Lockdown botany in 2020: alien plants in Ukraine
During 2020, although the pandemic severely restricted surveys for plant species in Ukraine, some limited opportunities arose in Kyiv City and Kyiv Region in the northern central part of Ukraine. In total, 10 alien plant species are reported along with note on their occurrence.
Species | Family | Origin | Notes on occurrence |
Amaranthus spinosus | Amaranthaceae | S. America | Small population of several plants along roadside |
Artemisia tournefortiana | Asteraceae | Asia | Ruderal sites, abandoned buildings and along tram line |
Chenopodium ucrainicum | Chenopodiaceae | Uncertain | Ruderal site under willow trees and alongside fences |
Celastrus orbiculatus | Celastraceae | Asia | Large population naturalised in forest of Pushcha-Vodytsya |
Datura innoxia | Solanaceae | North and Central America | Semi-escaped plants in Kyiv from cracks at the base of stone walls |
Dysphania ambrosioides | Chenopodiaceae | North America | Escaped from cultivation in Gryshko Natioanl Botanical Gardens, several dozen plants persisting for at least 2 years |
Erechtites hieraciifolius | Asteraceae | Americas | Pine forest near Kyiv |
Mesembryanthemum × vascosilvae | Aizoaceae | Several locations in Kyiv - semi-escaped in neglected flower beds | |
Phytolacca americana | Phytolaccaceae | North America | Well established colony of the species in the forest of Pushcha-Vodytsya in the North-West of Kyiv city |
Thladiantha dubia | Cucurbitaceae | Asia | Large dense escaped colonies in ruderal habitats in the neighbourhoods of Lukianivka |
Sources
Mosyakin SL, Mosyakin AS (2021) Lockdown botany 2020: some noteworthy records of alien plants in Kyiv City and Kyiv Region. Ukrainian Botanical Journal 78(2), 96–111.