Additional species of Agave (Agavoideae/Agavaceae, Asparagaceae sensu lat.) introduced and naturalising in Tunisia and North Africa

Abstract

Summary: Recent fieldwork in Tunisia yielded several new records of non-native species of the genus Agave. Agave angustifolia var. marginata, A. fourcroydes and A. sisalana are locally naturalised and reported for the first time from the country. To our knowledge, naturalised populations of these three taxa were also unknown elsewhere in the Maghreb and North Africa. We also draw attention to A. attenuata subsp. attenuata, a widely grown ornamental that is expected to become naturalised in the near future. Updated nomenclature, brief descriptions, as well as general and national distributions are provided for each of the naturalised Agaves. A key to all the species, subspecies, and varieties of Agave that occur in Tunisia is presented, and all the taxa are illustrated.