Epilobium hirsutum - lvs Calandstraat, Leiden, NL 10 Aug 2008 05 Leo

On distribution: This plant is native throughout Eurasia and much of northern, eastern and southern Africa, and has been introduced to eastern Australia and northeastern and the northern west coastal regions of North America.

This is the list of countries it is seen as native in: Iceland, Ireland, UK, Portugal, Spain, France, Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg, Germany, Denmark, Poland, Belarus, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Switzerland, Austria, Hungary, Italy, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia, Serbia, Kosovo, Macedonia, Albania, Greece, Turkey, Bulgaria, Romania, Moldova, Ukraine, India, Russia, Iran, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Japan, North Korea, South Korea, Mongolia, Nepal, Myanmar, Bhutan, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Israel, Lebanon, Iraq, Jordan, Syria, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Sudan, Chad, Niger, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Burundi, Rwanda, DRC, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Lesotho, Swaziland, Angola, Zambia and Namibia. As I am only allowed to use 75 tags (see right) I cannot tag it for each country it is native to.
It is found in the Canary Islands and Cape Verde, but nativity seems questionable.

It is apparently not found in Somalia, Djibouti, Malta, Arabia, Sri Lanka or Taiwan.

I still must check the distribution in these areas: Madagascar? SE Asia?

Here's some notes:
North America:
I was first inclined to think that the distribution in North America was again injudiciously seen as non-native, but I have since revised my opinion. There are three main reasons why this plant is probably not native to the USA and Canada:
1. Someone actually wrote a report explaining a timeline for its introduction; 'Distributional History of Epilobium hirsutum (great hairy willow-herb) in North America' by R. L. Stuckey, written 1970.
2. Looking at the proven distribution as provided by Den Virtuella Floran
(linnaeus.nrm.se/flora/di/onagra/epilo/epilhir.html) shows that it is not so adapted to northern conditions that a Bering Strait crossing during the Ice Age is likely.
3. Deilephila elpenor, a moth which uses this plant as a host plant does not share a North American distribution with E. hirsutum (well actually, it seems to have been introduced recently in southwest Canada).

Scandinavia: Some publications say it does not occur in Scandinavia. This is not true, it occurs throughout along the southern Baltic and North Sea coasts.

Taken on: August 10, 2008

Tags:

Ireland

Spain

France

Belgium

Netherlands

Luxembourg

Germany

Denmark

Poland

Belarus

Czech Republic

Slovakia

Norway

Sweden

Finland

Latvia

Lithuania

Estonia

Switzerland

Austria

Hungary

Italy

Slovenia

Croatia

Bosnia

Serbia

Kosovo

Macedonia

Albania

Greece

Turkey

Bulgaria

Romania

Moldova

Ukraine

India

Russia

Iran

Pakistan

Afghanistan

Japan

North Korea

South Korea

Mongolia

Nepal

Myanmar

Bhutan

Morocco

Algeria

Tunisia

Libya

Egypt

Israel

Sudan

Chad

Niger

Eritrea

Ethiopia

Kenya

Tanzania

Uganda

Burundi

Rwanda

DRC

Zimbabwe

South Africa

Lesotho

Swaziland

Namibia

Lebanon

Azerbaijan

Georgia

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Sets appears in: • Onagraceae

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