuter and Evax pygmea (L.) Brot. - Submediterranean with species like: Ranunculus parviflorus L., Rumex conglomerates Murray, Dittrichia gravcolens (L.) W. Greuter, Tamus communis L., Linaria spartea (L.) Willd., HoLcus lanatus L. and Myosotis discolor Pers- Palaeartic with: Ranunculus arvensis L. , Chenopodium opulifolium Schrader ex Koch & Zir, Thlaspi peri'oliatujn L. , Reseda luteola L., Misopates orontium (L.) Rafin, Plantago coronopus L., Pulicaria vulgaris Gaertner, P. dvsenterica (L.) Bernh., Stachys arvensis (L.) L. - Cosmopolite with: Stellaria media (L.) Vill, Coronopus squamatus (Forskal) Ascherson, Senecio vulgaris L. , Capsella bursa-pastoris (L.) Medicus, Euphorbia helioscopia L., E. peplus L., Chcnopodium album L. Beside the afore mentioned allochthonous species so frequently represented in the flora from other parts of the world, it is necessary to add those cultivated in the past and which now compete with the present crops. Some of them are still cultivated today. For instance: Triticmn aestivum L., Helianthus annuus L., Cucumis melo L., Brassica napus L. subsp. oleifera D C , Beta vulgaris L. etc., while others are not cultivated today, such as: Silybuni marianum L., Reseda luteola L., Portulaca oleracea L. and Rubia tinctorum L. Finally, some naturalized ornamental species were also found, such as: Alcea rosea L., Euphorbia marginata Pursh. and Ricinus communis L.

REFERENCES ARENAS, M.; E. DOMINGUEZ; J.A. VARELA (1983).- Aportaciones al conocimiento de la Flora de Cordoba. Algunas especies interesantes del Valle del Guadalmellato. Anales Jard. Bot. Madrid. 40 (l): 167-170. DEVESA, J. 4 B. CABEZUDO (1978).- Contribucion al estudio floristico del batolito de los Pedroches (Cordoba). Lagascalia 8 (l): 53-105GARCIA-TORRES, L. 4 A. VAZQUEZ C0B0 (1978).- Malas hierbas y su control herbicida en el girasol de Andalucia Occidental. Symposium Mediterraneo de Herbicidas. Vol. 1: 54-59. GARCIA-TORRES, L. ; M. SAAVEDRA; B. HIDALGO; M. PASTOR; J.E. HERNANDEZ-BER MEJO (1983)-- Evolucion de la flora (in No laboreo en el olivar). Ministerio de Agricultura. Madrid, pp. 42-45. FERNANDEZ LOPEZ, C. (1983).- Fuentes para la flora de Jaen. Cop. Farm. Jaen. 141 PPHIDALGO M0RILL0, B. (1982).- Aportacion al conociraiento de la fenologia de las comunidades arvenses en la campina de Cordoba. Tesina Ined. Facultad de Ciencias. Universidad de Cordoba. 165 pp. MUNOZ ALVAREZ, J. (1982).- Catalogo floristico de las Sierra Subbeticas de la provincia de Cordoba. Tesis Doctoral ined. Facultad de Ciencias. Universidad de Cordoba. 388 pp. TUTIN et al (1964, 68, 72, 76, 80).- Flora Europaea. Vols. I, II, III, IV y V. Cambridge University Press. 38

VARELA SANCHEZ, J.A. (1979)-- Flora y vegetacion del Valle del rio Cuadiato. Tesina ined. Facultad de Ciencias. Universidad de Cordoba. 204 pp.

Resume: Interpretation Taxonomique, Ecologique et Phytogeographique dcs Mauvaises Herbes a Cordou (Espagne). Le flore de mauvaises herbes de la province de Cordou (Andalucie) a ete catalogued, et d'une facon special les especes dont la croissance a bien sur des terres cultivees et sur des terrains alteres et incultes. On a trouve plus de six cents especes differcntes. Certaines d'entre ellcs n'etaient pas encore connues comme des mauvaises herbes importantes dans la province, et meme dans d'autres regions (Theligonum cynocrambe L. , Cynanchum acutum L. , Cachrys sicula L.). En outre, auelques unes ont un interet chorologique, tel que la Euphorbia serpens Kunth, Allium baeticum Boiss., Magydaris panacil'olia (Vahl) Lange et Elaeoselinum tenuifolium ^Lag.J Lange. Le catalogue inclu aussi nombreusses especes d'origine aloctone; quelques sont bien connues et repandues, mais il y a d'autres qui sont rarement citees, tel que la Bidens aurea (Aiton) Sherff., EuDhorbia nutans Lag. et Eclipta prostrata (L.) L. L'analyse phytogeographique a montre outre que la presence des composants circunmediterranean, submediterranean, palcartic, cosmopolitan et allochthonous de cette flore de mauvaises herbes, les composants mediterranean de l'Ouest, iberique-africain et meme des elements endemiques de la peninsule Iberique. Un exemple de ce dernier a ete, Linaria hirta(L.) Moench, Anchusa puechii Valdes et Prolongoa pectinata (L.) Boiss.

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