Cotula australis Hook.f. (Asteraceae), a species newly introduced in Morocco

Abstract

We report the discovery of Cotula australis Hook.f. for the first time in Morocco and North Africa. We found it living in the cork-oak forest of Maamora (Northwest). This species, a member of the family Asteraceae, is introduced to Morocco and has potential to be highly invasive and destructive to the native environment. We describe the distinctive taxonomic and morphological characters of this species and provide notes on its distribution, ecology, and habitat.

Keywords

• Cork-oak forest
• exotic flora
• invasive
• Maamora