Far from everywhere, the climate contributes to the long flowering of plants. In some regions it is so unsuitable that the growing season lasts for a couple of months, or even weeks. Ephemers and ephemeroids often grow in such places. We’ll talk more about them.
Ephemera is what?
The full life cycle of a plant usually takes a very long time. Only seeds can make their way through the earth for several months, not to mention further development. There are plants that live a year or two, but oak and eucalyptus die after millennia.
There are species that simply do not have that much time. These are ephemerals. They are typically found in areas with harsh conditions, where for most of the year access to light or nutrients is severely limited. To survive in such an environment you need to try. Some plants use thorns, others use small stature, and still others just learned how to do it very quickly.
Ephemera is an annual herbaceous plant. In one short (from two weeks to two months) season, they manage to grow to the state of an adult plant, bloom, give fruit and die. And seeds that have fallen to the ground will sprout as early as next year, repeating the experience of “parents” completely.
Typical ephemera are African malcolmia, oak groats, spring freckles, some poppies, woodlice, Talus coryza, anthurus, etc. Most of them have small roots, unbranched stems. Leaflets are small and not very dense, so that photosynthesis proceeds as intensively and quickly as possible.
Where do they meet?
Ephemera usually represent the vegetation of deserts, semi-deserts and steppes. In such places, the weather is favorable only in short periods. In deserts, they occur during precipitation. Then rivers appear on lifeless lands, and their valleys are filled with flowers and herbs. As soon as the sultry sun withers the rivers, the plants will disappear.
Ephemera make up 80-90% of all African vegetation. They are found on the Arabian Peninsula, in Kazakhstan, in the steppes of Ukraine, in Russia and many other countries of the world.
They do not always inhabit deserts and steppes. Some species are also common in deciduous forests, for example, oak forests. Low-growing plants in them are not too comfortable due to lack of sunlight. Ephemeras usually appear here in the spring, when the trees have not yet acquired foliage. They intensively develop and end their life cycle by the time the magnificent crowns block their access to the sun.
Ephemeroids
The vegetation of deserts and other places with a difficult climate is also represented by ephemeroids. Unlike the ephemera, they live for several years and in an unfavorable period they only suspend their growth.
Perennial ephemeroids can be found growing alongside ephemeral plants. In addition, they are widely distributed in meadows, in mixed, coniferous and broad-leaved forests. Among the ephemeroids: blueberries, kandyk, anemone, colchicum, tulips, crocuses, yellow goose onions, bluegrass.
They can slowly grow stems and leaves, but bloom and bear fruit only in a short growing season. Favorable conditions for this usually occur in early spring or autumn. After flowering, their aboveground organs die off, but tubers, bulbs or rhizomes remain underground, from which the aboveground parts will again grow in the next season.
Rezukhovidka Tal
This ephemer is also called a peeling knife. With the exception of Antarctica, the plant is distributed on all continents. It is found in Canada and the USA, in the southern and central regions of South America, in North and South Africa, throughout Eurasia and Australia.
The rezukhovidka lives only six weeks, and is able to self-pollinate. Due to these properties, the plant is often used in laboratories for various studies, like a fruit fly or rats. It was even grown on space stations and planned to grow on Mars and the Moon.
Krupka oak
Like rezukhovidka, krupka belongs to the cabbage family. It grows to 20 centimeters. The leaves of the plant are oblong and located close to the ground. At the end of long and straight stems there are small pale yellow flowers collected in inflorescences.
Krupka blooms from April to June. Its seeds and stems are often used in folk medicine to cleanse the blood, kidneys, treat bronchitis and pleurisy. It grows in meadows and fields, on rocky and sandy slopes. Grain is found in Ukraine, Belarus, Central Asia, Siberia, the Far East and the European part of Russia.
Scilla
Scilla is often called the "blue snowdrop" because of the strong similarity of plants. This is a typical ephemeroid that lives for several years. Bluebell flowers are often blue, but may be white or yellow. It blooms for about two weeks in April, some species appear in the fall.
Scilla is found in Africa, Asia and southern Europe, Crimea, the south of the European part of Russia. The flower grows in mountainous areas or on shady, well-moistened plains. Despite the fact that its homeland is the southern regions, it tolerates frosts perfectly.