New distributional records of non-native vascular plants in northern Italy Author Verloove, Filip Botanic Garden of Meise, Nieuwelaan 38, B- 1860 Meise, filip.verloove@br.fgov.be Author Ardenghi, Nicola M. G. Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University text Natural History Sciences 2015 2015-06-30 2 1 5 14 http://dx.doi.org/10.4081/nhs.2015.219 journal article 10.4081/nhs.2015.219 2385-0922 12523705 Symphyotrichum pilosum (Willd.) G.L.Nesom var. pringlei (A.Gray) G.L.Nesom, Phytologia , 77 (1994, 3): 289. 1995. ( Asteraceae ) Naturalized neophyte new to the flora of Piemonte ( Conti et al. , 2005 ; Celesti-Grapow et al. , 2009a ). ITALY . Piemonte . Prov. Vercelli: Ghislarengo , ca. 1.5 km SW of the village, abandoned gravel pit, common, 06.09.2014 , F . Verloove 10985 ( BR , MSNM ) . Symphyotrichum pilosum is native in eastern North America ( Brouillet et al. , 2006 ) but widely cultivated as an ornamental in Europe. It is a poorly known species that has been confused with S. ericoides ( L .) G . L .Nesom, S. lateriflorum ( L .) Á .Löve & D.Löve and even S. lanceolatum (Willd.) G.L.Nesom. Italian claims of the first two species are mostly erroneous and referable to S. pilosum ( Banfi & Galasso, 2010 ) . The latter is fairly characteristic in having pedicels with numerous linear to subulate bracts and phyllaries with acute, spinulose apices. Stems and leaves may be either pilose to hirsute ( var. pilosum ) or glabrous ( var. pringlei ). In Italy Symphyotrichum pilosum was only known with certainty from Lombardia ( Banfi & Galasso, 2010 ) although it may have been overlooked elsewhere. In Ghislarengo it has invaded rough ground in an abandoned quarry. It looks perfectly established there.