Weed flora of South Africa 1: major groupings

Abstract

Whilst attention has been focussed on combating priority weeds we have neglected to obtain an overall picture of our weed flora. To rectify the position a National Weed List has been compiled, the weeds have been classified and an analysis made of the weed flora. Aspects covered in this paper are: major taxa, exotic and indigenous species and kinds of weeds.

The presence of imbalances or power shifts between indigenous taxa is indicated by the fact that most weeds are supplied by a few families, and that Monocotyledon species are twice as likely to be weeds as are Dicotyledon species. The preponderance of Monocotyledon weeds is explained by re-invasion of cultivated and abandoned fields in grassland areas rather than by a shift towards Monocotyledon species in the veld.

Exotic weeds contribute to imbalances via their greater versatility as well as by re-inforcing some taxa or kind of weed groupings at the expense of others. There is a power shift towards exotic Gymnosperms. Apart from flora weeds, exotics provide most agrestals, lawn weeds and weeds of planted pastures, and nearly as many ruderals as the indigenous species.