First report of Artemisia verlotiorum in Azerbaijan
Artemisia verlotiorum (Asteraceae) is native to China and established in Africa, West Asia, South America, Australia and New Zealand. Within the EPPO region, it is a widespread species. During field surveys conducted in Azerbaijan between 2019-2023, A. verlotiorum was recorded in four geographical areas – the Greater Caucasus west (Zagatala district), the Lesser Caucasus north (Gazakh district), the Lankaran lowland (Lankaran and Astara districts) and Apsheron (Novkhany and Keshlya). Habitats where it occurs include plantations, coastal areas of the Caspian Sea, ruderal habitats and transportation networks and woodland up to 426 m a.s.l. It is likely that A. verlotiorum has been present in Azerbaijan for some time but has been misidentified as A. vulgaris. However, in some areas, small populations indicate new introductions which could have arrived either through natural spread or potentially as a contaminant of soil or plants.
Sources
Mehtieva NP, Asadova KK, Mursal N (2024) Artemisia verlotiorum (Asteraceae) - a new species for the flora of Azerbaijan. БОТАНИЧЕСКИЙ ЖУРНАЛ (Botanical Journal) 109, 99-102.