ENVIS Centre, Ministry of Environment & Forest, Govt. of India

Printed Date: Thursday, December 26, 2024

Plant as indicator of Pollution

Plant
Symptoms
Pollutant
Chrysanthemum
www.dreamstime.com
Brown necrosis
www.ucanr.edu
 
SO2 increase in air
 
Azalea
www.growerdirect.com
Reddish necrosis
www.rhodyman.net
 
SO2 increase in air
 
Prunus serotina
www.41olive.com
Red to purple stipple, injured leaves drop early.
http://www.fs.fed.us
 
Ozone in air
 
Liriodendron tulipifera
Charlenesevier.wordpress.com
Brown stipple, injured leaves drop early
http://www.fs.fed.us
 
Ozone in air
 
Fraxinus americana
www.leaf-id.com
Red to brown stipple
www.wqed.org
 
Ozone in air
 
Asclepias syriaca
www.journeyoflight.com
Purple to black stipple, leaf chlorosis
http://www.fs.fed.us
 
Ozone in air
 
Rabus spp.
www.pickywallpapers.com
Red to purple stipple
www.missouribotanicalgarden.org 
 
Ozone in air
 
Limnanthemum cristatum
www. botany.cz
root hairs disappear, colouration of hydathodes in the juvenile leaves
www.stuartxchange.org
 
chromium in water
 
Eichhornia
wetravelandblog.com
formation of micronuclei in dividing root cells
wiki.bugwood.org
 
Mercury in water
 
Diatom
www.ukaps.org
Changes in community
www.algae.info
 
increased water acidity
 
Plankton algae
www.newtechbio.com
Decrease in population
www.lakebottomblanket.com
 
increased water acidity
 
Sphagnum moss
www.cisfbr.org.uk
Spreading
en.wikipedia.org
 
increased water acidity
 
Water blooms
www.scientificamerican.com
Increase in population
www.lanereport.com
 
organic matter and chemical fertilizer in water
 
Eichhornia
commons.wikimedia.org
Increase in population
www.westraficanplants.senckenberg.de
 
sewage and heavy metal in water
 
Sphagnum
bryophytes.plant.siu.edu
Decrease in the populations
www.andrewspink.nl
 
SO2, NO2, fluorides and HCl
 
Bryum
Pvmadhu.tripod.com
Decrease in the populations
www.wildlifeinformation.co.uk
 
SO2, NO2, fluorides and HCl
 
Parmelia
www.lichenlastdragon.org
Decrease in the populations
www.geograph.org.uk
 
SO2, NO2, fluorides and HCl
 
Ammonifying bacteria
www.dreamstime.com
Increase in population
www.bbc.co.uk
 
NH4 pollution, reduction in nitrate and nitrite in soil
 
Decomposer bacterial
www.pixgood.com
Decrease in the populations
germzoo.blogspot.com
 
acidification and pesticide pollution in soil
 
Rhytidiadelphus squarrosus
www.naturespot.org.uk
Presence of electron-dense vesicles containing lead in the cells
www.uni-mainz.de
 
Lead
 
Geranium
www.geraniumsuk.com
Grey necrosis
blog.lib.umn.edu
 
SO2 increase in air
 
Begonia sp.
www.flickr.com
Necrotic spots on upper surface of leaf at point of contact
pnwhandbooks.org
 
Acid mist pollution in air
 
Beta vulgaris
www.dreamstime.com
Shot holing at leaf surface
www.flickr.com
 
Acid mist pollution in air
 
Lonicera periclymenum
commons.wikimedia.org
Brown marginal necrosis; interveinal necrosis; leaf cupping
www.wsl.ch
 
Boron in air
 
Acer platanoides
www.botanistii.ro
Brown marginal necrosis; interveinal necrosis; necrotic stipple; leaf abscission
woodyplants.wikidot.com
 
Boron in air
 
Acer saccharinum
chalk.richmond.edu
Brown marginal necrosis, interveinal necrosis; leaf cupping & distortion
www.gardenworldimeges.com
 
Boron in air
 
Spiraea
www.fazfacil.com.br
Abscission
www.asianflora.com
 
Boron in air
 
Phaseolus vulgaris
www.mylot.com
Marginal necrosis
www.plantvillage.com
 
Br2 in air
 
Fagus sylvatica
www.aphotoflora.com
Black spots, later whole leaf black/brown
signatureplants.co.uk
 
Br2 in air
 
Zea mays
www.cnseed.org
Yellow tip, later necrotic
www.omafra.gov.on.ca
 
Br2 in air
 
Dahlia pinnata
calphotos.berkeley.edu
Brown discolouration; marginal necrosis 
www.leafmines.co.uk
 
Br2 in air
 
Abies
en.wikipedia.org
Red/brown discolouration, later grey/brown needle 
www.pfaf.org
 
Br2 in air