ISSN 2075-1117, Russian Journal of Biological Invasions, 2018, Vol. 9, No. 1, pp. 53–56. © Pleiades Publishing, Ltd., 2018. Original Russian Text © N.A. Kolyada, A.S. Kolyada, 2017, published in Rossiiskii Zhurnal Biologicheskikh Invazii, 2017, No. 4, pp. 67–71. Occurrence of Amorpha fruticosa L. in the South of the Russian Far East N. A. Kolyadaa, b, * and A. S. Kolyadac, ** aFederal Scientific Center of Biodiversity of Terrestrial Biota of East Asia, Far Eastern Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, Vladivostok, 690022 Russia bKomarov Mountain-Taiga Station, Far Eastern Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, Gorno-Taezhnoe settl., Ussuriysk, 692533 Russia cUssuri Branch, Far Eastern Federal University, Ussuriysk, 692500 Russia *e-mail: [email protected] **e-mail: [email protected] Received April 9, 2017 Abstract—Results of the studies on the occurrence of the North American plant species Amorpha fruticosa L. (Fabaceae Juss.) in the south of the Russian Far East are shown. Today the species is used in landscaping in 26 inhabited localities of Primorsky krai. It is absent in natural phytocoenoses and inhabits anthropogenic land- scapes. By the degree of naturalization, the species may be assigned to the group of epekophytes. Investigations show potential opportunities for wide dispersal by vegetative reproduction. For prevention of its transition to the group of aggressive agriophytes, the constant control and observation of this potentially invasive species are needed. Keywords: Fabaceae Lindl., Amorpha fruticosa L., degree of naturalization, landscaping, invasive species, anthropogenic landscapes DOI: 10.1134/S2075111718010113 INTRODUCTION Pakistan, Japan, China, Korea, and eastern Turkey North American species Amorpha fruticosa L. (Scoggan, 1978; Szigetvari and Toth, 2008). (shrubby indigo) occupies an important place among In Russia, it was imported in the 18th century as an representatives of the family Fabaceae Juss., used for exotic species, and it grew in the Moscow garden of the purpose of introduction and having a large sec- P.A. Demidov and in the St. Petersburg Botanical ondary range. Garden (Vinogradova et al., 2013). On the territory of This is primarily connected with the use of the spe- Russia, it was mainly grown in the south for use in for- cies as a solitaire, to create decorative groups, like a bor- est plantations and vegetable slope stabilization, and der plant in landscaping. However, it should be noted, then it began to be tested further north (Vinogradova that this species also has medicinal (Shreter et al., 1979; et al., 2014). By the middle of 20th century, this spe- Foster and Duke, 1990; Slavgorodskaya, 2005; Moer- cies became an ordinary decorative component in the man, 2009; Jakovljević et al., 2015) and technical gardens and parks of Russia. (Brett, 1946) properties; it is a good bee plant (Sam- In our country, the species is included in the Black sonova, 2014). Owing to the branched root system, Book of Flora of Central Russia as showing a tendency to this plant has traditionally been used for vegetable actively expand its range (Vinogradova et al., 2010). In slope stabilization, restoration of disturbed lands, and southern regions of Russia it belongs to potentially inva- prevention of soil erosion. sive species (Karpun, 2004; Kozlovskii et al., 2009; In Europe, Amorpha fruticosa appeared in 1724 and Ostapko and Eremenko, 2010). It is important that, over two centuries dispersed in botanical gardens, along with Amorpha fruticosa, its pests also penetrate, for showing a tendency to grow wild. At the beginning of example, the North American bruchid beetle (Acantho- the 21st century, this species is invasive in the opinion scelides pallidipennis Motschulsky), which is widespread of many researchers in Europe (Dumitraşcu et al., in Europe, in the south of the European part of Russia, 2014; Blagojević et al., 2015; Gudžinskas and Žalner- and in the Caucasus (Martynov and Nikulina, 2016). avièius, 2015; etc.). In the eastern and southern parts In the Far East of Russia, Amorpha fruticosa has of Europe, shrubby indigo is particularly aggressive in been observed since the beginning of the 20th century; coastal communities (Doroftei, 2009). It is also con- in 1908, it was cultivated by S.I. Elovitskii (Vasilyuk sidered as an invasive species in Canada, Mexico, Iraq, et al., 1987) in Vladivostok. 53 54 N. A. KOLYADA, A. S. KOLYADA In the 1930s–1950s, the first introduction centers It should be noted that, in the arboretum, the spe- appear in the region; among them are the arboretum cies actively reproduces vegetatively; the plants give of the Mountain-Taiga Station (MTS) and the Botan- numerous root offspring, which clog up the area occu- ical Garden Institute (Vladivostok), where Amorpha pied by the mother plants. They have to be perma- fruticosa began to be tested among other introducers nently removed by mowing. (introduced species) (Kolyada, 2007). According to On the American site, the species dispersed beyond the published data (Baburin and Morozova, 2011), it is the territory of the arboretum by 1–2 m. present also to the north, for example, in landscape All this suggests that this introduced plant has gardening in the city of Khabarovsk. Currently, this potential for wider dispersion in disturbed areas. We plant is also present in the Sakhalin Botanical Garden made attempts to discover the natural vegetative (Taran et al., 2011). reproduction of the species in the places of planting in Primorskii krai. MATERIALS AND METHODS It turned out that, in the absence of care, the shrubby indigo is capable of more or less intense vege- This paper is dedicated to assessing the degree of tative dispersion. For example, near the village of naturalization of Amorpha fruticosa in Primorskii krai. Pokrovka (Oktyabr’skii district) near the gas station, Using the route-reconnoitering method in the period its roadside plantings were made; in addition, a num- 2014–2016, about 120 settlements of Primorskii krai ber of plants were planted at a distance from the road. from 15 administrative districts were surveyed. The territory of the station undergoes care (including the mowing of the grass stand), but in those places RESULTS AND DISCUSSION (about 70–100 m from the station) where it is absent, we noted several young specimens of shrubby indigo According to the occurrence in the settlements of formed as a result of vegetative reproduction. Primorskii krai, Amorpha fruticosa among the North A small vegetative dispersion was also recorded in American introducers is the second after the Acer the city of Bol’shoi Kamen’. It should be noted that negundo L. (Canadian maple). We observed the presence here we observed the most vigorous plant specimens, of the species in 26 settlements (about 2.1% of the total up to 3.7 m in height, which had a diameter of the number of surveyed stations), including 9 of 12 cities shoot axes at the bottom up to 5 cm. (absent in Dalnerechensk, Lesozavodsk, and Fokino) (Fig. 1). In Ussuriysk, the proportion of planted species Cases of intense vegetative dispersal of Amorpha is 0.44% of all adventive species of woody plants used in fruticosa are of particular interest (Fig. 1). They speak landscape gardening in the residential zone, and in Vlad- of the potential capabilities for widespread distribution ivostok, it is 5.74% of the number of species used in land- of this species in disturbed areas. scape gardening (Shikhova and Polyakova, 2006). Thus, near the urban-type settlement of Kraskino (Khasanskii district) (42°42′30″ N, 130°46′55″ E), The dispersion of Amorpha fruticosa in the south of there are plantings of this plant along the highway. the Far East made it possible to include the species in Plants planted on the right side (in the direction of the flora of the Far Eastern region (Pavlova, 1989). Kraskino), as a result of intense vegetative propaga- In populated localities it blooms and fructifies. tion, occupied an area of about one hectare, on which Seed and vegetative renewal, as a rule, is absent, which there are at least 200 individuals. Many of these plants is mainly due to the implementation of lawn care reached 1.5 m in height and began to bloom and bear fruit. activities. At the same time, in those places where A similar picture is observed near Ussuriisk there is no upkeep, vegetative renewal of the plant is (43°48′00″ N, 131°57′00″ E), near Lake Soldatskoe. observed—daughter individuals appear 1–3 m from About 40 years ago, a group of Amorpha fruticosa was the maternal individuals. planted here; by 2017, as a result of vegetative repro- In this regard, the data on the behavior of the spe- duction, the area occupied by them reached 1.5 ha, cies in the crop conditions in the arboretum of MTS, where there were at least 300 individuals. Most of where it was introduced in 1960 from Moscow, are them are present in open areas (for example, on the interesting (Kolyada, 2007). Currently, Amorpha fruti- strip of the power transmission line passing through cosa grows mainly in the American exposition area; it this place). The plants are larger here, with a height of is represented by 21 individuals and reaches a height of 2.5–2.8 m, flowering and fruiting. At the same time, 3.5 m. Winter hardiness of the species in the arboretum specimens of Fraxinus mandshurica Rupr. (Manchu- is weak; in cold winters, not only part or all of the annual rian ash) under the canopy, whose plantings occupy growth but also the older parts of the crown freeze. This considerable areas here, reach only 1–1.5 m in height, is due to late start and late end of the vegetative period and they bloom and bear fruit less intensely. Along and a very long period of shoot growth—60 days or more.