Question

describe about parthenium weed

Answer 1

Parthenium hysterophorus is a species of flowering plant belonging to the aster family, Asteraceae. It is native to the American tropics.

It is also known by other common names like the Santa-Maria, Santa Maria feverfew, whitetop weed, famine weed, and the congress weed. In India, it is locally known as carrot grass, congress grass or the Gajar Ghans. It is a common invasive species in India, Australia, and in some parts of Africa.

Parthenium is an annual herb with a deep taproot and an erect stem that becomes woody with age. It is an annual herb that grows up to 1-1.5m tall, developing many branches in its top half when mature. Leaves are pale green, up to 2mm long, deeply lobed, covered with fine, soft hairs. Flowers are small, creamy-white, on stem tips 4-10mm in a 5-sided shape. Flowers have 4-5 wedge-shaped, black seeds, 2mm long with 2 thin, white scales.

It grows in most soil types. Most dominant in alkaline, clay and loam soils and is found along roadsides and railway lines, and in pastures and disturbed areas.

Parthenium Invades disturbed bare areas along roadsides, heavily stocked areas around yards, and watering points. It also causes economic losses by invading pastures, reduces beef production which costs Australia's beef industry $16.5 million per year and the cropping industries millions of dollars per year. It also competes with other crops for nutrients and space.

Its pollen contains potent allergens that can cause reactions such as dermatitis and hay fever and affects human health in several countries. The seeds are spread by water, vehicles, machinery, stock, also spread by feral and native animals, and infeed and seed.

Parthenium weed is a restricted invasive plant under the Biosecurity Act 2014.

Answer 2

Parthenium  weed is known as the "Parthenium hysterophorus" It is the  flowring plant and belong to the family ", Asteraceae". Actually this plant is native to the america  and have many common names like the whitetop  weed, Santa Maria  as well as the famine weed etc. In the india it also have the common name like the carrot grass as well as the congress grass etc. This specie actually have capacity to invade the disturbed land and also the roadside . While growing on the farmland or the pasture it causes the decrease in yield as the weed.