Amaranthus palmeri S. Watson, 2006

Raus, Thomas, 2022, Taxonomic, nomenclatural and floristic review of Amaranthaceae of Greece and neighbouring countries, Willdenowia 52 (3), pp. 335-357 : 345

16. Amaranthus palmeri S. Watson in Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts. 12: 274. 1877. – Lectotype (designated by Sauer 1955: 31): North America, U.S.A., Texas, in rupibus Rio Grande, Jul 1834, Berlandier 2407 (GH GH00037007 ).

Remarks — Amaranthus palmeri is native to SW North America, in the U.S.A. (S California to Texas) and N Mexico ( Sauer 1955), and is a successful, invasive species recently spreading in warm-temperate parts of the Old World ( Bayón 2020; Mennan & al. 2021). It has been known to occur as an agricultural and horticultural weed in Greece, with male and female plants, since 2005 ( Raus & Raabe 2006), possibly starting from citrus orchards, and is meanwhile fully established in Peloponnisos around Mystras and Sparti. It is also recorded from larger islands, viz. Evvia ( Willing & Willing 2006: 39–40) and Kriti ( Gregor & Meierott 2013: 277). It is not yet known from neighbouring Balkan countries ( Iamonico 2015a) but is a recent invader to Anatolia, first found with both sexes in cornfields along the İzmir – Çanakkale main road in 2015 ( Eren & al. 2016), and is expected to become one of the most economically troublesome weed species in Turkey in the coming years ( Mennan & al. 2021). A similar scenario is predicted for Italy ( Milani & al. 2021), owing to various herbicide resistances that have recently evolved in the species.