EPPO Global Database

EPPO Reporting Service no. 10 - 2006 Num. article: 2006/216

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.