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Faculty of Economics and Engineering Management, University Business Academy , Novi Sad , Serbia
Department of Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Novi Sad , Novi Sad , Serbia
Institute for Nature Conservation of Vojvodina Province , Novi Sad , Serbia
Department of Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Novi Sad , Novi Sad , Serbia
Department for Medical and BusinessTechnological Studies, Academy of Professional Studies Šabac , Šabac , Serbia
Department of Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Novi Sad , Novi Sad , Serbia
Ministry of Environmental Protection, Sector of National laboratory, The Serbian Environmental Protection Agency , Belgrade , Serbia
An aquatic plant, Euryale ferox Salisb, is the only species of the genus Euryale native to eastern Asia and has been found from India to Korea and Japan. E. ferox is ecologically classified as floating leaf emergent macrophyte or as a rooted floating macrophyte - aerohydatophyte. E. ferox is regarded as an extinct Tertiary aquatic plant of Europe. Also E. ferox seeds were found in the Pleistocene of Poland. The present study aimed to provide data on the first finding of E. ferox in freshwaters of Europe, at the site of the Main drainage canal system near the Plavna village (South Bačka District: the Vojvodina Province, Serbia). This record can be regarded as the first species finding in natural habitat of Europe, out of its current distribution range. E. ferox was recorded at this site on September 25, and then on November 02, 2022. Otherwise, there are 9 confirmed species records in botanical gardens and parks of Europe. The Main drainage canal system in Plavna village is 10 km long lowland artifical waterbody. We assumed that this non-indigenous aquatic plant in Serbia could be dispersed into the drainage canal via endo-/epizoochory; it is most likely the species’ seeds were accidentally dispersed by migratory bird species. Voucher specimens (herbarium material and ethanol samples) have been deposited in the Herbarium Collection of the Institute for Nature Conservation of the Vojvodina province (PZZP). Nomenclature is given according to the World Flora Online (2023)
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