Cynanchum acutum is a species of climbing vine swallowworts native to Europe, Africa, and Asia.
Cynanchum acutum L. (swallow-wort) is a perennial vine weed that belongs to the Asclepiadaceae family. Cynanchum acutum is highly prolific via sexual and vegetative propagation (Figures 1B, E). This species is mainly associated with wet habitats and can be found in cultivated fields, orchards, fence rows, natural areas, and roadsides (Shu, 1995). Cynanchum acutum is increasingly problematic, as an invasive weed in several countries around the world (Meighani et al., 2021).
Native to Southern Europe, it has spread through Asia, and the Mediterranean region, and can be found from Spain to Iran, and in Northern African countries (Gilbert et al., 1995; Ollerton and Liede, 1997). The vast spread of this species can be attributed to the production of a high number of small seeds and the profound allelopathic effects on other species (Daehler, 2003). Further, the rise in C. acutum invasiveness may also be attributed to its high plasticity, i.e., its ability to adapt to different environmental conditions, such as high temperatures and high salinity conditions, in diverse habitats (El-Katony et al., 2018). In Israel, it is native to the Golan Heights, Galilee, and in the northern Negev. However, in the last years, its range has expanded to the Arava region in the southern part of Israel (Figure 1A), and it has become a major pest in the date palm orchards due to its unique phenological and biological characteristics.
