Blumenbachia hieronymi Urban (Argentina) – A rare and ephemeral alien. Repeatedly recorded between 1974 and 1981 on several occasions in the surroundings of Antwerpen (D’hose & De Langhe 1978; sub B. insignis Schrad.). Blumenbachia hieronymi mostly grew on dumps, compost heaps or sandraised sites (possibly from discarded garden waste).
All Belgian records of Blumenbachia insignis turned out to be in error for B. hieronymi (Verloove & Lambinon 2008). The latter is distinguished by its toothed to pinnatifid calyx lobes (entire in Blumenbachia insignis) (see also Grenfell 1989). It often also has larger corollas (see Jäger & al. 2008) and is more suitable as an ornamental. These two species had also been confused in other western European countries, for instance in the British Isles (Brenan 1946, Grenfell 1989).
Selected literature
Brenan J.P.M. (1946) Notes on the flora of Oxfordshire and Berkshire. Report for 1943-44. The Botanical Society and Exchange Club of the British Isles 12(6): 781-802. [available online at: http://archive.bsbi.org.uk/BEC_1943_Vol_12_pt_6.pdf]
D’hose R. & De Langhe J.-E. (1978) Nieuwe groeiplaatsen van zeldzame planten in België. VI. Bull. Soc. Roy. Bot. Belg. 111: 19-26.
Grenfell A.L. (1989) Aliens and adventives, adventive news 40. BSBI News 51: 31-33.
Jäger E.J., Ebel F., Hanelt P. & Müller G. (eds.) (2008) Rothmaler Band 5. Exkursionsflora von Deutschland. Krautige Zier- und Nutzpflanzen. Springer Verlag, Berlin: 880 p.
Verloove F. & Lambinon J. (2008) Neophytes in Belgium: corrections and adjustments. Syst. Geogr. Pl. 78: 63-79.