EPPO Global Database

EPPO Reporting Service no. 11 - 2014 Num. article: 2014/223

Invasive alien plants in China


A book listing invasive alien plants in China has recently been published. The alien plants considered to be the most invasive according to the authors are listed in the table below with their origin, presence in the EPPO region (according to the DAISIE database) and overall distribution in China:

Species
Origin
Present in the EPPO region
Distribution in China
Ageratum conyzoides (Asteraceae)
S-Am.
Only reported in Madeira (PT)
Widespread in the Southern provinces
Amaranthus paniculatus (Amaranthaceae)
Am.
Yes
Very limited distribution
Alternanthera philoxeroides (Amaranthaceae, EPPO List of Invasive Alien Plants)
S-Am.
Yes
Widespread in Southern and Eastern provinces
Amaranthus retroflexus (Amaranthaceae)
N-Am.
Yes
Very widespread
Amaranthus spinosus (Amaranthaceae)
Am.
Yes
Widespread
Ambrosia artemisiifolia (Asteraceae, EPPO List of Invasive Alien Plants)
N-Am.
Yes
Widespread, except in Central and Western China
Ambrosia trifida (Asteraceae, EPPO Alert list)
N-Am.
Yes
Moderately widespread, present in Northern and Eastern provinces
Ageratina adenophora (Asteraceae)
N-Am.
Yes
Moderately widespread, present in South-Western provinces
Bidens frondosa (Asteraceae)
N-Am.
Yes
Limited, present in Eastern provinces
Bidens pilosa (Asteraceae)
Am.
Yes
Widespread, except in Northern provinces
Cenchrus echinatus (Poaecae)
Am.
Not recorded
Limited to Southern provinces
Conyza bonariensis (Asteraceae)
S-Am.
Yes
Widespread, except in Northern provinces

Conyza canadensis (Asteraceae)
N-Am.
Yes
Widespread, except in Southern and Western provinces
Conyza sumatrensis (Asteraceae)
S-Am.
Yes
Widespread, except in Northern provinces
Dysphania ambrosiodes (Dysphaniaceae)
Am.
Yes
Widespread
Eichhornia crassipes (Pontederiaceae, EPPO List of IAP)
S-Am.
Yes
Widespread
Eupatorium odoratum (Asteraceae) (= Chromolaeana odorata)
Am.
Not recorded
Moderately widespread, present in Southern provinces
Erigeron annus (Asteraceae)
N-Am.
Yes
Very widespread
Flaveria bidentis (Asteraceae)
S-Am.
Transient in ES, FR, HU
Limited, only in Eastern Central provinces
Galinsoga parviflora (Asteraceae)
Am.
Yes
Widespread, except in Eastern provinces
Gaura parviflora (Onagraceae)
N-Am.
Not recorded
Limited to the Eastern provinces
Ipomoea cairica (Convolvulaceae)
Af., As., Australasia
Not recorded
Limited distribution in Southern provinces
Ipomoea purpurea (Convolvulaceae)
S-Am.
Yes
Widespread
Leucaena leucocephala (Fabaceae)
Am.
Only recorded in Spain (including Islas Canarias) and Madeira (PT)
Moderately widespread in Southern provinces
Lolium temulentum (Poaceae)
Eur.
Yes
Widespread
Mikania micrantha (Asteraceae)
Am.
Not recorded
Very limited, only present in the South
Mimosa diplotricha (Fabaceae)
Am.
Not recorded
Limited distribution in Southern provinces
Mimosa sepiaria (Fabaceae)
S-Am.
Not recorded
Limited distribution in Southern provinces
Parthenium hysterophorus (Asteraceae, EPPO A2 List)
Am.
Only recorded in IL
Limited distribution in Southern provinces
Paspalum conjugatum (Asteraceae)
Am.
Not recorded
Moderately widespread in Southern and Eastern provinces
Pistia stratiotes (Araceae, EPPO List of IAP)
Cosmop.
Yes
Widespread
Praxelis clematidea (Asteraceae)
S-Am.
Not recorded
Very limited, only present in the South
Solanum aculeatissimum (Solanaceae)
Af., S-Am.
Not recorded
Moderately widespread in the Southern provinces
Solanum rostratum (Solanaceae)
N-Am.
Yes
Limited distribution
Solanum rudepannum (= S. torvum) (Solanaceae)
Am.
Only recorded in Sicilia (IT)
Limited distribution in the Southern provinces
Solidago canadensis (Asteraceae, EPPO List of IAP)
N-Am.
Yes
Widespread, except in Central and Northern provinces
Sorghum halepense (Poaceae)
Af., As.
Yes
Moderately widespread in Southern and Eastern provinces
Symphyotrichum subulatum (Asteraceae)
Am.
Yes
Widespread in Southern provinces
Spartina alterniflora (Poaceae)
Am.
Yes
Limited to Eastern provinces
Spartina anglica (Poaceae)
Eur.
Yes
Limited to Eastern provinces
Tithonia diversifolia (Asteraceae)
Am.
Not recorded
Limited to Southern provinces
Tridax procumbens (Asteraceae)
Am.
Yes
Limited to Southern provinces
Xanthium orientale subsp. italicum (Asteraceae)
Cosmop.
Yes
Limited distribution

It appears that most invasive alien plants in China originate from the Americas and that some species may represent emerging invasive alien species for the EPPO region: Ageratum conyzoides, Cenchrus echinatus, Eupatorium odoratum, Flaveria bidentis, Gaura parviflora, Ipomoea cairica, Leucaena leucocephala, Mikania micrantha, Mimosa diplotricha, Mimosa sepiaria, Paspalum conjugatum, Praxelis clematidea, Solanum aculeatissimum, Solanum rudepannum and Tithonia diversifolia.

Sources

Delivering Alien Invasive Species Inventories in Europe. http://www.europe-aliens.org/
Wan F, Liu Q, XIE M (2012) Biological Invasions: Color Illustrations of Invasive Alien Plants in China. China Science Publishing Group, 303 pp.