Coastal newcomer on motorways: the invasion of Plantago coronopus in Hungary

Abstract

Our study presents Plantago coronopus, a new species of the Hungarian alien fl ora. We describe its taxonomical and morphological peculiarities, ecological and coenological background of its introduction and naturalisation, and its current distribution in the country. Th is Eurasian coastal species has greatly accelerated in the early 1990s and today it has reached several countries of Central Europe. In Hungary it was fi rstly observed in 2013 on numerous sites along the M1 motorway around Győr. One site was reported in Zala County and in the following years in other counties of western Hungary. Recently, it has reached the eastern and northeastern parts of the country also. Its remarkable spread is due to the rapid development of motorway network where specifi c environmental conditions (e.g. road salting) promote its naturalisation.