# Study finds African grass naturalised in Indian biodiversity hotspots 2026-08-24T16:43:10+00:00 | Governance | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 1 independent outlet A 30-year survey has documented the naturalisation of African Bermuda-grass (Cynodon nlemfuensis) in two Indian biodiversity hotspots, the Himalayas and the Western Ghats. The grass, native to Central and East Africa, was first collected in Tamil Nadu in 1995 by researchers from the Forest Research Institute, Dehradun. It took nearly three decades to confirm its identity and report the finding, highlighting how taxonomic delays hinder management of invasive species. The study points to systemic gaps in infrastructure and policy, including the lack of digitised plant collections in Indian herbaria. Type specimens needed for comparison are often held abroad, such as in Belgium. Researchers say early intervention is the most cost-effective way to limit the economic damage from biological invasions, but delayed identification allows alien species to spread unchecked. ## Indian Opinion Analysis India lacks a centralised, real-time system for tracking alien plant species, unlike pest surveillance in agriculture. The average 27-year lag between first collection and publication means invasions are often entrenched before authorities act. The Indian Alien Flora Information Database (ILORA), now in version 2, aims to speed identification but faces hurdles: most type specimens of Indian grasses are held in foreign herbaria. Until domestic collections are fully digitised and linked, taxonomic bottlenecks will persist. The next signal to watch is how many new naturalisation records ILORA version 2 publishes and whether the Botanical Survey of India accelerates its digitisation programme. ## Coverage - india.mongabay.com Straight reporting of a scientific study with expert quotes, no government or political framing This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above. Tags: Cynodon nlemfuensis, Forest Research Institute, Himalayas, invasive species, Western Ghats Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/study-finds-african-grass-naturalised-in-indian-biodiversity-hotspots/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/study-finds-african-grass-naturalised-in-indian-biodiversity-hotspots/#story-in-brief Review state: restored archive article, accurate at time of publication, not offered to search indexes. How this brief was made: an AI model read the report linked above and wrote this summary and analysis, which were published automatically. Published briefs are sampled every hour by an automated quality check; the editor verifies its findings and approves corrections, and corrected briefs carry a dated correction line. We do no original reporting. Methodology: https://indianopinion.org/ai-use-policy/