509-517
Origin, diversity and uses of Invasive Alien plant species in Utkal University Campus, Bhubaneswar, Odisha
Authors: Sanjeeb Kumar Das*, Ashutosh Subudhi, Samarendranath Naik, Sourav Ranjan Pradhan and Sidhanta Sekhar Bisoi
Number of views: 421
An exhaustive floristic survey was carried out during 2017-2018 in the Utkal University Campus, Bhubaneswar, Odisha state to assess the diversity, nativity and uses of invasive alien plants. From the study it was found that 60 species with 51 genera and under 34 different families were invasive alien plants. Analysis of habit revealed that the herbs were dominant with 45 species (75%) followed by shrubs (07), trees (02) and climbers (06) and the dominant family was Asteraceae with 10 (19.23%) species followed by Caesalpiniaceae (04), Convolvulaceae (03), Fabaceae (03), Lamiaceae (03), Verbenaceae (02), Amaranthaceae (02), Asclepiadaceae (02), Malvaceae (02) and Poaceae (02). These families included most invasive species, such as Chromolaena odorata, Lantana camara, Hyptis suaveolens, Ageratum conyzoides, Parthenium hysterophorus, Eichhornia crassipes, Alternanthera philoxeroides, and others. The dominance of Asteraceae species among all IAPS found in this region was resulted due to higher potential for adaptability and rapid growth. It was found from the literature that different native places of IAPS of Utkal University Campus were Tropical America (30), Tropical Africa (10), Tropical South America (6), , Brazil (3), West Indies (2), Mediterranean (1), Europe (1), Tropical Central South America (1), Tropical Central America (1), Peru (1), and Tropical West Asia (1). From the interaction with local residents and literature survey it was found that IAPS were used as medicine (50), fuel (25), ornamental (6), rope making (2) and leafy vegetable (4).