Escape of alien species from botanical gardens in Ukraine
Botanical gardens can be sources of invasive alien plants. Veronica cardiocarpa (Plantaginaceae) is an annual species native to Central and East Asia. It was recorded in the O.V. Fomin Botanical Garden of the Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv (Ukraine) in 1983 as a result of an unintentional introduction. V. cardiocarpa can be regarded as a new alien plant species in Ukraine as it has invaded new areas and populations show a high seed production. New populations of V. cardiocarpa were found during surveys in adjacent areas to the Botanical Garden before 2016. These populations were situated in urban areas which were approximately 150 – 250 m from the nearest known locations of the species. The populations consisted of five sites. The largest of them covered an area of about 14 m2 on a lawn and along pavements. The density of plants was about 280 individuals per m2. The second-largest site was also a lawn site of approximately 5 m2 with a density of 60–80 individuals per m2. The remaining sites were formed of only a few individuals in flower beds. All sites were situated in shaded places. In 2021, V. cardiocarpa was still spreading: about 10 individuals were recorded about 30–40 m from the closest site.
Sources
Konaikova V, Peregrym M (2023) The escape of alien species from botanical gardens: a new example from Ukraine. Biologia 78, 1415–1423. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11756-023-01384-9