LAUSR

Pteris vittata, the Brake fern, is terrestrial, perennial, widely distributed species. It is well adapted to moist and shady as well as xeric habitats. It has been observed that during the last decade, the species has become a noxious weed in the Lucknow and nearby areas. During the eighties, only few populations were present, whereas, in the present time, the species has spread generously in almost entire Lucknow and nearby areas. In the present study, the cause of extensive colonization of species has been investigated. For the assessment of its wide distributional behavior or colonization ability, the viable spores were sown and the stages from germination to maturation and establishment of the colony were thoroughly investigated. It was observed that mature plants were formed in 3 months, whereas colonization was achieved in about 3–4 months. The accessions studied were also cytologically investigated, which studied is sexual, tetraploid with n  = 58 chromosomes. The details of developmental pattern and colonization have been discussed in the present communication.