Weidekervel-torkruid (Oenanthe silaifolia M.Bieb.): terug van weggeweest

Oenanthe silaifolia was considered to be extinct in the Netherlands. The species was recorded for the last time in 1899, in a floodplain meadow near Rotterdam. Recently, the species has been found again – with only one individual – on a dike in the valley of the Maas near Stevensweert (central Limburg). The plant was growing in a ruderalized tall forb community, halfway on the dike, that could be classified as a basal community of Cirsium arvense of the class Artemisietea vulgaris. The stand was surrounded by herds of Phalaris arundinacea (along the foot of the dike) and hay meadow communities of the Arrhenatherion elatioris, the latter comprising some specific floodplain species like Ononis repens subsp. spinosa and Eryngium campestre. Most probably, the plant originates from French Lorraine, from where seeds were transported by the river Maas. Of course, no guarantees can be given for the preservation of the species at the new locality, but a management of hay cutting seems to be a prerequisite to give the plant a chance to survive and to build up a stable population.