Water and wetland flora of the City of Kharkiv (an annotated list and main parameters)

Abstract

The long-term floristic research in the City of Kharkiv, as well as analysis of the literature data and CWU herbarium materials recorded 95 species, 65 genera and 38 families of plants in the present water and wetland flora of the city. Of these, 18 species occur in the water bodies, and 77 species in the wetlands. An annotated list of the water and wetland flora is compiled. All species are provided with the data on their distribution within the city, habitat conditions, types of geographic range and conservation status. Geographical analysis revealed the general correspondence of the city flora to the typical flora of the region. The city flora is represented by the groups of species with five regional types; the Circumpolar (35 species, 36.8 %) and the Eurasian (26 species, 27.3 %) types are the most speciose. In terms of conservation importance, 15 recorded species require protection ‒ two species of water vascular plants and 13 species of wetlands. Of these, four species are listed in the Red Data Book of Ukraine (Anacamptis coriophora, Anacamptis palustris, Dactylorchiza majalis, Epipactis palustris); seven species are in the list of plants that require special protection in the Kharkiv Region (Carex pseudocyperus, Nuphar luteum, Parnassia palustris, Ranunculus circinatum, Typha laxmannii, Valeriana officinalis, Vallisneria spiralis); three species are listed in Annex II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES II) (Anacamptis coriophora, Anacamptis palustris, Epipactis palustris); one species (Epipactis palustris) is in the list of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES); and two species are in the Red List of Macrophytes (Nuphar lutea and Glyceria arundinacea). One species is also a member of а plant association listed in the Green Data Book of Ukraine, and two species are the members of vegetation groups in the Green List of Kharkiv Region. Five invasive species were found in the city flora: three water species (Pistia stratiotes, Vallisneria spiralis, Elodea canadensis) and two wetland species (Echinocistis lobata and Bidens frondosa).