New records of alien species of the family Urticaceae in the Fujairah Emirate (UAE)

Abstract

During floristic research in 2017-2020 in the Emirate of Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the authors made new findings of species from family Urticaceae that complement the species composition of the flora of vascular plants in the territory of the emirate and the UAE as a whole. The article presents data on 4 new to the UAE alien ergasiophytes from Urticaceae - Laportea interrupta (L.) Chew. (a weed in the plant nursery in Al Bidiya), Pilea microphylla (L.) Liebm. (a weed in nurseries in Al Dibba and Al Bidiya), Pouzolzia zeylanica (L.) Benn. (a weed in the seaside promenade of city of Al Fujeirah), and Pilea microphylla and Pouzolzia zeylanica also for Arabia in general. A preliminary assessment of the species diversity of family Urticaceae in the Arabian Peninsula is also given. Taking into account new records, 7 species from 6 genera belonging to this family have been identified in the UAE. The herbarium materials were transferred to the Herbarium of the Komarov Botanical Institute (LE, Saint-Petersburg, Russia), the duplicates - to the Herbarium of Altai State University (ALTB, Barnaul, Russia) and the Scientific Herbarium of Fujairah (FSH, Wadi Wuraya, Fujairah, United Arab Emirates).