Alien succulents naturalised and cultivated on the central west coast of Portugal

Abstract

The mild climate of the central west coast of Portugal has made it predisposed to exotic plants becoming established and eventually invasive in the natural macchia vegetation. Here we record the occurrence of 34 succulents, representing eight families, as forming part of the alien flora of the region. Twenty of these are naturalised and 14 are casuals. Five taxa of succulent plants that are widely cultivated are also catalogued, given the propensity of these plants to become pests. Most of these exotic succulents are illustrated to ease identification.