Invasive alien plants in Romania
Invasive alien plant species were identified in Romania by conducting extensive literature searches of databases, scientific publications, grey literature, and herbaria. Over 800 alien plant species were identified from Romania and 75 taxa were identified as invasive alien species (Table 1). The majority of the invasive alien plants listed in table 1 were introduced intentionally for horticulture or ornamental purposes.
Table 1. List of invasive alien plant species in Romania (List IAPs = EPPO List of Invasive Alien Plants; Obs List = EPPO Observation List).
Species | Family | EPPO status | Habitat |
Acer negundo | Aceraceae | Deciduous forest, scrub, grassland, riparian, wetland | |
Abutilon theophrasti | Malvaceae | Agricultural, ruderal | |
Ailanthus altissima | Simaroubaceae | List IAPs | Moist and loamy soils, limestone-rich soils |
Amaranthus albus | Amaranthaceae | Anthropogenic | |
Amaranthus blitoides | Amaranthaceae | Ruderal, agricultural | |
Amaranthus blitum subsp. blitum | Amaranthaceae | Ruderal, agricultural | |
Amaranthus crispus | Amaranthaceae | Ruderal, riparian | |
Amaranthus deflexus | Amaranthaceae | Ruderal | |
Amaranthus powellii | Amaranthaceae | Canyons, desert scrub, open habitats | |
Amaranthus retroflexus | Amaranthaceae | Riparian | |
Ambrosia artemisiifolia | Asteraceae | A2 List | Grassland |
Amorpha fruticosa | Euphorbiaceae | List IAPs | Riparian, lakeshore, open forest, ruderal |
Armoracia rusticana | Brassicaceae | Ruderal, agricultural, riparian | |
Artemisia annua | Asteraceae | Riparian, lakeshore | |
Asclepias syriaca | Asclepiadaceae | List IAPs | Anthropogenic |
Azolla filiculoides | Salviniaceae | List IAPs | Stagnant and slow-moving waters |
Bassia scoparia | Chenopodiaceae | Pastures, ruderal, agricultural | |
Bidens frondosa | Asteraceae | List IAPs | Moist forest, meadow, agricultural |
Cenchrus longispinus | Poaceae | Obs. List | Sandy forests, agricultural |
Cuscuta campestris | Cuscutaceae | Parasite of herbaceous plants | |
Iva xanthiifolia | Asteraceae | Ruderal, agricultural | |
Cyperus difformis | Cuscutaceae | Riparian, wetland | |
Cytisus scoparius | Fabaceae | Sandy soils, pastures on acid soils, gravelly soils | |
Datura stramonium | Solanaceae | Fertile soils | |
Dysphania ambrosioides | Chenopodiaceae | Riparian, ruderal, agricultural | |
Echinocystis lobata | Cucurbitaceae | Riparian, palustrine, moist ruderal, ditches, thickets | |
Elaeagnus angustifolia | Cyperaceae | Forests, grassland | |
Elodea canadensis | Fabaceae | Riverbanks, wetlands, shallow waters and muddy substrates | |
Elodea nuttallii | Hydrocharitaceae | List IAPs | Lakes and rivers, mostly calcareous |
Erigeron annuus subsp. annuus | Asteraceae | Ruderal, agricultural | |
Erigeron annuus subsp. strigosus | Asteraceae | Grassland, ruderal | |
Erigeron canadensis | Asteraceae | Ruderal, anthropogenic | |
Eriochloa villosa | Poaceae | Obs. List | Riverbanks, meadows, ruderal, agricultural |
Euphorbia maculata | Elaeagnaceae | Ruderal, agricultural | |
Fraxinus pennsylvanica | Oleaceae | Open woodlands, riverbanks, swamps, ditches | |
Galinsoga parviflora | Asteraceae | Ruderal, agricultural, anthropogenic | |
Galinsoga quadriradiata | Asteraceae | Ruderal, agricultural, anthropogenic | |
Helianthus tuberosus | Asteraceae | List IAPs | Ruderal, forest edge |
Impatiens glandulifera | Balsaminaceae | List IAPs | Mountain |
Impatiens parviflora | Balsaminaceae | Grassland, floodplain, forest edges | |
Juncus tenuis | Hydrocharitaceae | Sandy to clayey soils | |
Juniperus virginiana | Cupressaceae | Forests, moist ruderal | |
Lindernia dubia | Linderniaceae | Moist habitats | |
Lycium barbarum | Solanaceae | Riverbanks, meadows | |
Matricaria discoidea | Asteraceae | Ruderal, anthropogenic | |
Morus alba | Moraceae | Open habitats | |
Nelumbo nucifera | Nelumbonaceae | Floodplain | |
Oenothera biennis | Onagraceae | Dry grassland, lakeshores, open forest | |
Oxalis corniculata | Oxalidaceae | Forest, grassland, riverbanks, agricultural, ruderal | |
Oxalis dillenii | Oxalidaceae | Grassland, roadsides, riverbanks | |
Oxalis stricta | Oxalidaceae | Grassland, riverbanks, floodplains, ruderal, forest | |
Panicum capillare | Poaceae | Ruderal, agricultural | |
Panicum miliaceum | Poaceae | Grassland | |
Parthenocissus quinquefolia | Vitaceae | Open forest, riparian | |
Parthenocissus inserta | Vitaceae | Open forest, riparian | |
Paspalum distichum | Poaceae | List IAPs | Riparian |
Phytolacca americana | Phytolaccaceae | Obs. List | Ruderal, grassland, thickets, forest edges |
Prunus serotina | Rosaceae | List IAPs | Ruderal, agricultural, open forest, riverbanks |
Fallopia × bohemica | Polygonaceae | List IAPs | Mountains, ruderal, agricultural |
Fallopia japonica | Polygonaceae | List IAPs | Mountains, ruderal, agricultural |
Robinia pseudoacacia | Fabaceae | Forest, ruderal | |
Rudbeckia laciniata | Asteraceae | Moist forest, riverbanks | |
Salvia reflexa | Lamiaceae | Grassland, ruderal | |
Sicyos angulatus | Cucurbitaceae | List IAPs | Riverbanks, ruderal |
Solidago canadensis | Asteraceae | List IAPs | Grasslands, riverbank |
Solidago gigantea | Asteraceae | List IAPs | Moist habitats, open forest |
Sorghum halepense | Poaceae | Dry open habitats | |
Symphyotrichum ciliatum | Asteraceae | Moist, saline, sandy soil | |
Symphyotrichum lanceolatum | Asteraceae | Riparian, meadow | |
Trigonella caerulea | Fabaceae | Well-drained loamy soils | |
Vallisneria spiralis | Hydrocharitaceae | Lakes and rivers, wetland | |
Veronica persica | Plantaginaceae | Mountains | |
Xanthium orientale | Asteraceae | Anthropogenic | |
Xanthium spinosum | Asteraceae | Ruderal, riparian |
Sources
Sirbu C, Miu IV, Gavrilidis AA, Gradinaru SR, Niculae IM, Preda C, Oprea A, Urziceanu M, Camen-Comanescu P, Nagoda E, Sirbu IM, Memedemin D, Anastasiu P (2022) Distribution and pathways of introduction of invasive alien plant species in Romania. NeoBiota 75, 1–21.