Abstract
Studies on populations of Asclepiassyriaca L. in Lithuania revealed the occurrence of a new alien plant species, the North American native Asclepiasspeciosa Torr. (Apocynaceae, Asclepiadoideae), in southern parts of Lithuania – the first report of the latter species in Europe. Interestingly, a thorough analysis of herbarium specimens revealed that A.speciosa had first been collected in Lithuania in 1962, but the specimen was misidentified at the time as A.syriaca. The newly discovered population of A.speciosa occupies mesic grasslands, tall-herb fringe communities and arable field habitats. Sexual reproduction of this species was not recorded; it spreads locally by means of vegetative reproduction. We present here an exhaustive analysis of morphological characteristics and differences between A.speciosa and A.syriaca and other species of the genus, as well as a key for identification of alien Asclepias species in Europe. We predict that the effect of A.speciosa on native habitats and communities, and its economic impact, are comparable to those of the highly invasive A.syriaca. Although A.speciosa currently occurs very rarely as an alien species in Europe, its existence in other regions of Europe is highly probable.
Highlights
The genus Asclepias L. s. str. (Apocynaceae, Asclepiadoideae) includes about 120 species native to the Western Hemisphere
The studied herbarium specimens revealed that A. speciosa was first collected in Lithuania on 10 August 1962 by M
It should be noted that the specimen collected in 1962 was found only recently among collections transferred from the Lithuanian University of Educology of Vilnius, Lithuania, to BILAS
Summary
The genus Asclepias L. s. str. (Apocynaceae, Asclepiadoideae) includes about 120 species native to the Western Hemisphere. (Arianoutsou et al 2010; Pyšek et al 2017) Another two species, Asclepias fruticosa L. and Asclepias physocarpa (E.Mey.) Schltr., have been reported as alien naturalized species in several countries of southern Europe (Greuter and Raus 2000; Knees 2000; Arianoutsou et al 2010; Haeger et al 2011); these species of African and West Asian origin are frequently considered as members of the genus Gomphocarpus R.Br. The most widespread and invasive species in some South and Central European countries is A. syriaca (Botta-Dukát 2008; Konstantinović et al 2008; Medvecká et al 2012; Kelemen et al 2016; Pergl et al 2016), whereas A. curassavica and A. incarnata have been recorded as casuals or locally naturalized aliens in various regions of Europe (Verloove 2006; DAISIE 2009; Arianoutsou et al 2010). Because of invasiveness and significant negative impact on native habitats, as by the provisions of the Regulation of the European Parliament, EU 1143/2014, and of the Council of 22 October 2014 on Invasive Alien Species, A. syriaca was included in the list of alien species of European Union concern (EU 2016/1142, EU 2017/1263)
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
