January 5, 2010

the ubiqutous "communist pacha"


I am just back after a whirlwind tour of northern and eastern India which also took me to Bhutan. Except on the high altitudes, everywhere I found Chromolaena odorata , a weed plant, in full bloom. It is in flowers here in Thrissur right now, so is it in Madya Pradesh, Assam, Orissa and Andhra Pradesh. Known for its invasive nature, this plant in Malayalam is known as "Communist Pacha"-the reasons I dont know.