Abstract
The introduction and early spread of common ragweed (Ambrosia artemisiifolia L.) in Central and Eastern Europe were reconstructed based on a study of all herbarium specimens of common ragweed deposited at six herbaria in Austria, Hungary and Serbia. More than 450 specimens were examined and the oldest ones, collected from 1907 to 1927, were used to map the historical spread of this highly allergenic invasive weed in this region. The herbarium records back-date the first known introduction of this noxious weed to Central and Eastern Europe as well as its early spread on the Danube-Tisza Plain, and in the North-Eastern part of Hungary. The data also confirm that the introduction of common ragweed to Central and Eastern Europe took place later than its introduction to the Western part of the continent.
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Notes
The term CEE refers to all countries of the ‘Eastern bloc’ as well as to the countries formed after the collapse of the former Yugoslavia and three Baltic states: Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. This work focuses on its southeastern parts, mainly on the Pannonian Basin and its surroundings.
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The authors are grateful to the two anonymous reviewers for their comments on this work.
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Csontos, P., Vitalos, M., Barina, Z. et al. Early distribution and spread of Ambrosia artemisiifolia in Central and Eastern Europe. Bot. Helv. 120, 75–78 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00035-010-0072-2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00035-010-0072-2