Günther's Site - Photos of European PlantsSome Neophytes in Hesse

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Some Neophytes in Hesse


'Neophytic' and 'adventive plants' are wild plants, which were not originally growing there, but immigrated or were introduced since 1492. 'Neophytic' means those of the immigrated or introduced plants, which are able to adapt to the climatic and other conditions, and last permanently. The more general term 'adventive plant' is used for any plant which arrives newly, even if it isn't able to last. Plants which immigrated or have been introduced earlier than 1492 are called 'archaeophytes', but these are not the theme of this page. Some findings of outstanding neophytes from Hesse are presented here. Frequent neophytes as Solidago, Amaranthus etc. aren't mentioned here anymore because these have already been shown in Neophytes in the 'Kurpfalz', the presentation on the region around Mannheim and Heidelberg, at which Hesse is bordering in the North and East.
Pimpinella peregrina / Southern Burnet Saxifrage Apiaceae / Umbellifers	Left: The Southern Burnet Saxifrage Pimpinella peregrina, which originates from the western Mediterranean, is currently about to establish in southern Germany. It is containd in seed mixtures for greening and fixing of road slopes, and might have spread out of such sites. The photo has been taken at Frankfurt-Kalbach. Right: The Giant Hogweed Heracleum mantegazzianum, which has been introduced from the Caucasus as an ornamental plant, grows taller than a man and if it is touched it can cause burnings on the skin. For this reason people combat against stems of this species which ran wild. The photo has been taken at a roadside in the Odenwald near Darmstadt.	Heracleum mantegazzianum / Giant Hogweed Apiaceae / Umbellifers
Linaria dalmatica / Dalmatian Toadflax Plantaginaceae / Plantain Fam.	Left: The Dalmatian Toadflax Linaria dalmatica is more than a meter tall, it comes from the eastern Mediterranean, and colonizes on an inland dune near Seeheim-Jugenheim. Right: Most probably the Himalayan Fountain Grass Cenchrus flaccidus which comes from East Asia and Australia has been sowed in order to fix the slope of a retaining basin near Seeheim-Jugenheim years ago. At the inner slope of the basin it is still available, but in between also in big numbers on waste land on the other side of a rural road.	Cenchrus flaccidus / Himalayan Fountain Grass Poaceae / Grass Fam.
The Evening Primroses occuring here are either introduced from America, or are hybrids between the introduced American species which developed here. Near a railway track in Frankfurt-Louisa the Red-Tips Evening Primrose Oenothera angustissima is growing. Most probably Scandinavian Evening Primrose Oenothera scandinavica ? has been rediscovered in Hanau-Wolfgang.
Oenothera angustissima / Red-Tips Evening Primrose Onagraceae / Willowherb Fam.		Oenothera scandinavica ? / Scandinavian Evening Primrose Onagraceae / Willowherb Fam.
Meconopsis cambrica / Welsh Poppy Papaveraceae / Poppy Fam. Near Gorxheim-Trösel and also near Unterflockenbach in the western part of the Odenwald grows Welsh Poppy Meconopsis cambrica at paths in the wood. Most probably it is a garden escape.	On a grassy path in the upper Eiterbachtal below Siedelsbrunn, Trailing Lobelia Lobelia erinus was brought in when building rubble was also used to fortify the path. Lobelia erinus / Trailing Lobelia Campanulaceae / Bellflower Fam.	Noccaea caerulescens / Alpine Penny-Cress Brassicaceae / Crucifers At the roadside near Trösel in the foremost part of the Odenwald Alpine Penny-Cress Noccaea caerulescens is occurring, an alpine plant of which the seed might have found its way to here by a car.
Both neophytes shown in this row are found in nature reserve 'Kuehkopf-Knoblochsaue' near Stockstadt on the Rhine.	Lindernia dubia / Yellowseed False Pimpernel Linderniaceae / False Pimpernel Fam. Origin: America.	Clematis viticella / Italian Clematis Ranunculaceae / Buttercup Fam. Origin: Mediterranean.
Fraxinus pennsylvanica / Green Ash Oleaceae / Ash Fam. The Green Ash which once had been introduced from North America had to be combated already in the nature reserve Kühkopf-Knoblochsaue because it reproduces better than many native trees.	Aralia elata / Japanese Angelica Tree Araliaceae / Ivy Fam. At the edge of a wood above Unterflockenbach in the western part of the Odenwald a big colony of Japanese Angelica Tree Aralia elata can be found. Most probably the first plant or seed	Aralia elata / Japanese Angelica Tree Araliaceae / Ivy Fam. has been thrown out of a garden. Its origin is Eastern Asia.
Tetradium daniellii / Bee Bee Tree, Korean Evodia Rutaceae / Rue Fam.	Tetradium daniellii / Bee Bee Tree, Korean Evodia Rutaceae / Rue Fam.	In a soil depot some young trees of Bee Bee Tree Tetradium daniellii have been found which might have come up from seed. The origin of the tree is Asia.
Cyperus eragrostis / Pale Galingale Cyperaceae / Sedge Fam.	Left: Several times Pale Galingale Cyperus eragrostis has been reported at two different retarding basins near Bickenbach, but it appears not in every year. Right: Since years there is a stable presence of the grass Mediterranean Hair Grass Rostraria cristata, which comes from the Mediterranean region, on a sidewalk in Frankfurt-Alt Niederursel.	Rostraria cristata / Mediterranean Hair Grass Poaceae / Grass Fam.
In the woods, parks and at the Main shore of Frankfurt several plants can be found which have run wild out of gardens and parks:
Cotoneaster divaricatus / Spreading Cotoneaster Rosaceae / Rose Fam.	Euonymus fortunei / Fortune's Spindle Celastraceae / Spindle Fam.	Hedera colchica / Georgian Ivy Araliaceae / Ivy Fam.
Salix eriocephala / Missouri River Willow, Yellow Willow Salicaceae / Willow Fam.	Salix alba x babylonica / Golden Weeping Willow = Salix x sepulcralis Salicaceae / Willow Fam.	Salix matsudana / Chinese Willow Salicaceae / Willow Fam.
Tellima grandiflora / Fringe Cups Saxifragaceae / Saxifrage Fam.	Epimedium perralderianum / Barren-Wort Berberidaceae / Barberry Fam.	Bromus sitchensis / Alaska Brome Poaceae / Grass Fam.
Puschkinia scilloides / Russian Snowdrop Asparagacae / Asparagus Fam. In the open country near Heusenstamm a population of Russian Snowdrop Puschkinia scilloides was surviving for years. The plant comes from the mountains of Middle East, is frequently grown in parks, and most probably also here the first ones have been planted.	Laxmann's Bulrush Typha laxmannii, introduced from Asia, settles at a former clay pit near Hochheim am Main. Typha laxmannii / Laxmann's Bulrush Typhaceae / Bulrush Fam.	Epimedium alpinum / Barren-Wort Berberidaceae / Barberry Fam. Already since about 200 years a population of the Barren-Wort Epimedium alpinum is growing at a pond in the wood near Offenbach. It reproduces steadily. Most probably it has been planted long ago. It is an alpine plant.
The population of Russian Violet Viola suavis, which originates from Caucasus, at a roadside near Babenhausen is most probably caused by garden rubbish. Since years it survives and increases. Viola suavis / Russian Violet Violaceae / Violet Fam.	Ornithogalum boucheanum / Bouché's Star of Bethlehem Asparagacae / Asparagus Fam. A big population of Bouché's Star of Bethlehem Ornithogalum boucheanum which originates from Eastern Europe was growing in a park at Babenhausen for tens of years, unfortunately I never saw it in flower. In 2016 I couldn't find any plant of it anymore.	Together with the introduction of Scot's Pine Pinus sylvestris centuries ago the Pipsissewa Chimaphila umbellata has been introduced from the Nordic countries. There are still occurrences in the region of Babenhausen. Chimaphila umbellata / Pipsissewa Ericaceae / Heather Fam.
Right: In the Spessart mountains there is a wet slope where the American Wild Iris Iris versicolor is growing together with the native Yellow Iris and Common Reed.	Iris versicolor / Wild Iris Iridaceae / Iris Fam.
Impatiens capensis / Orange Jewelweed, Spotted Touch me not Balsaminaceae / Balsam Fam.	Left: At several places on the banks of the Lahn below Marburg the Orange Jewelweed Impatiens capensis has been seen, which originates from North America. At least in a riparian forest near Gießen it grows numerously and stable, together with the frequent Indian Balsam Impatiens glandulifera which has been indroduced from the Himalaya. Impatiens capensis is looking similar to the native Touch me not Impatiens noli-tangere, but has red blossoms.	Impatiens glandulifera / Indian Balsam Balsaminaceae / Balsam Fam.
Bromus madritensis / Compact Brome Poaceae / Grass Fam. Assmannshausen	Vitis riparia / Riverbank Grape, Frost Grape Vitaceae / Grape-Vine Fam. Frankfurt-Riederwald	Picea sitchensis / Sitka Spruce Pinaceae / Pine Fam. Breitscheid
Also 'set free' plants usually used in aquariums and garden ponds can be found in our nature, partly even in nature reserves, which is an accusable adulteration of the native flora, because there is the danger that the introduced plants are ousting the native flora. At small ponds of an old quarry near Wetter in Central Hesse Crassula helmsii from Australie / New Zealand and Hydrocotyle verticillata from South America have been found. Also the occurrence of the Four-Leaf Clover Marsilea quadrifolia there, which is a very rare native fern growing at wet places, is most probably of non-natural origin. In a pond near Frankfurt, which belongs to a soil depot, the African Curly-Leaved Waterweed Lagarosiphon major is occurring.
Crassula helmsii / Swamp Stonecrop, New Zealand Pygmyweed Crassulaceae / Stonecrop Fam.	Hydrocotyle verticillata / Shield Pennywort, Whorled Pennywort Araliaceae / Ivy Fam.	Lagarosiphon major / African Curly-Leaved Waterweed Hydrocharitaceae / Frogbit Fam.
Wolffia columbiana / Columbian Water-Meal Araceae / Arum Fam.	Left: As its name says Wolffia columbiana is of South-American origin and has most probably been introduced together with other plants for aquariums or garden ponds. In the last years it has appeared time and again in ponds en masse, mainly along the Rhine but also near Großkrotzenburg not far from the Main. It is probable that it is spread here by water birds.	Myriophyllum aquaticum / Parrot Feather Water Milfoil Haloragaceae / Water Milfoil Fam.
In the Knüll mountains West of Bad Hersfeld some trees and bushes were found which ran wild:	Populus trichocarpa / Black Cottonwood, Western Balsam Poplar Salicaceae / Willow Fam.	Cotoneaster bullatus / Hollyberry Cotoneaster Rosaceae / Rose Fam.
Naturally this list of neophytic plants of Hesse is far from completeness. It will be continued on occasion. There are similar sites on some neophytes in Rheinland-Pfalz, ... in North Rhine-Westphalia, ... in (Southern) Baden, ... in Württemberg, ... in Hesse, and the more extensive presentation on the neophytes of the 'Kurpfalz', the region around Mannheim and Heidelberg.