01326nas a2200133   4500008004100000022001400041245008300055210006900138300001200207490000700219520082400226100002001050856012201070       2010                        eng d  a1868-639700aJuncus dichotomus (Juncaceae) in northwestern Italy, a xenophyte new to Europe0 aJuncus dichotomus Juncaceae in northwestern Italy a xenophyte ne  a173-1770 v403 aJuncus dichotomus, a native of the Americas, is reported for the first time from Europe. It is more or less widely naturalised in northwestern Italy (provinces of Biella, Novara, Torino and Vercelli) and probably largely overlooked elsewhere as a result of confusion with J. tenuis. Diagnostic features of both species (and other members of the J. tenuis group currently found in Europe, viz. J. anthelatus and J. dudleyi) are critically assessed and an identification key is presented. Taxonomy and nomenclature of J. dichotomus are discussed, especially with regard to the status of J. platyphyllus, and notes on its present distribution in Italy and its ecology are provided. Like J. tenuis, it often grows in valuable natural and seminatural habitats and locally seems to behave like an invasive environmental weed.1 aVerloove, Filip  uhttps://alienplantsbelgium.myspecies.info/content/juncus-dichotomus-juncaceae-northwestern-italy-xenophyte-new-europe01322nas a2200205   4500008004100000022001600041245004700057210004700104300000800151490000600159520072900165653001800894653002500912653002500937653002200962653001300984653002000997100002001017856007901037       2010                        eng d  a1989‐864900aJournal Management of Biological Invasions0 aJournal Management of Biological Invasions  a1-50 v13 aMisidentifications are an important but neglected problem in studies on plant invasions. This review shows how taxonomic education of staff and stakeholders is of great importance for correctly assessing threats provoked by alien plant species in field and literature based studies. Four randomly chosen recent examples (Digitaria violascens, Eleocharis pellucida, Juncus dichotomus and Vicia dalmatica) from Europe demonstrate that, as a result of an initial erroneous identification and/or confusion with similar harmless species, potentially noxious environmental weeds have been able to become fully naturalised. They act as “invaders in disguise” and therefore constitute a real problem for conservation management.10aalien species10aDigitaria violascens10aEleocharis pellucida10aJuncus dichotomus10ataxonomy10aVicia dalmatica1 aVerloove, Filip  uhttp://www.managementofbiologicalinvasions.net/index_file/Verloove2010.pdf