Attributes of plant proliferation, geographic spread and the natural communities invaded by the naturalized alien plant species Tithonia diversifolia in Yunnan,China
Abstract:Tithonia diversifolia, an alien ornamental plant introduced from Central America, is naturalized in tropical, southern and central sub-tropical regions in Yunnan, China. Field investigations showed that T. diversifolia is currently distributed in 53 counties of the province, which covers an area of 184,212km~2 (47% of Yunnan‘s total territory). Ominously, populations have expanded northward to a latitude of 24°10′N in Yunnan where they are commonly establishing at altitudes of 100~2000 meters. The naturaliz...