New national and regional plant records: Contribution to the flora of the Old World countries

is paper presents new data on the occurrence of 16 vascular plant species from five Eurasian countries obtained during field explorations, as well as during taxonomic revisions of herbarium materials. Five taxa ( Draba fladnizensis , Gentiana orbicularis , Helianthus giganteus, Symphyotrichum cordifolium, al-ictrum alpinum ) are recorded for the first time from Poland, five ( Achnatherum jacquemontii , Arrhenatherum elatius , Dittrichia graveolens, Geranium pyrenaicum, Stipa × balkanabatica) from Tajikistan, three ( Achnatherum sibiricum , Asyneuma thomsonii , Stipa × balkanabatica ) from Kyrgyzstan, one ( Orobanche bartlingii ) from Turkey, one ( Calamagrostis obtusata ) from China and one ( Calamagrostis emodensis ) from the Gansu Province in China. In addition, Hieracium piliferum , considered extinct in Poland, was rediscovered. For each species, synonyms, taxonomy with remarks on recognition and diﬀerentiation of the species from the most similar taxa occurring in a given area, general distribution, habitat preferences, as well as a list of recorded localities (oen far from the previously known areas) are presented. As a result of the morphological comparison of specimens representing Stipa × balkanabatica collected in Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan with the type specimen collected from Turkmenistan, we decided to describe a new variety named S. × balkanabatica var. alaiensis M. Nobis & Klichowska, var. nov . Additionally, based on the analysis of phytosociological relevés prepared during field studies in the western Pamir Alai Mts (in Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan), a new association of chasmophytic plants named Asperulo oppositifoliae


Introduction
Detailed knowledge of the flora of any area is crucial to recognize patterns and understanding the processes affecting biodiversity as well as to point out the ways of its conservation, both at a local and global scale (Gaujour et al., 2012). Being under increasing pressure from human activities and recently also under the negative impact of global climate warming, the dynamics of both flora and vegetation in the last decades have been much faster than they used to be (Araújo & Rahbek, 2006;Bellard et al., 2012). ese changes are reflected in the progressing decline of the species sensitive to environmental changes as well as in the spread of invasive alien species, negatively affecting natural ecosystems and their services important for human well-being. Information on the occurrence of species in areas previously not occupied by them, unnoticed or misidentified with other species, is of great interest and continues to be published (e.g., Bulakh et al., 2022;Dudáš et al., 2022;Ellis et al., 2022;Nobis et al., 2019b;Raab-Straube von & Raus, 2022;Tlałka et al., 2021;Verkhozina et al., 2022) since each new floristic record broadens our knowledge of the species spatiotemporal dynamics and contributes to more effective management of natural resources. is paper is a continuation of the previous works (e.g., Nobis et al., 2014Nobis et al., , 2018Nobis et al., , 2019bNobis et al., , 2019c and is dedicated to new findings on the distribution and taxonomy of vascular plants, or simpler, to plants new to the flora of selected countries (or their significant regions) in the Old Word (including Europe, Asia, and Africa). Here, we present the data on 16 species that are newly reported as components of the flora of five countries or their significant regions (provinces or republics) -five taxa are given for the first time from Poland, and one is rediscovered and thus reassessed, five are new records to Tajikistan, three to Kyrgyzstan, one to Turkey, one to China and one to the Gansu Province in China. e taxa listed below are given alphabetically.
Newly reported from Tajikistan, Achnatherum jacquemontii is well distinguished from all the other above-mentioned taxa from the genus (Figure 1) by having awns 20-35 mm long, clearly unequal lemma and palea, filiform and convolute leaves, culms up to 45 cm long with panicles having short branches (Freitag, 1985;Nobis et al., 2019a).

Distribution and habitat
Achnatherum jacquemontii is a south-central Asian species that occurs in Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Nepal, India, China, and Bhutan (Freitag, 1985;Nobis et al., 2019aNobis et al., , 2020Wu & Phillips, 2006). In the mountains of Central Asia, A. jacquemontii is distributed in Alai and Turkestanian Mts (Nobis et al., 2016), and these are the northernmost localities of the species within its distribution range. In Tajikistan, the species grows on calcareous rocks in the northern part of the country (Figure 1). It is a native species in the flora of Tajikistan and the main component of the Asperulo oppositifoliae-Achnatheretum jacquemontii plant associations which occurs in rocky crevices and shelves on steep rocky walls, especially within the rocky breakthroughs of several river valleys. e association was noted in Isfara, Sokh, Kyshtut, Taraty, and Kyzyl-Suu River Valleys in Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. Patches of this association were found in the montane and subalpine zones of both the Alai and Turkestan Mts, mainly at the elevation of 1600-2200 m. e association of Asperulo oppositifoliae-Achnatheretum jacquemontii develops on shallow alkaline soils in rocky crevices and shelves on different types of calcareous rocks. Within the examined plots, apart from A. jacquemontii as a dominant species, Asperula oppositifolia and Nepeta subhastata have relatively high constancy in the association, as well as some other species typical for rocky substrates in this region and passing from the other associations, belonging to the Campanuletalia incanescentis order, e.g., Campanula incanescens, Scutellaria immaculata, or Pentanema albertoregelia. e patches of Asperulo oppositifoliae-Achnatheretum jacquemontii are relatively poor in species (Table S1 in the Supplementary material), which is generally typical for chasmophytic vegetation (Nobis et al., 2013;Nowak et al., 2022). e syntaxonomic position of the newly described associations is as follows:   (Freitag, 1985) and is not a component of Kyrgyz flora. During the field trip in central Tian Shan in 2016, the next species of the genus, A. sibiricum was found. e species is somewhat similar to young individuals of Neotrinia splendens (Trin.) M. Nobis, P.D. Gudkova & A. Nowak, however, well differs by having longer flowers (7-9 vs. 4-6.5 mm long), longer callus (0.5-0.7 vs. 0.2-0.4 mm long) and maize-like pattern of the lemma epidermis, typical for achnatheroid grasses (Nobis et al., 2019a(Nobis et al., , 2020Romaschenko et al., 2012). Achnatherum sibiricum is a widely distributed species. Its occurrence is known from the Caucasus throughout northern Central Asia to eastern Siberia (Tzvelev, 1976;Wu & Phillips, 2006). In Central Asia, it is known from Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, and China. e new locality described here is the southernmost in the region, and the species is native to the Kyrgyz flora. e locality was found in 2015 and confirmed in 2016 ( Figure S1 in the Supplementary material) and 2022. Probably, subsequent localities of the species can be found in the region. e population of the species found near the Issyk-Kul Lake consists of several tus of A. sibiricum growing at the bottom of the rocky face of the mountain. e species occurs here together with other representatives of feather grasses, i.e., Neotrinia splendens, Stipa caucasica subsp. nikolai M. Nobis, A. Nobis & A. Nowak, and S. orientalis
Arrhenatherum elatius may be misidentified with A. bulbosum (Willd.) C. Presl, which grows in Europe, south-west Asia, and northern Africa (Tzvelev & Probatova, 2019) and is characterized by the occurrence of corms (organs of vegetative reproduction) at the base of the stems (Cussans et al., 1993).

Distribution and habitat
Arrhenatherum elatius is a species native to Europe and western Asia (Tzvelev, 1976). Its natural range of distribution reaches 70°N on the Atlantic coast of Norway (Pfitzenmeyer, 1962), its northern limit of occurrence is defined by the −6.5°C January isotherm, and the eastern limit of its range is the Caucasus (Michalski et al., 2017;Pfitzenmeyer, 1962). Beyond Europe, it occurs in North Africa. It has also been introduced to North America, New Zealand, and Australia (Michalski et al., 2017;Pfitzenmeyer, 1962). e highest altitude at which A. elatius has been recorded is 1920 m a.s.l. in Europe, 3000 m a.s.l. in the Caucasus, and 1400-1600 m a.s.l. in Africa (Pfitzenmeyer, 1962).
Arrhenatherum elatius has never been recorded in the mountains of Central Asia in the wild. However, it has been cultivated in experimental fields within this area (Lazkov & Sennikov, 2014;Sidorenko, 1957). Recently, A. elatius has been recorded in two locations in Kyrgyzstan: the village of Kök-Say and the northern side of Issyk-Kul Lake. In Kök-Say village, the species is regarded as locally established and not threatening the native vegetation (Lazkov & Sennikov, 2014). In Tajikistan, A. elatius has been recorded in the scrub within the noname stream valley near the botanical station in Kondara ( Figure S2 in the Supplementary material) as well as along paths in the botanical garden in Dushanbe. In Kondara, the occurrence of the species was confirmed in 2019, and it was classified as an established anthropophyte but not as invasive.  Nobis,E. Klichowska,A. Wróbel,A. Nowak (KRA 474789,474787,476524,477004).  Damboldt, 1970;Khassanov & Kodirov, 2017;Li, 1987) and revision of the herbarium materials of selected species belonging to the genus Asyneuma in LE, AA, TAD, KRA, K, E, we identified the newly found species as A. thomsonii. e specimens of the taxon well differ from all the other representatives of the genus in Kyrgyzstan by having glabrous stems, inflorescence branched, flowers loosely distributed (not in cymes distantly separated from each other), lower and middle stem leaves petiolate. Asyneuma thomsonii may be misidentified with morphologically similar A. japonicum that grows in eastern Asia and differs by having longer stems, longer calyx lobes (6-10 mm long), equal to or somewhat shorter than corolla, and ovate seeds, 0.9-1 mm long × 0.5-0.6 mm wide (Damboldt, 1970;Kozhevnikov, 1996). Asyneuma thomsonii is also well differentiated from the three above-mentioned species by molecular data. Based on SNPs derived from DArTseq as well as combined ITS and cpDNA analysis (Supplementary file; Figure 2), the specimens form a well-separated clade. During the revision of the herbarium materials of Asyneuma from Kyrgyzstan, we also found several specimens with a set of characters not matching the description neither of A. argutum nor A. thomsonii. e specimens have lower and middle stem leaves lanceolate to ovate and shortly petiolate (1-2 cm long) and inflorescence with flower organized in cymes distantly separated from each other [specimens examined: . It is not excluded that these specimens might be a result of hybridization between A. thomsonii and A. argutum. However, due to the age of the plant material (the specimens were collected over one hundred years ago), we did not include them in the molecular analyses. e revision of this problematic and morphologically highly variable species group, using tools of integrative taxonomy, is badly needed. It is also worth mentioning that the phylogenetic position of Asyneuma as a separate genus is rather doubtful. It is generally clustered within the Campanula clade, within the subclade comprising species of Phyteuma, Sergia, Cylindrocarpa, and several species of bellflowers (Jones et al., 2017;Xu & Hong, 2021). Xu and Hong (2021) proposed to merge all of the species of this mentioned above subclade within the common genus Phyteuma with the new appropriate circumscription. Nevertheless, taking into account that the phylogenetic relationships between Campanula and other genera within Campanulaceae are pretty puzzling, it is worth considering a monophyletic approach to the genus and reinclusion of species from such genera as, e.g., Asyneuma, Phyteuma, Sergia, Cylindrocarpa, Petromerula or Adenophora to Campanula, just as it was already proposed by Tojibaev et al. (2021) and some other previous authors. Such a broader monophyletic circumscription of Campanula (including a number of subgenera and sections) will reflect the close evolutionary relationships in the group and serve the goal of nomenclatural stability within the genus.

Distribution and habitat
Asyneuma thomsonii is a central Asian-mountain species distributed in high mountains of the western Himalayas in India (Kashmir), the Karakorum Mts in Pakistan and Afghanistan, the western Pamir-Alai Mts in Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, as well as the Tian Shan Mts in Kyrgyzstan (Damboldt, 1970;Khassanov & Kodirov, 2017). During field research in 2017 and 2022, the species was found in the Talasski Ala-Too on roadsides and within light shrubs and forests ( Figure S3 in the Supplementary material).

Taxonomic notes
Calamagrostis emodensis is a member of the genus Calamagrostis Adans. sect. Calamagrostis Dumort. which comprises a few closely related groups of taxonomically difficult species (Paszko & Ma, 2011;Tzvelev & Probatova, 2019). In the recent treatment of Calamagrostis for China,  have defined it very narrowly and recognized six species: C. emodensis Griseb., C. pseudophragmites (Haller f.) Koeler, C. hedinii Pilg., C. macrolepis Litv., C. epigejos (L.) Roth and C. kengii T. F. Wang. Paszko and Ma (2011) revealed that most Chinese collections of C. epigejos were incorrectly identified, and most represent C. extremiorientalis (Tzvel.) Prob., which is also the older name for C. kengii. Calamagrostis emodensis ( Figure 3) is regarded as a very distinctive species in the section Calamagrostis, and it is quite easy to distinguish from the members of the C. pseudophragmites complex. It is usually characterized by having a five-veined lemma with a deeply two-toothed apex, awn 5-9 mm arising between teeth, relatively broad leaf blades, a nodding panicle (Figure 3), and its florets containing one stamen with a single plump anther (Bor, 1960;. Calamagrostis emodensis differs from C. pseudophragmites complex by relative awn insertion on the lemma (exerted between deep teeth above the midpoint versus apical or subapical), longer awns (5.0-8.5 mm versus 1-4 mm), shorter leaf ligules (0.5-4.0 mm versus 2-26 mm) and shorter anthers (0.6-1.1 mm versus 1.0-2.3 mm) (Paszko, 2012  with C. emodensis at the time of description. is variety is conspecific with C. macrolepis Litv.

Distribution and habitat
Calamagrostis emodensis extends from the Himalaya Shan through Southwest China (Sichuan, SE Xizang, Yunnan) to central China, Shaanxi, and southern Gansu. It was known hitherto from Nepal, Bhutan, China (Shaanxi, Sichuan, Xizang, Yunnan), India (Himachal Pradesh (disputed area), Jammu & Kashmir (disputed area), Sikkim, Uttarakhand), and Pakistan (Hazara) (Bor, 1960;Cope, 1982;Noltie, 2000;Press et al., 2000). e first locality of C. emodensis has recently been recorded from Kachin State in Northeast Myanmar (Burma) by Paszko (in Nobis et al., 2014). Specimens of C. garhwalensis can be misidentified with C. emodensis. Here we provide the first two records of Calamagrostis emodensis from Wenxian County in southern Gansu Province, North-Central China, where Calamagrostis emodensis was collected in the Baishuijiang National Nature Reserve. ese localities are located at the northern limit of its geographical range ( Figure 3). Calamagrostis emodensis is native to the woodlands of Himalayas, southwestern China, and Central China. It is common on landslides in the fir zone, wet cliffs, and stream sides in the mixed broadleaved-pine forests, banks, and gravels by rivers. It grows at an elevation between 1750 and 3660 (−4100) m.

Taxonomic notes
Calamagrostis obtusata is a member of the genus Calamagrostis Adans. sect. Deyeuxia (Clarion ex P. Beauv.) Dumort., which comprises several closely related groups of taxonomically difficult species, including the species group of C. obtusata. is group comprises four close relatives: C. obtusata Trin., C. chalybaea (Laest.) Fr., C. pavlovii Roshev. and C. krylovii Reverd. (Tzvelev & Probatova, 2019). In the Flora of China, this group of taxa should be treated in the genus Deyeuxia Clarion ex P. Beauv. . Till now, none of the species from the C. obtusata aggregate has been reported from China in the genus Deyeuxia  or Calamagrostis . Recently, several new nomenclatural and taxonomic novelties have been discovered in the genus Deyeuxia in China (e.g., Liu & Paszko, 2020;Paszko et al., 2016aPaszko et al., , 2016bPaszko & Soreng, 2013).

Distribution and habitat
Calamagrostis obtusta was described by Trinius (1824) based on a specimen collected in 1818, probably by Ernest Gottfried Haupt (1795-1862), in the vicinity of Tobolsk, a Russian city located in central Siberia. Calamagrostis obtusata is an East-European-Siberian species that has a wide distribution in Russia. It occurs from East European Russia through Ural Mts and across Eastern and Western Siberia to Russian Far Eastern regions. Its most southern localities were recorded in Kazakhstan and Mongolia (Gamayunova, 1956;Grubov, 1982;Ivanova, 1990;Tzvelev, 1976). In Kazakhstan, C. obtusata grows in its eastern part in the mountains of Altai, Dzungarian Alatau, and Tarbagatay (Gamayunova, 1956), which lie on China-Kazakhstan border. Whereas in Mongolia, it is recorded in its central part, in the Khangai and Khentii Mts (Grubov, 1982).
Here, Calamagrostis obtusata is reported as new to China. e first national records are provided from two Chinese provinces, Nei Mongol and Shaanxi ( Figure S4 in the Sup- e record from Shaanxi is based on a collection made by Emile Licent (1876-1952) on 9 July 1922 in the forest near Ta keou (between villages Bagouwan and Donglougou, Ningwu Co., Shaanxi), in the area of Luya Shan (Licent, 1924) (Licent 6739; K, PE, W) ( Figure S4 in the Supplementary material). Licent's collections of vascular plants from China, made between 1914 and1933, are spread around different herbaria, such as K, P, PE, W, and maybe others too. In most cases, collection labels provide only information about the collection date, collector name, and collection number (especially those housed at the PE herbarium), therefore they can be neglected by scientists. Sometimes information about collection locality provided on the label can be misleading, like in the case of the Kew sheet bearing Calamagrostis obtusata. To find or compare a historical locality of Emile Licent with up-to-date state, we used information from Licent's collection's accounts (Licent, 1924(Licent, , 1936, which cover two decades of his scientific travels. Licent aimed to gather as much material and information as possible, cataloging his travels in two huge volumes. ese volumes include travel itineraries, travel journals, maps, and reproductions of photographs taken along the routes, the exact locations of which are indicated on the maps (Manias, 2017;Swanton, 1927). e area of Luya Shan, located in the northeastern corner of the Luliang Mts, provides suitable habitats for C. obtusata. Here, conifer forests comprised Picea spp. and Larix spp. grow with a relatively high cover of 31% (Carpenter, 2018).

Taxonomic notes
e genus Dittrichia Greuter is represented by two species, i.e., Dittrichia viscosa (L.) Greuter and Dittrichia graveolens (L.) Greuter. Dittrichia graveolens, first described as Erigeron graveolens L., is an erect and densely glandular annual plant (20-70 cm tall). Additionally, D. graveolens can be distinguished from D. viscosa by shorter ligules (4-7 mm), not or scarcely exceeding the involucre. Among the representatives of the genus Dittrichia, only D. graveolens has a native occurrence in southwest Asia (Ball, 1976).

Distribution and habitat
Dittrichia graveolens, is a plant of Mediterranean distributional type (Ball, 1976;Brullo & de Marco, 2000). In Central Europe, the rapid expansion of this species has been reported in road verges, particularly motorways (Frajman & Kaligarič, 2009;Király et al., 2014;Kocián, 2015). It has also been introduced in North America, Australia, and South Africa, where it causes significant threats to crops (e.g., Brownsey et al., 2013;Kloot, 1987  During field research in the southern districts of Dushanbe in October 2021, the species was found in road verges of an industrial zone and transportation base in the city outskirts and the sediment ponds of the city's sewage treatment plant ( Figure 5). e population is huge, comprising tens of thousands of individuals that form dense vegetation in ruderal habitats. Numerous populations have not been observed on the banks of the Varzob River, but its proximity poses a severe threat to the spread of this invasive species. ere is a high probability that seeds of Dittrichia graveolens will spread rapidly along the Varzob River, the Kafirnighan River (which flows into it not far from the found location), and further south also along the other river valleys. It is worth noting that floristic surveys conducted in the area of the sewage treatment plant between 2006 and 2010 did not confirm the presence of this species. Dittrichia graveolens has rapidly vast overgrown lands of man-made habitats recently. e size of the population proves that the species is an established component in the flora of Tajikistan.
In Dushanbe, the population of D. graveolens was accompanied by:

Taxonomic notes
Draba fladnizensis is a tiny perennial white-flower plant forming tus with a various number of leaf rosettes. Together with a yellow-flower Draba aizoides L. and three other white-flower species -Draba dubia Suter, Draba siliquosa M.Bieb., and Draba tomentosa Clairv. Pawłowski, 1956;Ronikier, 2014;Wróbel et al., 2014), D. fladnizensis is the fih species of Draba currently noted in the Polish Tatra Mts. Draba fladnizensis could be distinguished from other white-flower Draba species occurring in the Tatras by characteristic leaves -lacking stellate trichomes, hairless on a surface, and only with straight trichomes on the margins (Figure 6), as well as by a stem -glabrous and typically leafless (Peniašteková & Kliment, 2002).

Distribution and habitat
Draba fladnizensis is a circumpolar plant occurring in the arctic zone of Eurasia and North America. It also grows in higher mountain ranges of the Northern Hemisphere. In Europe, except the polar zone, Draba fladnizensis grows in the Scandinavian Mts, the Pyrenees, the Alps, and the Carpathians (Meusel et al., 1965). In the Carpathians, it was detected in a few localities in Romania: the Bucegi Mts -the Southern Carpathians, the Rodna Mts -the Eastern Carpathians (Sârbu et al., 2013), and in Slovakia: the Belianske Tatras -the Western Carpathians (Peniašteková & Kliment, 2002). Draba fladnizensis grows in rock crevices, ledges, and screes. is plant occurs predominantly on quartzitic rocks, oen dewed with water rich in calcium carbonate, which leaks from higher rocks (Chrtek et al., 1999).

Taxonomic notes
According to the latest integrative revision (Hämmerli, 2007), G. orbicularis is considered a separate species within Gentiana Sect. Calathianae Froel. Moreover, it is well-distinguished by its morphology and DNA profile. e species is most similar to Gentiana verna L., which is a much more widespread taxon occurring throughout South and Central Europe, on the British Isles, in the Caucasus, arctic Russia and reaching Siberia and Mongolia in the east (Tutin, 1972). In the Carpathians, G. verna is most frequently associated with limestone communities (Bertová, 1984;Jasiewicz, 1971).
Both G. orbicularis and G. verna produce basal leaf rosette; however, they differ in the leaf shape (Hämmerli, 2007;Jasiewicz, 1971;Tutin, 1972). Gentiana orbicularis has broadly elliptic, suborbicular, ovate, or obovate rosette leaves that are ca. 1 cm long with more or less rounded apex. On the contrary, G. verna has lanceolate to elliptic rosette leaves that are up to 3 cm long with an acute or obtuse apex (Figure 7). Moreover, the longest rosette leaves of G. orbicularis are no or little longer than its cauline leaves. On the other hand, the longest rosette leaves of G. verna are about twice as long as its cauline leaves. Some resemblance to G. orbicularis could also be attributed to Gentiana brachyphylla Vill. s.str., a species largely restricted to the Alps, which is well-distinguished by its DNA profile (Hämmerli, 2007).
Due to the phenotypic plasticity observed in Gentiana and the novelty of our discovery, we combined morphological identification with DNA barcoding (Figure 7) using ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 marker of nuclear ribosomal DNA (Supplementary file). Our integrative approach clearly supports the identification of the individuals from the Tatra Mts as G. orbicularis.

Distribution and habitat
Gentiana orbicularis is an alpine species occurring throughout the Alps and in a few isolated localities in the Carpathians (Hämmerli, 2007). In the latter, G. orbicularis was observed in the southern part of the range, in the Bucegi Mts, Romania, in sunny places on rocks and skeletal soils in the alpine zone (Beldie, 1967). e species was also reported from one locality in the Western Carpathians, in the Slovakian Belianske Tatra Mts on Predné Jatky Mt. at ca. 2000 m a.s.l. (Bertová, 1984;Fröhner, 1968). However, the origin and current status of this population remain unclear -according to Dostál, G. orbicularis presumably appeared in this locality aer human-caused introduction (Dostál, 1989 Mirek et al., 2020).
Due to very restricted distribution and a small number of mature individuals (<250), G. orbicularis should be classified as endangered (EN) in Poland according to IUCN 2012-EN, criterion D (IUCN, 2012. Both populations were monitored in June 2022 and showed no signs of a decline since the first observation in 2017.

Taxonomic notes
e genus Geranium is represented by 12 species in Tajikistan (Ovchinnikov, 1981). Geranium pyrenaicum is a perennial plant with stems 25-70 cm tall. It can be distinguished from Geranium sibiricum, which has lanceolate, acute leaf-lobes, and patent hairs on the mericarp, whereas G. pyrenaicum has cuneate, truncate leaf-lobes, and adpressed hairs on the mericarp (Webb & Ferguson, 1968).
During the field research on the 10th of October 2021, the species was found along railway tracks and ruderal habitats of storage yards and railway sidings of Dushanbe Main Railway Station (Figure 8). e population size was huge with an uncountable number of individuals. e population occupies bedded areas of railway embankments, roadside verges, and the vicinity of railway platforms. e population certainly comes from materials carried with rail transport. Dushanbe is the central station in Tajikistan, hence the species can be expected to spread rapidly both to southern areas (Kulob, Shartuz) and to west neighboring Uzbekistan.

Taxonomic notes
e genus Helianthus is represented in the flora of Poland by six introduced species (Mirek et al., 2020). ree of them, namely H. decapetalus L., H. × laetiflorus Pers., and H. tuberosus L. are established anthropophytes, whereas the remaining species, namely H. annuus L., H. salicifolisus A. Dietr., and H. serotinus Dietr., are cultivated and sporadically escaping from cultivation therefore classified in Poland as ephemerophytes. During the field studies in the Vistula River valley in 2016, we found the next taxon, i.e., H. giganteus. e species is well distinguished from all the other Helianthus species in Poland by having lanceolate leaves on the stem and involucral bracts adpressed, narrow (1.2-2 mm wide) and acute at the apex (Figure 9; Jäger et al., 2016;Rutkowski, 2017;Schilling, 2006).

Distribution and habitat
Helianthus giganteus is native to the eastern United States and eastern and central Canada (Schilling, 2006). In its natural range, it grows on wet meadows or swamps, oen near river banks. e species was introduced to Europe as an ornamental plant, and sometimes it is observed as a locally established anthropophyte (epeco-or rarely agriophyte). In Połaniec, the species population comprised several dozen specimens and grew on the roadside, near the ferry crossing in the Vistula River valley (Figure 9). e status of the species in the flora of Poland requires further studies. However, it can be much more frequent since it can be misidentified with H. tuberosus or H. × laetiflorus.

Taxonomic notes
Hieracium piliferum is the only representative of the section Barbata Gremli in the Polish flora (Jasiewicz, 1980). In the Tatra Mts, it could primarily be confused with morphologically similar and much widespread Hieracium alpinum L., and possibly also with Hieracium villosum Jacq. Hieracium piliferum has eglandulose leaf margins, whereas H. alpinum has glandulose leaf margins. Hieracium piliferum forms leafless stems (or with one sessile leaf) ending in a single inflorescence (Figure 10), while H. villosum produces stems with numerous amplexicaul cauline leaves and several flower heads (rarely one). e identification key to these species is presented in the work of Szeląg (2001).

Distribution and habitat
Hieracium piliferum is a European mountain species with a core distribution area in the Alps. e plant also occurs in isolated localities in other European ranges, including the Pyrenees, the Massif Central, the Dinaric Alps, and the Carpathians (Meusel & Jäger, 1992). In the Southern Carpathians, H. piliferum was recorded in the Cernei Mts based on the specimens collected by Rochel at the beginning of the XIX century (Szeląg, 2001). However, the status of this locality remained uncertain (Meusel & Jäger, 1992), and its existence requires verification in the field (Sârbu et al., 2013). In the Western Carpathians, H. piliferum was observed only in the High Tatra Mts, within alpine grasslands established on a silicate substrate -in one locality within the Slovakian part of the range in the Valley of Piat Spišských plies, where species was not found aerwards (Szeląg, 2001), and in two localities on the Polish side in the Rybi Potok Valley, first one on the northern slope of the Mięguszowiecki Szczyt Wielki (Pawłowski et al., 1929), while the second one above Morskie Oko lake Acta Societatis Botanicorum Poloniae / 2023 / Volume 92 / Article 162050 Publisher: Polish Botanical Society (Szeląg, 2001). Despite the attempts to confirm the species occurrence in the Polish Tatra Mts during field research in 2011 and 2012, H. piliferum was observed in neither of the previously recorded localities and, therefore, was regarded as extinct (EX or RE) in Poland (Kaźmierczakowa et al., 2016;Szeląg & Delimat, 2014) On 27 June 2022, H. piliferum was rediscovered in the High Tatra Mts, within the Tatra National Park, Poland. e species was found in a new locality in the Rybi Potok Valley, in the Szeroki Żleb on the Miedziane Mt. at ca. 1660 m a.s.l. on the slope with south-eastern exposure. e population consisted of 113 leaf rosettes in total, including 86 rosettes with mature blooming shoots (Figure 10). e individuals were scattered throughout the area of ca. 50 m 2 within acidophilic alpine grasslands surrounded by the mountain pine thickets. e plant community included the species distinctive to the classes Juncetea trifidi Hadač in Klika et Hadač 1944 andNardo-Callunetea Prsg 1949, with the admixture of some limestone-related plants. Hieracium piliferum was accompanied by: Agrostis rupestris, Antennaria dioica, Avenula versicolor, Calamagrostis villosa, Calluna vulgaris, Campanula polymorpha, Carex sempervirens, Festuca airoides, Gentiana asclepiadea, Gymnadenia conopsea, Hieracium alpinum, H. murorum, Hypochoeris uniflora, Leontodon hispidus, L. pseudotaraxaci, Nardus stricta, Pinus mugo, Pulsatilla alba, Rhinanthus alpinus, Salix silesiaca, Solidago alpestris, esium alpinum, ymus alpestris, Vaccinium myrtillus, V. vitis-idaea, and Veratrum lobelianum (nomenclature of the species is given aer Mirek et al., 2020).

Distribution and habitat
Orobanche bartlingii is a Eurasian species, occurring from Spain (Pyrenees mountain range), through Central and Eastern Europe and Russia to Siberia, and to Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Caucasus (Piwowarczyk et al., 2019;Sánchez Pedraja et al., 2016). During the revision of the herbarium TGM, a new locality of O. bartlingii has been found from NE Turkey (Anatolian Peninsula) in the almost Caucasian, Artvin Province, collected in the mountain meadow near the shrubs at ca. 900 m a.s.l. ( Figure S5 in the Supplementary material). e species is a new, native taxon to the flora of this country. KYRGYZSTAN: Naryn Region, Central Tian Shan, ca. 9.5 km W of Naryn, ca. 153 km E of Kazarman, steppe, 11 Jul 2022, elev. 2082m, 41.437028 N / 75.860948 E, wp 1591 Taxonomic notes e species has been recently described from Turkmenistan (Nobis et al., 2020), and it is a result of hybridization between Stipa sareptana and S. caucasica. Stipa × balkanabatica is the most similar to S. consanguinea Trin. However, it differs well by having more robust, longer (11-15 cm vs. 7-11 cm) awns, longer flowers (10-12 mm vs. 7-9 mm long), longer glumes (32-40 vs. 24-30 mm) as well as the character of vegetative leaves (distinctly scabrous due to densely distributed spinules and prickles vs. glabrous or slightly scabrous due to scattered spinules respectively). However, opposite to typical specimens of S. balkanabatica, the specimens found in Tajikistan   594032-594033, 594044-594046, 594057-594061; Figure S6 in the Supplementary material).

Distribution and habitats
Stipa × balkanabatica var. alaiaensis occurs in steppe grasslands, in sunny habitats dominated by grasses. In Tajikistan, it was found on hills within the Kyzyl-Suu River valley (Figure 11 Nobis et al., 2020). Probably in both countries, the species is more frequent, and subsequent localities are expected to be found.

Distribution and habitat
e native range of Symphyotrichum cordifolium comprises the eastern states of USA and southeast Canada (POWO, 2022). According to GBIF (2022), the species was introduced to Norway, Great Britain, the Netherlands, Bavaria in Germany, Sweden, and New Zeeland. It was also assessed as a neophyte plant in the Czech Republic (Pyšek et al., 2012). In Poland, the species is known as a cultivated plant but has never been recorded in natural habitats.
A huge population of the species was found in the naturalistic park of the former Royal Pomological Academy in Prószków near Opole in October 2022. Its size is uncountable and certainly much larger than years ago, when the species was not noticed (Figure 12). Symphyotrichum cordifolium most likely appeared in the Prószków arboretum at the time when the horticultural institute was operating there. Perhaps the plant was acclimatized here for ornamental purposes. However, in the last 30 years, despite very frequent visits by botanists from the Opole University, it has never been spotted in the wild part of the park. Currently, the species occupies almost the entire forest floor and outcompetes even strong competitors that tightly cover the undergrowth, such as Hedera helix. In addition, two smaller species populations were found in oakhornbeam and riparian stands in Zimnice Małe and Opole-Wójtowa Wieś. As both localities are located in the Oder River valley, there is a high risk of the species spreading along the river.
In Prószków, the population of S. cordifolium was accompanied by Carpinus betulus, Quercus robur, Q. petraea, Robinia pseudoacacia in the tree layer, Cornus sanguinea, Corylus avel- Taxonomic notes alictrum alpinum is a small, glabrous plant reaching up to 15 cm high, making it the smallest representative of the genus alictrum in the Tatra Mts. Two other species, alictrum minus L. and alictrum aquilegiifolium L. are much taller. Moreover, T. alpinum produces only basal 2-ternate leaves, without stipels, and forms sparse flowers organized in a simple raceme inflorescence (Figure 13). On the other hand, T. minus and T. aquilegiifolium produce cauline leaves and form compound inflorescences (Pawłowski, 1956;Tutin et al., 1964). Based on these morphological characters, T. alpinum is well-distinguished from other alictrum species occurring in the Tatra Mts.

Distribution and habitat
alictrum alpinum is a circumboreal species occurring in northern Eurasia, Alaska, northern Canada, and Greenland, as well as in isolated localities in the mountain regions southwards (Meusel et al., 1965). e species grows in the tundra biome, on rocky habitats and moraines near glaciers, within alpine grasslands, dry alpine meadows, fens, and mires (Newskij, 1937). In Europe, the species is currently observed in the arctic and subarctic zone as well as in mountain ranges: the Sierra Nevada, the Pyrenees, the Alps, the Dinaric Alps, the Carpathians, and in the Caucasus (Meusel et al., 1965). In the Carpathians, T. alpinum was noted in the southern part of the range on several localities between 1500-2250 m a.s.l. in the Bucegi Mts, Romania (Beldie, 1967), while XIX-century records from the eastern part (Rodna Mts and the Ceahlău Massif, Romania) were not confirmed later (Dihoru & Negrean, 2009). In Poland, the species was reported as a fossil component of the Pleistocene flora -fruits of T. alpinum were found in the sediments dated back to the North Polish Glaciation, collected in multiple localities in Poland, including Grel near Nowy Targ, ca. 26 km northwards of the Tatra Mts (Kucowa, 1985), which is the closest locality to the record described here.