A new record of an invasive species Verbena brasiliensis from Iran

During a field expedition to the northern part of Iran, the author observed an alien species in Lakan area, near Rasht in Gilan Province. The plant specimens were collected and studied with the relevant flora and other references, as a result, the species was identified as Verbena brasiliensis, which is new to the flora of Iran. Morphologic, geographic distribution and habitat features of the species are presented in this paper. The taxon is also compared with two other native and non-native relative species. V. brasiliensis originates from South America and at this time, is naturalized in many other parts of the world. It is considered as an increasing environmental weed in several parts of Europe and North America. The plant is only reported in the study area with a limited extent. As the weed is at its early stages of invasion, physical elimination is recommended as an important prevent measure.