The genus Hoffmannseggia Cav. (Fabaceae, Caesalpinioideae), new for the Mediterranean flora

Hoffmannseggia glauca (Ortega) Eifert is a perennial herb native mostly to Central and South America, which is reported for the Iberian and European floras from material collected in the coastal, warm, and dry territories of Alicante province (southeastern Spain). This seems to be the first record of the genus and the species in Europe and the Mediterranean basin, and it is also the first extra-American record for the genus. This plant is briefly described, and chorological, ecological, biological, and phytosociological data are also presented.