Frankenia pulverulenta L. (S and SE Eur., N Afr.) – A rare and much decreasing, always ephemeral alien. In the 19th century already recorded before 1835 but without further details (Verloove 2006). Formerly a rather regular wool alien in the valley of river Vesdre (recorded several times between 1903 and 1921). The most recent records are related with grain importation: collected in 1954 on a grain dump in Bilstain and also recorded on the unloading quay for cereals at the Soubry paste mill in the port of Roeselare in 2004 (two specimens).
Frankenia pulverulenta usually occurs as a very tiny, delicate annual and possibly sometimes passes unnoticed.
Selected literature:
Verloove F. (2006) Catalogue of neophytes in Belgium (1800-2005). Scripta Botanica Belgica 39: 89 p. [available online at: http://alienplantsbelgium.be/sites/alienplantsbelgium.be/files/tabel_2.pdf]