Himalayan Knotweed Latest Threat To Nilgiris Ecosystem

The species has begun spreading along many streams and rivulets in the district.

- Rohan Premkumar

One of the most recent invaders of the landscape — a knotweed native to the Himalayas — has begun taking root in the upper slopes of the Nilgiris, potentially threatening biodiversity along streams and rivers.

The knotweed, known as Polygonum molle (Sikkim knotweed), which has been recently reclassified as Koenigia mollis, has begun spreading along many streams and rivulets in the upper Nilgiris, especially around Doddabetta, Kodappamund, Adasolai and the Ketti Valley, conservationists here say.