EPHERMALS
- ENVIRONMENT
News:
Maharashtra’s ephemerals:
plants that wait for monsoon to bloom
What's
in the news?
●
Blooming is often associated with the
spring season. Yet, only a few know that in parts of Maharashtra, certain plant
species wait throughout the year to bloom only during the monsoon because they
love rain.
Ephemeral:
●
The word 'ephemeral' means transitory, or quickly fading.
●
So, these are plants that live their lives
- germinate, produce seeds, flower, and die - within a short period of time to
take advantage of optimal conditions.
●
Plants
with short life cycles are known as ephemerals.
Types
of ephemerals:
Spring
ephemerals:
●
Plants emerge quickly in the spring and
die back to their underground parts after a brief growth and reproduction
phase.
Desert
ephemerals:
●
Plants that have evolved to take advantage
of arid climates' brief wet periods.
Weedy
ephemerals:
●
Very short-lived plants that live for less
than a growing season in areas subjected to recurring human disturbance, such
as ploughing.