Cycloloma atriplicifolia, a new alien species in Hungary

A new alien species Cycloloma atriplicifolia (Chenopodiaceae) was found to occur in sandy sites in the Orgovány area in the Kiskunság National Park, central Hungary. It is the first record of this species for the country. The species is native to North America; in Europe, it has been reported to be naturalized in several other areas with unstabilized sandy substrate (France, Italy and Slovakia), i.e. in the same habitats where it preferably occurs in its native range. Moreover, C. atriplicifolia was found in some other localities across Europe, but they exhibited only an ephemeral character. It also occurs in Australia and South America. A brief species description, taxonomical and nomenclatorical problems, ecology, and habitat preferences are briefly described and discussed. We expect, according to the characteristics that it shows in its area of primary distribution, that the species can potentially invade extensive sandy areas across Europe. Thus, the species requires the attention of botanists and plant ecologists.