POLYCARPON TETRAPHYLLUM IN ROMANIAN FLORA

This paper brings additional information about the red listed species Polycarpon tetraphyllum from the spontaneous flora of Romania. The research on this taxon started after the identification of a plant material collected from ruderal places of the municipality of Craiova (Dolj County). Polycarpon tetraphyllum is the only species belonging to the genus Polycarpon (Family Caryophyllaceae) that is spread on the Romanian territory. At European level, two species are known (P. polycarpoides, P. tetraphyllum with three subspecies: P. tetraphyllum sp. tetraphyllum; ssp. diphyllum; ssp. alsinifolium). In some European countries, including Romania, this plant is considered to be adventive. The plant analyzed by us in this paper is an Atlantic -Mediterranean taxon, located at the northern limit of the range, found in southern and eastern Europe. In Romania, it is known only from Mehedini County (i.e. from the localities of Orsova and Varciorova) and from Dolj County (Valea Stanciului and Craiova). Our research on this species focused on information related to chorology (literature, herbarium and field data), habitat and the phytosociological context in which it was mentioned in the literature and in which it was found in the last two years.