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ABSTRACT This study was conducted during summer 2014, to investigate the aquatic plants from various fresh water bodies of District Charsadda, Pakistan and pin point the major aquatic weeds particularly the invasive ones. A total of 36 plants species were collected from different water bodies at various sites and a variety of habitats. The plant specimens were properly identified through the flora of Pakistan and by consulting renowned taxonomists in the University. The collected plants were classified in to different groups and subgroups according to their growth habit, habitats, type of water body, life cycle and their position with respect to the water surface. About 30.60 % of the aquatic plants were associated with streams and river banks, 27.70 % to drainage ditches and stagnant water conditions, 19.50 % to irrigation channels and fresh water ponds and 22.20 % to wetland and marshy places, respectively.
Regarding the life cycle of the hydrophytes, 35 % of them were annual and 65% were perennial plants. Regarding to their position with the water surface, 11% were free floating, 14% anchored floating, 61% emergent and marshy plants and 9% submerged plants. On the basis of availability and abundance scale 25% were common, 22.20 % rare, 16.6 % abundant and infrequent each, 8.5 % very rare, 5.6 % very abundant plants and 2.7 % very common and occasional plants each, respectively. While on the basis of growing habits 80 % were herbs, 12% shrubs, 6 % tree and 2% filamentous algae. Only a few plants like Nasturtium officinale etc. used as pot herb while Typha for making ropes, mats, baskets and blinds. Persicaria hydropiper Michx. was the most poisonous weed while Eichhornia crassipes (Mart.) Solms., Pistia stratiotes L., Phragmites australis L. and Typha latifolia L. were the most problematic weeds and were abundant almost in all habitats and in almost all water bodies surveyed.
Key words: Aquatic flora, fresh water bodies, Pakistan, survey, weeds.
INTRODUCTION District Charsadda is located between 34° and 34°-38' N latitude and 71°-28' and 71°-53' E longitudes and lies in of the Khyber Paktunkhwa and is bounded by district Malakand on the North, Mardan in and East, Nowshera in the South and district Peshawar and Mohmand Agency in the South. The total area of district Charsadda...