Exploring the benefits of invasive alien plant species as food sources: Mapping their socio-ecological impacts in Zimbabwe

Abstract

Alien invasive plant species that invade natural habitats end up altering the ecosystem services and the socio-economic conditions. The current study, conducted in Zimbabwe, focused on assessing the food values of herbaceous invasive alien plant species. An extensive literature review resulted in identification of 21 herbaceous invasive alien plant species that are used as food plants in Zimbabwe. This comparative analysis of historical accounts of use from 1955 and subsequent publications revealed subtle changes in food, culinary and medicinal uses, as well as other socio-ecological aspects associated with the species. The most popular use category of edible, herbaceous invasive alien plant species in Zimbabwe are the leaves, followed by the fruits and underground storage organs. Documented species belong to 13 genera and 7 families, with more than three quarters of the species (18 species = 85.7%) being members of the Amaranthaceae family with six species, followed Brassicaceae (five species), Solanaceae (four species) and Asteraceae (three species). About half of the species (13 species = 61.9%) are native to the Americas with the Asian region contributing seven species (33.3%), Europe (five species = 23.8%) and Africa (four = 19.0%). The region with the highest number of edible herbaceous invasive alien species in Zimbabwe is Eastern (18 species = 85.7%), followed by Central (16 species = 76.2%), Western (13 species = 61.9%), Northern and Southern with 11 species each (52.4%). Therefore, this data on edible, herbaceous invasive alien plant species in Zimbabwe contribute to the global efforts of trying to understand plant invasions as their spread and socio-ecological impacts are exacerbated by the globalization of the world economies.

Keywords: {'name': 'Alien species, floristic diversity, herbaceous, plant invasion, taxonomy, Zimbabwe'}

Authors & affiliations

Alfred Maroyi
University of Fort Hare

Deposited references

Supplied references, not a list of publications citing this article.

DOI: 10.1007/s10530-018-1860-7

DOI: 10.1111/ele.13863

DOI: 10.1007/s10530-021-02691-5

DOI: 10.1007/s10530-023-03140-1

DOI: 10.1201/9781003469766

DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-33755-2

DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.261.3.1

DOI: 10.1093/oso/9780199216321.001.0001

DOI: 10.1007/s10530-013-0609-6

DOI: 10.1093/aobpla/plw047

Drummond, R. B. (1975). A list of trees, shrubs and woody climbers indigenous or naturalized in Rhodesia. Kirkia, 10(1), 229–286.

Drummond, R. B. (1984). Arable Weeds of Zimbabwe: A Guide to the Recognition of the More Important Weeds of Crops. Harare: Agricultural Research Trust of Zimbabwe.

DOI: 10.21608/taec.2020.21300.1011

DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-32394-3_23

Hyde, M. A., Wursten, B., Ballings, P., & Palgrave, M. C. (2025). Flora of Zimbabwe. Available at: http://www.zimbabweflora.co.zw (Accessed March 15, 2025).

DOI: 10.1007/s10530-024-03275-9

DOI: 10.23855/preslia.2024.149

DOI: 10.1111/j.1472-4642.2011.00816.x

DOI: 10.1038/nature14258

Mapaura, A., & Timberlake, J. (2004). A Checklist of Zimbabwean Vascular Plants. Pretoria: Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 33, SABONET.

Maroyi, A. (2006). Preliminary checklist of introduced and naturalized plants in Zimbabwe. Kirkia, 18(2), 177–247.

DOI: 10.4102/koedoe.v54i1.1054

DOI: 10.1016/j.dib.2017.09.046

DOI: 10.1016/j.dib.2022.108186

Maroyi, A., Wong, L. J., & Pagad, S. (2019). GRIIS checklist of introduced and invasive species: Zimbabwe: Version 1.1. Invasive Species Specialist Group ISSG. Checklist Dataset. Available at: https://doi.org/10.15468/cklmhe (Accessed March 21, 2025)

DOI: 10.1080/23818107.2020.1802775

DOI: 10.1016/j.sajb.2018.09.029

DOI: 10.3390/plants8110500

DOI: 10.5897/AJAR11.2195

DOI: 10.1111/ecog.05669

DOI: 10.1007/s10530-021-02495-7

Pope, G. V., & Pope, D. G. (1998). Collecting localities in the Flora Zambesiaca Area. Richmond: Flora Zambesiaca Management Committee, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.14103

DOI: 10.2307/4135498

DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolind.2019.106020

Randall, R. P. (2016). Can a plant’s cultural status and weed history provide a generalised weed risk score? In: Randall, R., Lloyd, S., & Borger, C., Editors, Twentieth Australasian Weeds Conference, September 11-15, Perth, Western Australia, Weeds Society of Western Australia, pp. 5–12. Available at: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/307638532 (Accessed March 10, 2025).

Randall, R. P. (2017). A Global Compendium of Weeds. Perth: RP Randall.

Richardson, D. M., & Van Wilgen, B. W. (2004). Invasive alien plants in South Africa: How well do we understand the ecological impacts. South African Journal of Science ,100, 45–52.

DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-51556-7

DOI: 10.1007/s10530-022-02800-y

UNEP (United Nations Environmental Programme) (2002). Alien Species that Threaten Ecosystems, Habitats or Species. Available at: http://www.cbd.int (Accessed March 19, 2025).

DOI: 10.1111/j.1461-0248.2011.01628.x

DOI: 10.3897/neobiota.62.52793

Wild, H. (1955). Common Rhodesian Weeds. Salisbury: Government Printer.

Wild, H., Mavi, S., & Biegel, S. M. (1972). A Southern Rhodesia Botanical Dictionary of Native and English Plant Names. Salisbury: Government Printer.

DOI: 10.1080/0035919X.2018.1529003

DOI: 10.4102/abc.v47i2.2160