Ruderal Vascular Plants on a Waste Ground in the Island of Dånö, Åland Islands, SW Finland
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Memoranda Soc. Soc. Fauna Fauna Flora Flora Fennica Fennica 90, 90: 2014 55–66. • Carlsson 2014 et al. 55 Ruderal vascular plants on a waste ground in the island of Dånö, Åland Islands, SW Finland Ralf Carlsson, Carl-Adam Hæggström & Kajsa Sundberg Carlsson, R., Högbackagatan 10, AX-22100 Mariehamn, Åland, Finland. E-mail: ralf.carlsson@ aland.net Hæggström, C.-A., Botanical Museum, P.O. Box 7, FI-00014 University of Helsinki, Finland. E-mail: [email protected] Sundberg, K., Södravägen 491, AX-22340 Geta, Åland, Finland. E-mail: kajsa.sundberg@ hotmail.com The Åland Islands, SW Finland, are known for luxuriant vegetation with numerous calciphilic vascular plants, but ruderal plants are rather few compared to the adjoining regions of Finland and Sweden. However, new ruderal plants are occasionally found in Åland. We came across a waste ground in the island of Dånö, municipality of Geta, on which several non-familiar vascular plants grew. The waste ground has been used for dumping flower shop garbage and thus some unfamiliar plants have been dumped there. The following species have not been found previously as ruderal plants in the Åland Islands: Allium sativum, Cucumis melo, Dipsacus fullonum, Hedera helix, Inula helenium and Lactuca serriola. Several other more or less rare ruderals were also found on the waste ground: Bromus secalinus, Conyza canadensis, Holcus lanatus, Lepidium densiflorum subsp. neglectum and Senecio jacobaea. Three garden shrubs, Rosa spinosissima, Symphoricarpos albus var. laevigatus and Salix viminalis grew together with more common garden ruderals, such as Digitalis purpurea, Malva moschata and Saponaria officinalis. A total of 137 vascular plant taxa, most of them common in the Åland Islands, were observed growing on the waste ground. Introduction lands, the author RC came across a waste ground where several non-familiar vascular plants were The Åland Islands in southwestern Finland are growing. As there were some species, which have known for luxuriant vegetation with numerous not earlier been observed as ruderals in the Åland calciphilic vascular plants in many places. On Islands as well as some other rarely observed rud- the other hand, ruderal plants are rather few com- erals, we studied the locality closer. pared to the adjoining regions of Finland (e.g. Hämet-Ahti et al. 1998, Lampinen et al. 2014) and Sweden (e.g. Jonsell 2010). However, every The vascular plant flora now and then, new weeds and ruderal plants are found in Åland. The waste ground is a rather flat area of about 40 During an excursion along a gravel road on m × 80 m in size located about 35 m above the sea the southern promontory of the island of Dånö, level between two somewhat higher rocky hill- municipality of Geta, NW part of the Åland Is- tops: Söderberg about 43 m high on the western 56 Carlsson et al. • Memoranda Soc. Fauna Flora Fennica 90, 2014 Fig. 1. A general view of the central part of the waste ground with a heap of fresh flower shop garbage. Åland Is- lands, Geta, Dånö, October 16, 2014. Photo: C.-A. Hæggström. side and an about 40 m high hill on the eastern the waste area. The following taxa were noted: side. This rocky terrain is mostly covered with Betula pendula, B. pubescens, Fraxinus excelsi- pine and lichen heath very poor in vascular plant or, Juniperus communis, Pinus sylvestris, Popu- species. lus tremula, Ribes nigrum, R. rubrum coll., Rosa The gravel road runs through the waste caesia, Salix caprea and Sorbus aucuparia. ground; most it lies west of the road. It has been The bulk of the taxa were common herba- used for dumping soil, boulders and, among oth- ceous meadow plants typical of the Åland Islands, ers, flower shop garbage. such as Achillea millefolium, Alchemilla glauces- In all, 137 vascular plant taxa were observed cens, Allium oleraceum, Angelica sylvestris, An- growing on the waste ground during four sepa- thriscus sylvestris, Arabis hirsuta, Arenaria ser- rate visits on July 31, August 7, August 15 and pyllifolia, Campanula rotundifolia, Centaurea ja- October 16, 2014 (Table 1). Further, four taxa of cea, Filipendula ulmaria, F. vulgaris, Fragaria potted ornamental plants still alive were seen on vesca, Galium verum, Geum urbanum, Hyperi- the flower shop garbage heap, namely a feather cum perforatum, Lathyrus pratensis, Leontodon palm, two unidentified species of Echeveria and autumnalis, Leucanthemum vulgare, Origanum unidentified orchids. They were dead on October vulgare, Pilosella officinarum coll., Pimpinella 16, 2014, when two dead potted shrubs of Buxus saxifraga, Potentilla reptans, Ranunculus acris, sempervirens L. were observed. Stellaria graminea, Trifolium repens, Verbascum A few domestic tree and shrub species grew thapsus, Veronica officinalis, Vicia cracca, Vicia mainly along the forest edges at the margins of hirsuta, V. sepium subsp. sepium and V. tetrasper- Memoranda Soc. Fauna Flora Fennica 90, 2014 • Carlsson et al. 57 ma. Several common grasses were noted: Agros- tis capillaris, A. gigantea, Alopecurus pratensis, Calamagrostis epigejos, Dactylis glomerata, Fes- tuca arundinacea, F. ovina, F. rubra, Melica nu- tans, Phleum pratense subsp. pratense, Poa an- gustifolia and P. pratensis. A few meadow sedg- es were also found: Carex leporina, C. pilulifera and C. spicata. Plants typical of woods and rocky ground were few. The following taxa were noted: Cal- luna vulgaris, Deschampsia flexuosa, Dryopteris carthusiana, Dryopteris filix-mas, Luzula pilosa, Moehringia trinervia, Mycelis muralis, Pteridi- um aquilinum subsp. latiusculum, Poa nemora- lis, Senecio sylvaticus and Vaccinium vitis-idaea. Some plants typical of moist soil were also found, e.g. Carex canescens, Epilobium adeno- caulon, Equisetum arvense, Galium palustre sub- sp. palustre, Juncus articulatus, J. conglomera- tus, Prunella vulgaris, Ranunculus repens and Veronica scutellata. The following four species found on the waste ground are mainly growing on seashores in the Åland Islands: Phalaris arundinacea, Phrag- mites australis, Rumex crispus and Trifolium fragiferum. However, Phalaris and Phragmites Fig. 2. One specimen of Allium sativum grew on the occur frequently in ditches and other moist places waste ground. It probably belongs to the longicuspis and Rumex crispus is also found as a ruderal plant group of garlics. Åland Islands, Geta, Dånö, August 7, on roadsides, in farmyards, etc. 2014. Photo: C.-A. Hæggström. Typical common ruderal and weedy plants were quite abundant, e.g. Atriplex patula, Che- nopodium album, Cirsium arvense var. arvense, Uusikaupunki (UCS Grid 27º E 67592:31954), Cirsium vulgare, Gnaphalium uliginosum, Lap- on a ruderal site together with Urtica dioica in sana communis, Myosotis arvensis, Plantago ma- 2006. The second observation was by Jari Särkkä jor subsp. major, Polygonum aviculare, Rumex in Om, Raahe (UCS Grid 27º E 71768:33831), on longifolius, Sencio viscosus, Senecio vulgaris, a refuse dump in 2007. It seems that A. sativum Sonchus asper var. asper, S. oleraceus var. olera- has not been observed as a ruderal plant in Swe- ceus, Stellaria media, Tripleurospermum inodor- den (Edqvist & Karlsson 2007) or Denmark (Mr. um and Tussilago farfara. Erik Hammer, Åbyhøj, Denmark, e-mail, Octo- ber 26, 2014). A note of it growing in Rakkestad in the county of Østfold in southeastern Norway Ruderals new to the Åland Islands is included in the Norwegian field flora (Lid & Lid 2005). Allium sativum L. – One flowering specimen of The specimen in Dånö probably belongs to garlic grew in the central part of the waste ground. the longicuspis group (Dr. Joachim Keller, IPK, This species has not been previously found as a Gatersleben, Germany, e-mail, October 6, 2014; ruderal plant in the Åland Islands. It has, howev- see also IPK 2010-2013). A. longicuspis Regel is er, been found twice in Finland as a ruderal plant an ancient garlic from Central Asia and it forms, (Kastikka 2014a). The first observation was by together with A. sativum, a species complex Kaija Laine, Unto Laine and Jaakko Nurmi in Ab, (Maass & Klaas 1995, Kamenetsky et al 2004). 58 Carlsson et al. • Memoranda Soc. Fauna Flora Fennica 90, 2014 A. sativum is cultivated, mainly as a spice and (Kastikka 2014c). There it was characterised as a medicinal plant. It is also used as an ornamen- casual alien garden escape. tal plant, and the specimen may have been intro- D. fullonum has been found in numerous plac- duced by the flower shop garbage to the waste es in the southern part of Sweden northwards to ground in Dånö. However, the flower shop in Uppland (Jonsell 2010, Hatikka 2014). It is culti- question does not sell A. sativum. vated as an ornamental plant and it spreads easi- ly from gardens to waste heaps. It grows as a na- Cucumis melo L. – One flowering and fruiting tive plant in Central and South Europe and in the plant of this garden vegetable grew in the central Near East. part of the waste ground. This is the first observa- tion of C. melo as a ruderal plant in the Åland Is- Hedera helix L. – One specimen grew at the lands. It has been found in almost twenty locali- western edge of the waste ground. The common ties in south and central Finland (Kastikka 2014b, ivy does not belong to the indigenous flora of Fin- Lampinen et al. 2014). land. It occurs, however, as a cultivated ornamen- tal plant outdoors, for instance in the city of Ma- Dipsacus fullonum L. – One flowering specimen riehamn in the Åland Islands, although it is not grew in the mid part of the waste ground. This included in the Finnish flora of trees and shrubs species is new as a ruderal to the Åland Islands. (Hämet-Ahti et al. 1992). One specimen grows on D. fullonum has been found only once as a ruderal a black alder at the southern shore of the island of plant in Finland, in Ab, Vihti, Jättölä (UCS Grid Järsö in the municipality of Lemland, about 10 27º E 6696:3358, Pentti Alanko, Visa Lipponen km south of Mariehamn.