Noteworthy records of vascular plants from the West Bank, occupied Palestinian territories

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This study reports noteworthy data records on 23 species belonging to 19 families of vascular plants from the West Bank (occupied state of Palestine). For 15 uncommon/rare species, the newly collected data meaningfully extend their range: Saccharum spontaneum, Cyrtomium falcatum, Eleocharis palustris, Crypsis factorovskyi, Coincya tournefortii, Medicago ciliaris, Abutilon theophrasti, Anabasis oropediorum, Allium rothii, Fallopia convolvulus, Glycyrrhiza echinata, Plantago major, Pseuderucaria clavata, Lupinus palaestinus, and Cistanche violacea. Eight other species are recorded for the first time in the West Bank: Tordylium cordatum, Bergia ammannioides, Sambucus ebulus, Araujia sericifera, Euphorbia graminea, Potamogeton nodosus, Cyrtomium falcatum, and Ulmus minor. Three of those eight species (Araujia sericifera, Euphorbia graminea, and Cyrtomium falcatum) are not local in the studied region (introduced species). The fact that three of the eight new records were introduced indicates that human disturbance is becoming dominant here as elsewhere in the world. Such data are useful as Palestine is currently implementing a new National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan and one of its actions is focused on the conservation of rare species of plants and combatting introduced/invasive species.