EPPO Global Database

EPPO Reporting Service no. 01 - 2010 Num. article: 2010/021

New records of alien and invasive plants in Georgia


Within the framework of a Swiss-Georgian research project, literature sources and field surveys were compiled in order to prepare an inventory of the alien flora of Georgia. The Georgian vascular flora includes 4200 taxa, of which 460 are alien. Of these 460 alien species, 80 are cultivated, and the 380 remaining ones are either considered subspontaneous, adventive, naturalized or invasive. Alien species thus represent 8.9% of the flora of Georgia. Almost a third of all alien species recorded in Georgia have been introduced from Asia (33%). Of these, approximately 90% originate from East Asia. A high number of species are of Mediterranean origin (22%), and over the recent years, an increasing number of plant invaders of North American origin (17%) have been recorded in the western parts of Georgia. Plant invaders from Europe (13%) are mainly from Atlantic Europe.
Among the 16 species considered to be invasive in Georgia, 10 originate from Asia and 4 from North America. No European or Mediterranean species have become invasive so far, although many species of these origins are now naturalized in Georgia.

The following 16 alien plants are considered invasive in Georgia, their origin, life form and ecological group are indicated, as well as their distribution in the EPPO region according to the DAISIE database:

Species
Origin
Life form
Ecological group
EPPO region
Ailanthus altissima (Simaroubaceae) (EPPO List of Invasive Alien Plants)
E-Asia
Tree
Dry grasslands
Widespread
Ambrosia artemisiifolia (Asteraceae) (EPPO List of IAP)
N-Am.
Annual
Ruderal
Widespread
Clerodendrum bungei (Verbenaceae)
E-Asia
Shrub
Ruderal
/
Crassocephalum crepidioides (Asteraceae)
S-Am.
Annual
Ruderal
TR
Miscanthus sinensis (Poaceae)
E-Asia
Perennial
Ruderal
Azores (PT), IT, TR
Opuntia humifusa (Cactaceae)
N-Am.
Shrub
Dry grasslands
ES, FR, GR, IT
Opuntia phaeacantha (Cactaceae)
N-Am.
Shrub
Dry grasslands
ES
Paspalum dilatatum (Poaceae)
S-Am.
Perennial
Lowlands
ES (incl. Baleares, Canarias), FR (incl. Corse), GR, IT (incl. Sardinia), PT (incl. Azores, Madeira)
Perilla frutescens (Lamiaceae)
E-Asia
Perennial
Marshes and wet meadows
/
Pleioblastus distichus (Poaceae)
E-Asia
Perennial
Ruderal
/
Pleioblastus humilis (Poaceae)
E-Asia
Perennial
Ruderal
/
Pleioblastus pumilus (Poaceae)
E-Asia
Perennial
Ruderal
/
Rhus javanica (Anacardiaceae)
E-Asia
Tree
Ruderal
/
Robinia pseudoacacia (Fabaceae)
N-Am.
Tree
Forest
Widespread
Spiraea japonica (Rosaceae)
E-Asia
Shrub
Ruderal
BE, DE, FR, GB, IT
Vitex rotundifolia (Verbenaceae)
E-Asia
Shrub
Lowlands
/


Other species are not considered as invasive in Georgia, but are listed by EPPO (EPPO A2 List, EPPO List of Invasive Alien Plants, or Alert List), and should deserve further attention in Georgia:

Species
Origin
Life form
Ecological group
Akebia quinata (Lardizabalaceae) (EPPO Alert List)
E-Asia
Shrub
Ruderal
Amorpha fruticosa (Fabaceae) (EPPO List of IAP)
N-Am.
Shrub
Forest
Araujia sericifera (Asclepiadaceae) (EPPO Alert List)
S-Am.
Shrub
Ruderal
Baccharis halimifolia (Asteraceae) (EPPO List of IAP)
N-Am.
Shrub
Marshes and wet meadows
Buddleja davidii (Buddlejaceae) (EPPO List of IAP)
E-Asia
Shrub
Ruderal
Cyperus esculentus (Cyperaceae) (EPPO List of IAP)
Medit.
Perennial
Marshes and wet meadows
Egeria densa (Hydrocharitaceae) (EPPO List of IAP)
S-Am.
Aquatic plant
Aquatic plant
Helianthus tuberosus (Asteraceae) (EPPO List of IAP)
N-Am.
Perennial
Ruderal
Hydrocotyle ranunculoides (Apiaceae) (EPPO A2 List)
E-Asia
Perennial
Lowland
Microstegium vimineum (Poaceae) (EPPO Alert List)
Asia
Annual
Ruderal
Oxalis pes-caprae (Oxalidaceae) (EPPO List of IAP)
South Africa
Perennial
Ruderal
Polygonum perfoliatum (Polygonaceae) (EPPO A2 List)
E-Asia
Perennial
Ruderal
Reynoutria japonica (Polygonaceae) (EPPO List of IAP)
E-Asia
Perennial
Ruderal
Solidago canadensis (Asteraceae) (EPPO List of IAP)
N-Am.
Perennial
Ruderal


Some other species, even if not listed by EPPO, are considered invasive in some EPPO countries, and should also deserve attention: e.g. Acer negundo (Aceraceae), Aster novae-angliae (Asteraceae), Aster novi-belgii (Asteraceae), Conyza bonariensis (Asteraceae), Conyza canadensis (Asteraeceae), Cuscuta campestris (Cuscutaceae), Elodea canadensis (Hydrocharitaceae).

Sources

Delivering Alien Invasive Species Inventories for Europe.http://www.europe-aliens.org/speciesSearch.do
Kikodze D, Memiadze N, Kharazishvili D, Manvelidze Z, Mueller-Schaerer H (2010) The alien flora of Georgia. 36 pp.