Wild Iris plants are usually found in spontaneous flora, but due to their ornamental characteristics, they can also be used for ornamental purposes, which means that it is very important to find the perfect conditions for plant growth. This research aimed to evaluate the ornamental value and adaptive behavior of wild Iris aphylla L. in “ex situ” conditions. Plants from wild flora were cultivated experimentally in the Floriculture field at the Faculty of Horticulture, IULS, Iași, Romania. The biometric determinations revealed the significantly higher ornamental value of conserved plants grown in “ex situ” conditions compared to wild plants. In “ex situ” conditions, the plants displayed more vigorous growth (~100%) and had a higher number of flowers per stem (5–9 flowers), whereas, in wild conditions, this species has from two to a maximum of five flowers. Given the absence of anatomical studies in the literature, detailed anatomical investigations of the leaf structure were performed, complemented by analyses of the photosynthetic pigment content to assess the plant’s physiological performance. Additionally, the molecular phylogenetic analyses conducted using two plastid markers (rbcL and trnL-F) confirmed the taxonomic classification of the native I. aphylla L. species. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on the molecular phylogeny of the wild Iridaceae species in Romania. These findings provide insights into the taxonomy, morphology, cultivation potential, and ornamental value of the species, supporting future conservation and horticulture development programs.

An assessement of the alien plants of Romania was conducted which considered the requirements of Regulation 1143/2014 of the European Union (EU). Thus, available data about the presence, invasiveness, distribution, pathways of introduction and their known impact in the territory of Romania were analysed. We found that of 36 plant species of EU concern, four are already established in Romania and widespread, at least locally or regionally: Ailanthus altissima , Asclepias syriaca , Elodea nuttallii and Impatiens glandulifera . For Humulus scandens there are some reports, but its presence and status require confirmation. Heracleum sosnowskyi and Ludwigia peploides are confirmed for only one location for each species. The presence of Cabomba caroliniana and Myriophyllum aquaticum in Romania is not confirmed. Most of the records are intentional introductions for ornamental purposes. Regarding their invasiveness, given the geographical origin and history of invasion in warmer climate regions (e.g., tropical, subtropical), many of the species listed as being of EU concern do not currently constitute a real threat to Romania, for the time being, but may do in a climate change scenario for the 2070s. Data about the impact of alien plant species and their management in Romania are scattered or completely missing. Coordinated institutional efforts are needed to increase the efficiency of the management of alien species at national and local level. These efforts should include: enhancing the legislation and the capacity of public institutions to manage invasive species, increasing the research interest in the science of this topic and promoting real measures to mitigate, control and remove alien plants.

High nature value (HNV) grasslands in mountain areas are important ecosystems for biodiversity maintenance and offer a multitude of ecosystem services, but they are constantly threatened by abandonment or intensive fertilization. The aim of this study was to assess the effects of organic and mineral fertilization, under mulching and abandonment scenarios, on the floristic composition and diversity of Nardus stricta-dominated grasslands located in the North-Eastern Carpathians (Romania). The field experiment included 11 variants (control, low, moderate, and high inputs), analyzed as communities with cluster, ordinations, indicator species, and α indices. The results showed a clear separation of communities along the input gradient, from the oligotrophic grassland dominated by Nardus stricta (control variant) to mesotrophic/eutrophic communities dominated by Dactylis glomerata, Festuca pratensis, and Trifolium pratense at moderate and high inputs. Moderate fertilization (10–20 t ha⁻¹ manure; N₅₀P₅₀K₅₀–N₁₀₀P₁₀₀K₁₀₀) maximized species richness (37–38 species), Shannon diversity (H′ = 2.5–2.6), and evenness (E = 0.70–0.75). High inputs reduced diversity and favored competitive grasses. Indicator species analysis highlighted a multitude of species that show the plant communities’ response to adaptive management. Moderate fertilization provides a viable trade-off between productivity and biodiversity, while abandonment or overfertilization accelerates biodiversity loss.

Native genotypes of fruit species are an important source of phenotypic variability for breeding and provide valuable material for the creation of new cultivars. Therefore, the present study was conducted to characterize and decipher the phenotypic variability of 39 native cherry genotypes (Prunus avium L.) with some bitter taste from spontaneous or cultivated flora from the Northeast European region, in Romania. The research was conducted during 2018–2022 and aimed to analyze the biochemical composition and physical characteristics of the fruits in order to identify the most useful traits for dissemination. All genotypes presented small fruits but with exceptional nutraceutical properties. The highest fruit weight was observed in G10 and G11 (3.2 g). The highest total soluble solids was found in G19 and G25 (28.2°Brix and 26.0°Brix, respectively), and in terms of antioxidant capacity, the highest level was observed in G32 and G33 (98.22% and 96.71%, respectively). In the cluster analysis, wild cherry accessions were clustered into five groups of related genotypes, indicating that they were useful for evaluating the characterization of cherry germplasm due to the superior fruit weight and phenolic compounds content. The genotypes studied represent valuable phenotypic resources for enriching the cherry gene pool and improving important horticultural traits for increasing production and thus nutrition.

In this paper we report new chorological data for 20 alien plant taxa from the vascular flora of Romania. A total of 9 species (Campsis radicans, Euphorbia glyptosperma, Grindelia squarrosa, Impatiens balfourii, Oenothera suaveolens, Robinia x ambigua, Rudbeckia triloba, Sedum sarmentosum, Setaria faberi) are reported as new to the regional floras within the country. Oenothera pycnocarpa and Dittrichia graveolens are reported in their second and the third sites in Romania, respectively. For the remaining 9 species (Cytisus scoparius, Dysphania pumilio, Eleusine indica, Erigeron sumatrensis, Eriochloa villosa, Oenothera depressa, Paspalum distichum, Rosa rugosa and Sicyos angulatus), we provided new field data, to improve knowledge on their current distribution and invasion status. All taxa are neophytes, introduced either accidentally (11 taxa) or deliberately (9 taxa), more than half of which are currently invasive or potentially invasive in the country.

New investigations on the flora, vegetation, and natural habitats of the Danube Delta (Romania) were recently carried out. Thus, more than 1,200 vascular plant species were inventoried, phytocoenoses of 253 plant communities, and 32 Natura 2000 habitats were recorded, all mapped on a large scale. As part of the reviewing process of the Standard Form of the Natura 2000 site ROSCI0065 Danube Delta - Romania, the natural habitats included within it were also revised. Thus, it was found that black alder forests were omitted, which was one the purposes of this work, namely to fill this gap. Following the recordings of all black alder forests in the Danube Delta, a phytocoenotaxon is proposed as new for science, namely Ass. Periploco graecae-Alnetum glutinosae ass. nov. The Natura 2000 habitat in the Danube Delta that include this newly proposed plant community is: 91E0* Alluvial forests with Alnus glutinosa and Fraxinus excelsior (Alno-Padion, Alnion incanae, Salicion albae).