Invasive plants

In summer 2016, student Erin Chapman received funding from the Sustainability Committee for her project, Documenting Invasive Plant Species Distribution using Herbarium Specimens and Field Collections. The project’s goal is to analyze existing voucher specimens in the College of William & Mary collection and identify any gaps in the known distribution of invasive plants, as revealed by statewide floristic studies.

The Virginia Invasive Species Working Group, in collaboration with the Natural Heritage Program of the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR-NHP), has developed a list of targeted invasive taxa. Some species, like kudzu (Pueraria montana var. lobata), have long been established in Virginia, while others—such as the aquatic, carnivorous waterwheel (Aldrovandra vesiculosa)—are recent arrivals. Ms. Chapman and herbarium staff are surveying several coastal plain counties to assess the current extent of these invasives. Their findings will inform ongoing management efforts by state and local agencies. Any new records will be submitted for inclusion in the Digital Atlas of Virginia Flora, an online resource maintained by the Virginia Botanical Associates.