List of Invasive Alien Flora of India
Alien Species that threaten native plants and animals of other aspects of biodiversity are called alien invasive species. They occur in all groups of plants and animals, as competitors, predators, pathogens and parasites, and they have invaded almost every type of native ecosystem.
Here, we are giving the list of Invasive Alien Flora of India which is very helpful in the preparation of competitive examinations like UPSC-prelims, SSC, State Services, NDA, CDS, and Railways etc.
Invasive Alien Flora of India
| Invasive Alien Flora of India |
Nativity, Distribution & Features |
| Needle Bush |
Nativity: Tropical South America Distribution in India: Throughout Features: A shrub or small tree. Occasional in thorny scrub and dry degraded forests and often creates close thickets. |
| Black Wattle |
Nativity: South East Australia Distribution in India: Western Ghats Features: Introduced for afforestation in Western Ghats. Regenerates rapidly after fire and forms dense thickets. It is distributed in forests and grazing lands in high altitude areas. |
| Goat Weed |
Nativity: Tropical America Distribution in India: Throughout Features: Aggressive colonizer. Troublesome weed in gardens, cultivated fields and forests. |
| Alternanthera Paronychioides |
Nativity: Tropical America Distribution in India: Throughout Features: Occasional weed along edges of tanks, ditches and in marshy lands. |
| Prickly Poppy |
Nativity: Tropical Central & South America Distribution in India: Throughout Features: Aggressive colonizer. Common winter season weed in cultivated fields, scrub lands and fringes of forest. |
| Blumea Eriantha |
Nativity: Tropical America Distribution in India: Throughout Features: Aggressive colonizer. Abundant along railway track , road sides and degraded forests land |
| Palmyra, Toddy Palm |
Nativity: Tropical Africa Distribution in India: Throughout Features: Aggressive colonizer. Cultivated and self sown, occasionally found to be gregarious nearby cultivated fields, scrub lands and waste lands. |
| Calotropis/ Madar, Swallo Wort |
Nativity: Tropical Africa Distribution in India: Throughout Features: Aggressive colonizer. Common in cultivated fields, scrub lands and waste lands. |
| Datura, Mad Plant, Thorn Apple |
Nativity: Tropical America Distribution in India: Throughout Features: Aggressive colonizer. Occasional weed on disturbed ground. |
| Water Hyacinth |
Nativity: Tropical America Distribution in India: Throughout Features: Aggressive colonizer. Abundant in still or slow floating waters. Nuisance for a aquatic ecosystem. |
| Impatiens, Balsam |
Nativity: Tropical America Distribution in India: Throughout Features: Aggressive colonizer. Common along railway tracks; also runs wild in gardens. |
| Ipomoea/ the pink morning glory |
Nativity: Tropical America Distribution in India: Throughout Features: Aggressive colonizer. Common weed of marshy lands and along the edges of tanks and ditches. |
| Lantana camara/ Lantana, Wild Sage |
Nativity: Tropical America Distribution in India: Throughout Features: Aggressive colonizer. Common weed of forests, plantations, habitation, waste lands and scrubs lands. |
| Black Mimosa |
Nativity: Tropical North America Distribution in India: Himalaya, Western Ghats Features: Aggressive colonizer. It invades water courses and seasonally flooded wetlands. |
| Touch-Me-Not, Sleeping Grass |
Nativity: Brazil Distribution in India: Throughout Features: Aggressive colonizer. Common weed of cultivated fields, scrubs lands and degraded forests. |
| 4’ O Clock plant |
Nativity: Peru Distribution in India: Throughout Features: Aggressive colonizer. Runs wild in gardens and near habitation. |
| Parthenium/ Congress grass, Parthenium |
Nativity: Tropical North America Distribution in India: Throughout Features: Aggressive colonizer. Common weed of cultivated fields, forests, overgrazed pastures, waste lands and gardens. |
| Prosopis juliflora/Mesquite |
Nativity: Mexico Distribution in India: Throughout Features: Aggressive colonizer. Common weed of waste lands, scrub lands and degraded forests. |
| Townsend grass |
Nativity: Tropical West Asia Distribution in India: Throughout Features: Very common along streams and banks of rivers |
Biological invasion by alien species is recognised as one of the major threats to native species and ecosystems. The effects on biodiversity are enormous and often irreversible.