Glaucium grandiflorum Boiss. & A. Huett. (SW As., Egypt) – An exceptional and ephemeral alien. A single individual was recorded on a demolition site in Ghent in 2016, along with other interesting aliens of uncertain origin (e.g. Modiola caroliniana, Trifolium sylvaticum, etc.). One out of these, Vicia cuspidata, also originates in southwestern Asia. All these aliens obviously germinated from a long-burried seed bank.
Glaucium grandiflorum is a rare alien species in western Europe. It has been recorded, for instance, in the British Isles (without obvious vector of introduction; Clement & Foster 1994) and in Sweden (as seed alien; Karlsson 2001). It was also claimed from North America (Brooks & McGregor 1980).
Glaucium grandiflorum is a variable species. The plant found in Ghent belongs to var. grandiflorum (Mory 1979). This species is much reminiscent of the more widely distributed weed G. corniculatum. However, it is larger in all floral parts (buds, petals, sepals) and is perennating.
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Selected references:
Brooks R.E. & McGregor R.L. (1980) Vascular flora of Kansas: new records and notes for 1979. Rep. Sta. Biol. Surv. Kansas 9: 71-77.
Clement E.J. & Foster M.C. (1994) Alien plants of the British Isles. BSBI, London: XVIII + 590 p.
Fedde F. (1909) Glaucium. In: Engler A. (ed.), Das Pflanzenreich 40. Engelmann, Leipzig: 221-238.
Karlsson T. (2001) Papaveraceae. In: Jonsell B. (ed.), Flora Nordica, vol. 2. The Bergius Foundation, Stockholm: 340-368.
Mory B. (1979) Ergebnisse einer Revision und Bestimmungschlüssel der Gattung Glaucium Miller (Papaveraceae). Gleditschia 7: 117-126.