Mollugo verticillata L. (trop. Am.) – A rare and usually ephemeral alien but sometimes temporarily more or less established. Verloove (2004) provides an overview of the history of Mollugo verticillata in Belgium. It was found in 1887 and 1888 at the railway station in Pepinster (pavement weed near the wool processing industry). Between 1948 and 1951 recorded in abundance by railway tracks near Braine l’Alleud (Sart Moulin). In 1998 found at the railway station of Lochristi and in 1999-2000 on a disused railway yard in Izegem. In 2002 also discovered on a disused railway yard in Antwerpen (Stuivenberg). Here also persisting for several years but this locality was subsequently demolished. In 2011 a new population was found in Braine-le-Château (pavement weed at the former railway station) (see Henrion & al. 2012) and in 2013 in Brugge-Sint-Pieters (railway yard, scattered individuals).
Mollugo verticillata always grows on gravelly, sun-exposed, dry (or temporarily wet) soils. All Belgian records are from railway tracks or -yards. It was most likely introduced with ore. In most of its recent localities it appeared after infrastructural works on piles of ore or worked-up gravel.
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Selected literature:
Chapman J., Stewart R.B. & Yarnell R.A. (1975) Archaeological evidence for Precolumbian introduction of Portulaca oleracea and Mollugo verticillata into eastern North America. Econ. Bot. 2(4): 411-412.
Corillion R. (1958) Sur la présence de Mollugo verticillata L. (Aizoaceae), à l’état subspontané, dans le Val de Loire. Bull. Soc. Bot. Fr. 105: 51-52.
Henrion E., Mabille M. & Saintenoy-Simon J. (2012) Mollugo verticillata à Braine-le-Château. Adoxa 71: 6-7.
Kunev G. (2019) First record of the alien species Mollugo verticillata (Molluginaceae) from Bulgaria. Phytologia Balcanica 25(2): 163-167. [available online at: http://www.bio.bas.bg/~phytolbalcan/PDF/25_2/PhytolBalcan_25-2_06_Kunev....
Kuo C.M. (1979) Three newly recorded naturalized plants of Taiwan - Mollugo verticillata, Festuca elatior and Bromus rigidus. Taiwania 24: 22-26.
Pax F. & Hoffmann K. (1934) Aizoaceae. In: Engler H.G.A. & al. (eds.), Die natürlichen Pflanzenfamilien (2nd ed.), vol. 16c. Engelmann, Leipzig: 179-233.
Verloove F. (2004) Mollugo verticillata, in België een obligate spoorwegadventief. Dumortiera 82: 7-9.