• Media type: E-Article
  • Title: RECONSTRUCTING THE BIOLOGICAL INVASION OF EUROPEAN WATER-HOREHOUND, LYCOPUS EUROPAEUS (LABIATAE), ALONG THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER, QUÉBEC
  • Contributor: Lachance, Daniel; Lavoie, Claude
  • Published: New England Botanical Club, 2002
  • Published in: Rhodora, 104 (2002) 918, Seite 151-160
  • Language: English
  • ISSN: 0035-4902; 1938-3401
  • Origination:
  • Footnote:
  • Description: In Québec (Canada), one of the most recently introduced exotic wetland plants is European water-horehound (Lycopus europaeus). The first specimens were discovered in 1963 near Montréal. In this study, we used herbarium specimens and conducted field surveys to reconstruct the history of the invasion of European water-horehound in Québec, and to accurately determine its current northeastern distribution. Few European water-horehound specimens were collected before 1970. However, between 1970 and 1974, the range of European water-horehound expanded 380 km northeastward from Sorel to Trois-Pistoles River. In 1999, the northeastern distribution limit of European water-horehound was at Bic Provincial Park, 65 km northeast of Trois-Pistoles River. Between 1963 and 1974, European water-horehound spread rapidly along the St. Lawrence River (45 km/yr.), which was probably related to the fact that seeds remain viable after floating. Between 1974 and 1999, it spread more slowly to the northeast of Trois-Pistoles River (3 km/yr.). The limited range expansion of European water-horehound in eastern Québec between 1974 and 1999 suggests that the salinity of surface waters, and more particularly the scarcity of coastal or riverine marshes east of Rimouski, prevented populations from establishing in the estuarine part of the St. Lawrence River.
  • Access State: Open Access