Himalayan Elecampane, Inula racemosa (Asteraceae), in North America

Abstract

ABSTRACT Inula racemosa is reported as new to Canada, with occurrences in Ontario and Québec. It is also reported as new for several states in the United States. It was first reported for North America in 2020, based on a 2017 collection in Vermont. Earlier collections from Québec (2004) and Michigan (2014) were subsequently found, however. Its distinctive appearance led to the identification of additional records on the web page iNaturalist, the postings often initially misidentified as the common I. helenium. Almost two dozen North American occurrences are now known from Illinois, New Hampshire, New York, Ontario (the largest cluster of occurrences), Québec, Washington, and Wisconsin. Several of these populations contain hundreds to thousands of plants. All populations are considered to likely be of recent origin. At least some represent escapes from cultivation for medicinal or ornamental purposes. Inula racemosa may show a preference for calcareous substrate and river shore sites in the wild. It does not appear to have substantial potential to be invasive into native plant communities.