Hedera crebrescens
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| Hedera crebrescens | |
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| Juvenile foliage leaves of Hedera crebrescens | |
Scientific classification 
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| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Asterids |
| Order: | Apiales |
| Family: | Araliaceae |
| Genus: | Hedera |
| Species: | H. crebrescens
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| Binomial name | |
| Hedera crebrescens M.Bényei-Himmer & M.Höhn
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Hedera crebrescens is a species of ivy in the flowering plant family Araliaceae. It is found in central Europe, where it is now a potentially invasive species. First described in 2017, the species has also subsequently been identified from herbarium specimens collected back to the 19th century.
Description
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On the creeping shoots, the juvenile leaves are three-lobed. The upper (central) lobe is dome-shaped and sharply pointed. The leaf bases often overlap, and the leaf blades are broad, nearly as wide as long. The leaves are slightly frost-sensitive, suffering damage after long periods at below −10 °C (14 °F).[1]
Only the terminal umbel develops fruit, while lateral umbels abort and wither. The berries in this terminal umbel are densely packed, and are green when immature, turning black when ripe.[1]
Taxonomy
[edit]Hedera crebrescens was confirmed a species of independent status in 2017, in Hungary, at the Department of Botany, Buda Campus, MATE (former Szent István University), after 20 years of research through morphological and genetic studies.[1][2]
The species has been identified in herbarium specimens from Hungary and Slovakia tracing back to the late 19th century, where it was previously considered a variety of Hedera hibernica due to morphological similarity.[1] However, cytological and morphological analyses demonstrated that it is indeed a separate species from H. hibernica, as that is tetraploid, while Hedera crebrescens is diploid. It also differs from the diploid Hedera helix by a series of morpho-phenological traits.[1][3]
Distribution and habitat
[edit]First identified in Hungary, H. crebrescens has also been found in Austria, Germany, the Netherlands, Slovakia, and Ukraine.[1][3]
Preferring shaded, semi-humid conditions, it commonly grows along railways and in or around cemeteries, parks, and unmaintained gardens.[1]
Ecology
[edit]Observations since the late 2010s have indicated that H. crebrescens spreads easily and is displacing other native ivy species from their habitats in parts of central Europe.[1][3]
Further studies are required to assess the growth and distribution of the species, and to implement measures to control its spread.[3] The citizen science Ivy Mapping Project was launched in Hungary in 2022 with a goal of mapping the present distribution of H. crebrescens through the work of volunteers.[4]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e f g h Bényei-Himmer, Márta; Tóth, Endre György; Lengyel, Szabina; Pintér, István; Bisztray, György Dénes; Höhn, Mária (2017). "Hedera crebrescens (Araliaceae) a newly identified diploid taxon and triploid ivies from Hungary". Studia botanica hungarica. 48 (2): 225–252. doi:10.17110/StudBot.2017.48.2.225.
- ^ "Hedera crebrescens M.Bényei-Himmer & M.Höhn". Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 2025-01-31.
- ^ a b c d György, Endre; Major, Enikő Ibolya (2020-09-22). "Taxonomic Evaluation of Hedera crebrescens: A Potentially Invasive Ivy in Central Europe". Acta Societatis Botanicorum Poloniae. 89 (3). doi:10.5586/asbp.8935. ISSN 2083-9480.
- ^ "Borostyán Élőhely Kutatás projekt". Entz Ferenc Könyvtár és Levéltár (in Hungarian). 2022-11-21. Retrieved 2025-01-31.
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