A new plant species was found in Romania, in Constanta county, during a regular inventory activity in the region. The plant - Orobanche pubescens – does not yet have a Romanian name, and its discovery is a premiere in Romania, according to the Ornithological Society of Romania.

Biologist Matis Attila was the one who discovered the plant, which is part of the family commonly known as lupoaie or verigel in Romanian. The plant is in fact a parasite, as it steals nutrients from host plants, whose roots it penetrates to carry nutrients. Attila found the plant in the Dumbraveni Forest Natural reservation in Constanta county – Dobrogea area, in a protected region with high biodiversity.

The plant has never been seen in Romania before, as it is mostly found in the Mediterranean area, in Greece, Egypt, Libya, Syria and in some Balkan countries – the former Yugoslavia and Bulgaria. “The plant lives in similar habitats to the ones in the South of Dobrogea  - where it was found in Romania – it has not been brought over and is not an invasive species. Most likely the plant already existed, but species of this family are easy to confuse. Most likely other species of the same family could be found in the future,” said biologist Matis Attila.

The new discovery adds to the over 3,300 species and 500 subspecies in the Romanian flora. “I never thought that in my biologist career I would have the chance to make such a discovery, and I am glad I did. Such discoveries underline the importance of research and conservation projects where we are actively involved at the Ornithological Society of Romania are involved,” the biologist concluded.

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