Bok M.W.J., J.M.M van der Loop, H.H. van Kleef & R.S.E.W. Leuven. 2024
Australian swamp stonecrop (Crassula helmsii) is an amphibious plant native to Australasia and highly invasive in Europe. In several infested water systems in the Netherlands, the dispersal of this species is currently being prevented using water filters with a mesh size as small as 1 mm2 in their outflows. However, it remains unclear whether these filters are truly capable of preventing the spread of small regenerative fragments. To identify potential shortcomings in the management of C. helmsii dispersal, we investigated the regeneration of detached vegetative fragments. Our research indicates regenerative potential from node fragments as small as a cluster of apical meristem cells. These findings suggest shortcomings in current measures for dispersal prevention of C. helmsii, as they do not prevent the dispersal of plant fragments with a length <2 mm.