Picea pungens Engelm.

Raab-Straube, Eckhard von & Raus, Thomas, 2022, Euro + Med-Checklist Notulae, 15, Willdenowia 52 (2), pp. 273-299 : 288

Picea pungens Engelm. – Fig. 10.

A Gg(G): Georgia: Kakheti Region, Sighnaghi, Kostava Street, stairs below the city museum, 41.61939°N, 45.92311°E, 770 m, c. 40 seedlings, 23 Apr 2022, Novák, Hubatka & Sedláček (photo). – Picea pungens is an ornamental tree of North American origin that is commonly cultivated in city parks across Georgia. We recorded tens of seedlings germinated in stairs below the Sighnaghi city museum; an adult mother tree was in the park above the stairs. The seedlings grew in thermophilous trampled vegetation (class Digitario sanguinalis-Eragrostietea minoris). Due to the specific site conditions, it is not probable that the species will start spreading from the observed population. Picea pungens is reported as a casual alien for the whole of Transcaucasia for the first time (cf. Raab-Straube 2014); however, it is listed among potentially invasive species in the N Caucasus ( Chadaeva & al. 2019) and Armenia ( Fayvush & al. 2018).

P. Novák & P. Hubatka