Invasive alien plants in Romania
When analysing the flora of Romania, 435 alien plants were identified. This alien flora contains 51 archeophytes (11.73%) and 384 neophytes (88.27%). Among the archeophytes, 33 (64.7%) are casual, 15 (29.4%) are naturalized and 3 (5.9%) are considered invasive (Bassia scoparia, Cardaria draba subsp. draba, Portulaca oleracea subsp. oleracea). Among the neophytes, 271 (70.57%) are casual, 78 (20.31%) are naturalized and 35 (9.11%) are invasive. The list of invasive alien plants, including weeds for Romania (RO) is the following:
|
Species
|
Family
|
Origin
|
Occurrence in RO
|
Habitats
|
|
Acer negundo
|
Acearaceae
|
N-Am
|
Widespread
|
Artificial habitats: industrial and urban landscapes
|
|
Ailanthus altissima
|
Simaroubaceae
|
E-Asia
|
Almost all regions
|
All types of habitats
|
|
Amaranthus albus
|
Amaranthaceae
|
N-Am
|
Locally abundant
|
Agricultural fields
|
|
Amaranthus crispus
|
Amaranthaceae
|
S-Am
|
Locally abundant
|
Agricultural fields
|
|
Amaranthus hybridus
|
Amaranthaceae
|
N-Am
|
Common
|
Agricultural fields
|
|
Amaranthus retroflexus
|
Amaranthaceae
|
N-Am
|
Common
|
Agricultural fields, industrial and urban landscapes
|
|
Ambrosia artemisiifolia
|
Asteraceae
|
N-Am
|
Widespread
|
Urban, industrial landscapes, rural zones
|
|
Amorpha fruticosa
|
Fabaceae
|
N-Am
|
Common
|
Semi-natural habitats
|
|
Artemisia annua
|
Asteraceae
|
Eur
|
Common
|
Artificial habitats, agricultural fields, industrial and urban landscapes
|
|
Azolla filiculoides
|
Azollaceae
|
Neotrop
|
Common, southern RO
|
Natural habitats: still waters
|
|
Bassia scoparia
|
Chenopodiaceae
|
Central Asia
|
Widespread
|
Artificial habitats: industrial surroundings, railway tracks
|
|
Bidens vulgata
|
Asteraceae
|
N-Am
|
Appears and disappears
|
Natural and semi-natural habitats: wet spots and flooded ground along rivers
|
|
Cannabis sativa subsp. spontanea
|
Cannabaceae
|
Central Asia
|
Widespread, mainly SE RO
|
Artificial habitats (industrial, urban, rural landscape), semi-natural habitats
|
|
Cardaria draba
|
Brassicaceae
|
Medit
|
Widespread
|
Artificial habitats
|
|
Chamomilla suaveolens
|
Asteraceae
|
NE-Asia, W N-Am
|
Locally abundant
|
Semi-natural habitats
|
|
Conyza canadensis
|
Asteraceae
|
N-Am
|
Very widespread
|
All types of habitats
|
|
Cuscuta campestris
|
Convolvulaceae
|
N-Am
|
Sporadic
|
Cultivated land
|
|
Echinocystis lobata
|
Cucurbitaceae
|
N-Am
|
Locally abundant
|
Natural habitats: along rivers
|
|
Elodea nuttallii
|
Hydrocharitaceae
|
N-Am
|
Abundant, along the Danube
|
Natural and semi-natural habitats
|
|
Erigeron annuus subsp. annuus
|
Asteraceae
|
N-Am.
|
Common
|
All types of habitats
|
|
Erigeron annuus subsp. strigosus
|
Asteraceae
|
N-Am
|
Less common than the other subsp.
|
All types of habitats
|
|
Species
|
Family
|
Origin
|
Occurrence in RO
|
Habitats
|
|
Euphorbia maculata
|
Euphorbiaceae
|
N-Am
|
Widespread in warmer zones of RO
|
Artificial habitats: industrial surroundings, railway tracks
|
|
Galinsoga ciliata
|
Asteraceae
|
S-Am
|
Moderately widespread
|
Ruderal habitats
|
|
Galinsoga parviflora
|
Asteraceae
|
S-Am
|
Very widespread
|
Crops, semi-natural habitats
|
|
Impatiens glandulifera
|
Balsaminaceae
|
S-Asia
|
Locally abundant
|
Artificial, semi-natural and natural habitats
|
|
Iva xanthifolia
|
Asteraceae
|
N-Am
|
Locally abundant
|
Artificial and semi-natural habitats
|
|
Juncus tenuis
|
Juncaceae
|
N-Am
|
Locally abundant
|
Semi-natural and natural habitats
|
|
Lepidium densiflorum
|
Brassicaceae
|
N-Am
|
Locally abundant
|
Artificial habitats, especially sandy ones
|
|
Lindernia dubia
|
Scrophullariaceae
|
N-Am
|
Locally abundant
|
Natural habitats, riversides
|
|
Lycium barbarum
|
Solanaceae
|
E-Asia
|
Locally abundant
|
Artificial and semi-natural habitats
|
|
Paspalum paspalodes
|
Poaceae
|
Tropics
|
Locally abundant
|
Natural habitats, riversides
|
|
Portulaca oleracea subsp. oleracea
|
Portulacaceae
|
Euras
|
Locally abundant
|
All types of habitats
|
|
Reynoutria japonica
|
Polygonaceae
|
E-Asia
|
Locally abundant
|
Rivers
|
|
Sisyrinchium montanum
|
Iridaceae
|
N-Am
|
Sporadic
|
Natural habitats: meadows
|
|
Solidago canadensis
|
Asteraceae
|
N-Am
|
Widespread
|
Semi-natural habitats: riversides
|
|
Veronica persica
|
Scrophullariaceae
|
W-As
|
Common
|
Artifical habitats
|
|
Xanthium spinosum
|
Asteraceae
|
S-Am
|
Common
|
All types of habitats
|
Note: species in bold type are included in the EPPO List of invasive alien plants.
When analysing the origin of these invasive alien plants, 21 out of 38 species come from North-America (55%) and 7 come from Asia (18%). Analysis of bioforms reveals the dominance of therophytes (22 taxa - 61%), followed by hemichryptophytes (5 taxa - 20%) and phanerophytes (4 taxa - 11%).
Moreover, the following emerging invasive alien plants have been identified:
|
Species
|
Family
|
Origin
|
Note on occurrence in RO
|
Habitats
|
|
Abutilon theophrasti
|
Malvaceae
|
W-Asia
|
Sporadic
|
Artificial habitats
|
|
Ceratopteris thalictroides
|
Parkeriaceae
|
Tropics
|
Sporadic
|
Lakes, aquarium plant
|
|
Eleusine indica
|
Poaceae
|
Pantrop
|
Sporadic, S RO
|
Artificial habitats
|
|
Fraxinus pennsylvanica
|
Oleaceae
|
N-Am
|
Planted for cultivation
|
|
|
Helianthus tuberosus
|
Asteraceae
|
N-Am
|
Frequency is increasing
|
Semi-natural habitats
|
|
Impatiens parviflora
|
Balsaminaceae
|
EC-Asia
|
Sporadic
|
Artificial, semi-natural and natural habitats
|
|
Monochoria korsakowii
|
Pontederiaceae
|
Asia
|
S and SE of RO
|
Weed of rice-fields
|
|
Morus alba
|
Moraceae
|
E-Asia
|
Limited
|
All types of habitats
|
|
Species
|
Family
|
Origin
|
Note on occurrence in RO
|
Habitats
|
|
Panicum capillare
|
Poaceae
|
N-Am
|
Has the potential to spread
|
Artificial habitats
|
|
Panicum dichotmiflorum
|
Poaceae
|
N-Am
|
Has the potential to spread
|
Artificial habitats
|
|
Robinia pseudoacacia
|
Fabaceae
|
N-Am
|
Frequently cultivated
|
Artificial, semi-natural and natural habitats
|
|
Ulmus pumila
|
Ulmaceae
|
Asia
|
Frequently cultivated
|
Artificial habitats
|
Sources
Anastasiu P, Negrean G, Basnou C, Sîrbu C, Oprea A (2006) Alien invasive plants and their impact in wetlands from Romania. In: Neobiota. From Ecology to Conservation. 4th European Conference on Biological Invasions. Vienna (Austria), 2006-09-27/29, BfN-Skripten 184: page 71
Anastasiu P, Negrean G (2005) Invasive and potentially invasive alien plants in Romania (Black list). In: Bioplatform – Romanian National Platform for Biodiversity. Vol 2. Interinstitutional Protocol for Biodiversity Research Development (ed. Mihăilescu S.) Bucureşti: Edit. Academiei Române, 107-114.