EPPO-Q-bank invasive plants & Q-bank invasive plants

The EPPO-Q-bank Invasive Plants database includes curated sequence data on vascular plants (excluding algae and mosses), with special focus to aquatic (non-marine) plants. It also provides information on where to find specimens of plants for which DNA sequences are available in herbarium collections. Most of the specimens can also be virtually consulted. High-resolution scans of the herbarium vouchers are now online, and can be viewed.

In addition, Q-bank invasive plants has developed 6 interactive identification keys for invasive plants, which can be found via the links below.

• Link to interactive seed identification
• Link to interactive identification of weeds in bonsai plants
• Link to interactive seedling identification
• Link to interactive identification of invasive aquatic plants
• Link to interactive identification of invasive terrestrial plants
• Link to interactive identification of Pennisetum cultivars

The species treated in the commodity based keys are difficult to identify using traditional flora’s and keys as these are mostly based on (limited) geographic areas.

A number of look-alikes pages have been developed to be able to distinguish between invasive alien plants and similar species.

At import, plants are young and in general in a vegetative state. To facilitate recognition of prohibited/regulated species of EU concern (EU Regulation 1143/2014), Border Inspection Tools have been developed showing differences between closely related plants or similar species.