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 becksfabrics twice as likely to be weeds as are Dicotyledon species.The preponderance of Monocotyledon weeds is explained by re-invasion harley himber instagram 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.