FIRST ASCERTAINABLE RECORD OF LUDWIGIA PEPLOIDES FROM ROMANIA

Ludwigia peploides (Kunth) P.H.Raven - Floating primrose-willow - is native to wetlands of North, Central, and South America, and widely distributed across Africa, Australia, and Asia, and in Europe, where it is listed by EU Regulation no. 2016/1141 as an Invasive Alien Species (IAS) of Union concern. A photograph of the species from Romania taken in the Sai River Valley (Teleorman County) was published on the Facebook online platform in 2018. This first record, however, lacked further details on the observed specimen or any accompanying herbarium material that would ascertain its correct taxonomic assignation. By carrying out our own field surveys between October and November 2020 we hereby confirm the presence of the species Ludwigia peploides as a new addition to the Romanian alien flora. We identified many specimens occurring along the Sai River Valley, between Olteanca and Turnu Magurele localities. We further present preliminary data regarding the distribution, affected habitats, and population extent of Ludwigia peploides in the investigated area. Although several hypotheses can be proposed on the origin of this species in Romania, our current data cannot strongly support any of them. Plant specimens were deposited in the Herbarium collection of the D. Brandza Botanic Garden of the University of Bucharest (BUC).