Eragrostis albensis
Eragrostis albensis H. Scholz (Eur.) – An exceptional and probably ephemeral alien. Discovered in 2015 in Oostham by a track alongside a maize field. Possibly overlooked elsewhere.
This species was initially described as a neo-endemic from river Elbe in Germany (Scholz 1995). Soon afterwards, however, it was recorded in many additional regions, mostly in eastern Europe (Poland, Russia, Belarus, Czech and Slovak Republic; see Scholz & Ristow 2005 for an overview and references, also: Scholz & al. 2002, Špryňar & Kubát 2004, Michalewska & Nobis 2005). It has also been confirmed from the Netherlands (surroundings of Nijmegen) and in the past years it was also found in Austria (Hohla & Kleesadl 2006). It is doubtlessly overlooked elsewhere.
The taxonomic position of Eragrostis albensis is still unclear. However, it may be conspecific with the Asian E. imberbis (Franch.) Prob. (Seregin 2012a, b).
Many records are from riparian habitats (exposed sandy river banks; see also Krumbiegel 2002) but more recently Eragrostis albensis was also discovered in ruderal plant communities. In Austria it is a fast spreading alien along roadsides, even in the Alps (Pagitz 2012).
Selected literature:
Hohla M. (2006) Neues über die Verbreitung von Eragrostis albensis, E. multicaulis und E. pilosa in Österreich. Linzer biol. Beitr. 38(2): 1233-1253. [available online at: http://www.zobodat.at/pdf/LBB_0038_2_1233-1253.pdf]
Hohla M. & Kleesadl G. (2006) Eragrostis albensis – neu für Österreich – und weitere bemerkenswerte Funde zur Flora von Oberösterreich. Beitr. Naturk. Oberösterreichs 16: 197-202. [available online at: http://www.zobodat.at/pdf/BNO_0016_0197-0202.pdf]
Krumbiegel A. (2002) Zur Soziologie und Ökologie von Eragrostis albensisScholz (Poaceae) an der unteren Mittelelbe (Deutschland). Feddes Repert. 113(5-6): 354-366.
Lang W. & Röller O. (2014) Das Elbe-Liebesgras (Eragrostis albensis) an den Speyrer Dünen. POLLICHIA-Kurier 30/1: 13-14. [available online at: http://www.pollichia.de/index.php/download/searchresult]
Langbehn H. (2012) Die Gattung Eragrostis im Landkreis Celle. Floristische Notizen aus der Lüneburger Heide 20: 2-4. [available online at: http://www.kaiser-alw.de/pdf/Fl20_12.pdf]
Michalewska A. & Nobis M. (2005) Ekspansja Eragrostis albensis (Poaceae) na antropogenicznych siedliskach w poludniowo-wschodniej Polsce. Fragm. Flor. Geobot. Polonica 12: 44-55.
Pagitz K. (2012) Eragrostis albensis neu für den Alpenraum – sowie weitere Beiträge zur Gattung Eragrostis (Eragrostideae, Poaceae) in Tirol und Österreich. Stapfia 97: 193-205. [available online at: http://www.zobodat.at/stable/pdf/STAPFIA_0097_0193-0205.pdf]
Scholz H. (1995) Eragrostis albensis (Gramineae), das Elb-Liebesgras – ein neuer Neo-Endemit Mitteleuropas. Verh. Bot. Ver. Berlin Brandenburg 128: 73-82.
Scholz H., Mavrodiev E.V. & Alexeev Y.E. (2002) Eragrostis albensis H. Scholz (Poaceae), a new alien species in Russian flora and diagnostics of European species of E. pilosa (L.) Beauv. complex (in Russian). Bjull. Moskovs. Obšč. Isp. Prir., Otd. Biol. 107(3): 74-78.
Scholz H. & Ristow M. (2005) Neue Nachrichten über die Gattung Eragrostis (Gramineae) in Mitteleuropa. Verh. Bot. Ver. Berlin Brandenburg 138: 15-29.
Seregin A.P. (2012a) Taxonomic circumscription and distribution of a glandular Eurasian entity from the Eragrostis pilosa complex (Poaceae). Phytotaxa 52: 8-20. [available online at: http://istina.msu.ru/media/publications/article/462/916/426730/100_Eragr...
Seregin A.P. (2012b) Floristic notes on some Eragrostis species (Gramineae) in Russia (in Russian). Bull. Moscow Society of Naturalist. 117(6): 73-75. [available online at: http://alliumallium.narod.ru/olderfiles/1/104_Eragrostis_spp.pdf]
Špryňar P. & Kubát K. (2004) Eragrostis albensis a E. pectinacea, dva nové cizí druhy trav pro kvĕtenu České republiky (Poaceae). Zprávy Čes. Bot. Společ. 39: 1-24.