First record of naturalization of scaevola taccada (Gaertn.) roxb. (goodeniaceae) in Southeastern Mexico

Abstract

Scaevola taccada (Gaertn.) Roxb. is native of Asia and eastern Africa but has been introduced into the Americas as an ornamental urban plant. This paper reports, for the first time, the presence of Scaevola taccada in natural environments from southeastern Mexico. Several populations of S. taccada were identified during a botanical survey of the coastal dunes of the Cozumel Island Biosphere Reserve (State of Quintana Roo, Mexico) aimed at recording the most common plant species. Scaevola taccada is considered as an invasive species of coastal areas in this region. Evidence of its invasiveness is suggested by the fact that populations consisting of individuals of different size classes are found distributed throughout the island. Furthermore, they appear to belong to different generations since we found individuals of different sizes and with and without flowers and fruits. Our observations suggest that the population of Scaevola taccada can be in a process of expansion. Further studies are necessary to understand the potential effect on the native flora.