| Latin Name | Observation Date | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Parthenium hysterophorus | May 09, 2026 | Purulia, Natore, Bangladesh |
It was 2016. I had just completed my agricultural diploma. Then we were sent to the 'Industrial Attachment' to learn practical work in the field. During that attachment, I came to know about this strange and dangerous weed for the first time in my life from Sub-Assistant Agricultural Officer (SAAO) Abdur Razzak Sir. The name of the plant is 'Parthenium'.
These plants with small white flowers blooming on the side of the road or in wasteland look quite beautiful. But many of us may not be aware of the serious danger hidden behind this beautiful appearance.
Let's learn more about this poisonous weed today.
What is Parthenium and its scientific name:
It is basically a flowering plant of the Asteraceae family. Its scientific name is Parthenium hysterophorus. Since its leaves look a lot like carrot leaves, it is called 'carrot grass' or 'congress grass' in India. In addition, it is also called famine weed, whitetop weed or Santa Maria in English.
Where does it originate?
Although we can see it everywhere around us, this plant is not native to us. Parthenium is originally native to the American tropics.
How did it come to Bangladesh?
If we look at history, it is known that when wheat was imported from America to India in the 1950s under the 'PL-480' agreement, its seeds accidentally entered the Indian subcontinent with that wheat. Later, it gradually spread to our Bangladesh from the border areas of India through wind, river water and vehicle wheels, and now it can be seen almost everywhere in the country.
How does it reproduce so quickly?
Parthenium's reproductive capacity is truly formidable. A mature plant can produce about 25 to 30 thousand seeds. These seeds are so light in weight that they can easily fly far away through the wind and grow new plants. They can even survive in hostile environments.
Its bad side or harmful effects:
Parthenium is not only harmful to crops, but also to humans and animals:
Human health risks: If its flowers or pollen come into contact with the body or enter the body through inhalation through the air, it can cause severe allergies, asthma, and various complex skin diseases.
Harm to livestock: If cows, goats, or sheep mistakenly eat this grass, they can get ulcers in their intestines. Even if they eat too much, the livestock can die. Eating it makes the cow's milk bitter.
Crop damage: Parthenium plants release a type of harmful chemical substance into the soil from their roots (called Allelopathy). As a result, no other crops or plants can grow properly around this plant, due to which the crop yield is severely reduced.
We all should be aware of this poisonous weed. If you see this plant around your home or in a crop field, do not touch it with your bare hands, wear gloves or wrap it in polythene and burn it. Be careful yourself and make others aware of this dangerous weed.
(All posts are written in Bengali and translated into English using Google Translate.)
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| Camera Used | Samsung SM-G973F |
|---|---|
| F-Stop | F2.4 |
| ISO speed | ISO |
| Focal length | 26mm |
| Flash | No |
| Editing app | MIX |
| Photography | (Parthenium hysterophorus) |
| Photographer | @mshbd |
| Location | Purulia, Natore, Bangladesh |
| Link to original community |
|---|
| https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/359937996 |
| Latitude | Longitude | Map Link |
|---|---|---|
| 24.3369 | 89.1158 | https://www.openstreetmap.org/?#map=12/24.3369/89.1158 |
