The truth of the tale has yet to be proved, but common chickweed seeds have germinated after lying dormant for more than three decades; Oriental lotus seeds, after about 1,000 years.
It is also deadly to poison ivy, poison oak, sumac, horse nettle, chickweed, thistles, plaintain, dandelions, ragweed.
Soon they were expected to launch a well-publicized attack on the corruption which, under Congress Party rule, spread through the Kerala state government like chickweed.