Archaeophyte

In Britain, archaeophytes are considered to be those species first introduced prior to the year 1492, when Christopher Columbus arrived in the New World and the Columbian Exchange began.

Archaeophytes include numerous weed species the seeds of which have been found in archaeological excavations – to which they had been brought by people (anthropochory), animals (zoochory) or the wind (anemochory).

Australia's collision with the Eurasian Plate led to additional South-east Asian plants entering the Australian flora like the Lepidium and Chenopodioideae.

Assisted migrations may also be the reason why some rainforest plants from New Guinea entered northern Australia more than 10,000 years ago.

Archaeophytes in the United Kingdom include sweet chestnut, wheat, field poppy, flixweed, red valerian, ground elders, soapwort, small toadflax, good king henry and cornflower.