[APWG] NEWS: Invasive Plant Secretes Acid To Kill Nearby Plants And Spread

[Olivia Kwong]

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/10/071012084128.htm

Invasive Plant Secretes Acid To Kill Nearby Plants And Spread
Source: University of Delaware
Date: October 12, 2007

Science Daily - Scientists at the University of Delaware have uncovered a 
hidden weapon that one of the most invasive wetland plants in the United 
States uses to silently and efficiently "bump off" its neighbors.

The invasive strain of Phragmites australis, or common reed, believed to 
have originated in Eurasia, exudes from its roots an acid so toxic that 
the substance literally disintegrates the structural protein in the roots 
of neighboring plants, thus toppling the competition.

See the link above for the full article text.