LANTANA

__T__**__his lantana plant is from Florida__**

//LANTANA//
**//__Names__://** Botanical, Common Lantana,Lantana camara Lantana is a perennial shrub that grows up to 6 feet or more in height.Leaves are ovate in shape,flowers of Lantana are clustered at the tip of stems,Lantana is a multi-coloured flower which comes in white to pink or lavender,yellow to orange or red.Fruit of Lantana is tiny(0,2 inches in diameter).Lantana is an extremely prolific seed producer with approximately 12 000 fruits per flower. __**//Country of Origin//**__: __**This lantana plant is from the West Indies**__ The flower originated in two different countries there are The West Indies and Florida. The plant was brought to South Africa for uses like being an hybrid ornamental plant and for herbal uses. Category 1:Plants species that may not be grown and must be eradicated. __**//Distribution in South Africa//**__: It is distributed throughout South Africa The diverse broad geographic distrubution of Lantana is a reflection of it's wide ecological tolerance.It occurs in diverse habitats and on a variaty of soil types.Lantana generally grows best in open unshaded conditions such as waste lands,the edge of a rain forests,on beach fronts,in agricultural areas and on grasslands.The plant is found at altitudes from sea level to 2000 meters and can thrive very well.Lantana does not invade intact rain forests.
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 * //__History of the plant in South Africa:__//**
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 * //__Habitat__://**

Lantana threatens natural habitats and flora and fauna.They replace indegenous plants and cause a weakening of the ecosystem through loss of diversity of plants.Lantana can be poisous to life stock and also affects the growth of food crops.Lantana can be toxic among children and has reportedly caused death.
 * __//Problems/Dangers to the local habitat://__**

THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS TO THE WATER WHEN THE LANTANA PLANT HAS INVADED ON THE HABITAT Getting rid of Lanatana can be done in a number if ways.The simplest way is through physical removement.For more dense infestation a combination of physical and chemical methods are used and some of the chemicals you can use are fluroxypyr,glyphosate. Mechanical control:Stickracking,bulldozing,ploughing,grubbing,hand cutting and flame weeding. Luckily biological control in South Africa for many Lantana species in progressing by leaps and bounds.There are dozens of people working very hard to ensure that our worst Lantana invaders are at least safely suppressed by natural enemies if not entierly eradicated.Despite the difficulties involved biological control agents for Lantana are out there helping suppressed the spread of this weed and research is ongoing for more effective agents.
 * //__Methods of eradication__://**
 * __Chemical eradication__** [[image:floracliff-bev_200.jpg width="229" height="337"]]**__Physical eradication__**
 * //__Success of eradication__://**