Question

Which one of the following is an invasive plant species in India?

• A. Lantana camara
• B. Myristica malabarica
• C. Terminalia tomentosa
• D. Santalum album

Hint:

Check which of the four species was introduced to India from another continent and has since spread out of control.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is A

The question is testing whether we can tell a native Indian plant apart from an introduced, invasive one. Let's look at where each of the four species actually comes from.

1. Lantana camara: Originally from Central and South America. It was brought into India as a decorative hedge plant in British-era gardens, then spread on its own across forests and grasslands all over the country. It chokes out native plants and is one of the most cited invasive weeds in India.
2. Myristica malabarica: A tree native to the Western Ghats, part of the wild nutmeg group. It grows only in its natural range and is not spreading into new territory, so it is not invasive.
3. Terminalia tomentosa: A common native tree of Indian deciduous forests, used for timber and fodder. It belongs naturally in the Indian landscape.
4. Santalum album: Indian sandalwood, native to peninsular India, prized and legally protected for its wood, not a species that invades new habitats.

Only Lantana camara was brought in from another continent and has gone on to spread aggressively at the cost of native vegetation, which is exactly what makes a species invasive.

Let's summarize:

• An invasive species must first be non-native to the region.
• Of the four options, only Lantana camara fits both being non-native and spreading uncontrolled.

So the invasive plant species in India among the choices is Lantana camara.