LAHORE, Oct 4: Florists are excessively using parthenium hysterophorus, one of the most dangerous weeds which causes different diseases among humans and plants alike, in the preparation of bouquets.

The weed causes diseases like allergic eczematous dermatitis, hay fever and allergic rhinitis which develops into bronchitis and asthma.

A Punjab University Mycology and Plant Pathology department research team, headed by department chairperson Dr Rukhsana Bajwa, stated this after a survey of the weed in Rawalpindi and Islamabad. The survey in the Lahore division is likely to be completed in a few months.

The weed is found in abundance in denuded lands, especially in the areas where soil has been disturbed for the construction and extension of newly established housing colonies. It suppresses the growth of other plants and causes diseases to other plant as well. It poses a serious threat to the natural vegetation, including the medicinal plants. It causes huge loss to the crop yields.

Dr Bajwa told this scribe on Saturday that the government should immediately ban the use of the weed in the preparation of bouquets and use herbicide to eliminate it to save other plants. She also urged the government to create awareness among florists regarding the use of the weed.

She said the government had no coordination with the department, adding that no action had so far been initiated on the department’s recommendation on the findings of research on different matters.

She said India had already introduced legislation to control parthenium.

She said the weed caused an estimated loss of $16 million per year to Australia and similar situation could emerge in Pakistan if effective measures were not taken.

According to the survey, 42 weed species are found along with parthenium. The relative frequency of the weed on different places in Rawalpindi, Islamabad and Lahore ranged from 14 per cent to 30 per cent. — Zulqernain Tahir