“The Virtuous Weed” – A new book from a Weed Scientist – By Nimal R. Chandrasena Ph.D. “A weed is no more than a flower in disguise, which is seen through at once if love gives a man eyes” – James Lowell Dr. Nimal Chandrasena, a former Associate Professor of Botany, at the University of Colombo has just published his first book. He is the Editor-in-Chief of the journal WEEDS – the official journal of the Asian-Pacific Weed Science Society (http://apwss.org.in/). Weeds, as a group of plants, are unloved by some people. However, this dislike is not universal. Weeds are colonizing, pioneering plants, with special botanical and ecological attributes. They are a critical component of Mother Earth’s rich biodiversity. They are also Nature’s Gifts from which humans can learn many lessons. Nimal Chandrasena’s book provides compelling evidence of the virtuous side of weeds and their utilization potential for people’s livelihoods ...