Ephemera - what is this? What plants are called ephemers and ephemeroids what?

Not all climate promotes long-term flowering plants. In some regions it is so inappropriate that the vegetation period lasts all of a few months or even weeks. In such places often grow ephemers and ephemeroids. Read more about them we'll talk.

Ephemera – what's this?

The Full life cycle of the plant usually takes a very long time. Only seeds can break through the ground for several months, not to mention further development. There are plants that live a year or two, but the oak and eucalyptus dead after the Millennium.

There are the types who have it so there is simply no time. It – ephemera. As a rule, they are common in areas with harsh conditions where most of the year access to light or nutrients is severely limited. To survive in such an environment, it is necessary to try. Some plants use thorns, others – a small increase, while others simply have learned to do everything very quickly.

Ephemera – is an annual herbaceous plants. One short (from two weeks to two months) season they have time to grow to the state of the adult plant, to wither, to bear fruit and wither away. And fell to the ground, the seeds will germinate in the next year, fully repeating the experience of “parents”.

Typical ephemera – the African malcolmia, grains of the wood, the song of spring, some poppies, lice, razumovich tal, antarus, etc. most of them small roots, unbranched stems. The leaves are small and not very dense, so that photosynthesis was leaking as much as possible and faster.

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Where did they meet?

Ephemera usually represent the vegetation of deserts, semideserts and steppes. In such places the weather is favourable only in short periods. In the deserts they occur during precipitation. Then in the barren lands appear rivers and their valleys filled with flowers and herbs. As soon as the hot sun will dry up the rivers, are disappearing, and plants.

Ephemera make up 80-90% of all vegetation of Africa. They are found in the Arabian Peninsula, in Kazakhstan, in the steppes of Ukraine, Russia and many other countries.

They do not always inhabit the deserts and steppes. Separate species common in deciduous forests, e.g. oak forests. Low-growing plants they are not too comfortable due to the shortage of sunlight. Ephemera usually appear here in the spring when the trees haven't got leaves. They develop rapidly and complete their life cycle by the time the magnificent crowns as they will block access to the sun.

Ephemeroids

The Vegetation of deserts and other areas with difficult climate is also represented by ephemeroids. Unlike ephemers, they live several years and in unfavorable period only suspend their growth.

A Perennial ephemeroids can be found growing alongside plants with ephemera. In addition, they are widely distributed in meadows in mixed coniferous and deciduous forests. Among ephemeroids: Scilla, kandyk, anemone, Crocus, tulips, crocuses, goose yellow onion, bulbous bluegrass.

They can slowly grow stems and leaves, but flower and fruit only in a short growing season. Favorable conditions for this to occur in early spring or fall. After flowering, the aerial bodies die, but remain underground tubers, bulbs or rhizomes, of which the following season will rise again above-ground parts.

Razumovich tal

This ephemera is also called resusci. With the exception of Antarctica, the plant spread all over the continents. It is found in Canada and the United States, in the southern and Central regions of South America, in North and South Africa, across Eurasia and Australia.

Razumovich lives only six weeks, and is able to campylotheca. Thanks to these properties, the plant is often used in laboratories for various studies, like the fruit fly or rats. It was even raised on space stations and planned to grow on Mars and the moon.

Nibs Asherah

As razumovich, grains belongs to the cabbage family. It grows to 20 inches. The leaves of the plant are oblong and are located close to the ground. At the end of a long and straight stalks are small pale yellow flowers collected in inflorescence.

Nibs blooms from April to June. Its seeds and stems are often used in folk medicine to cleanse the blood, kidneys, the treatment of bronchitis and pleurisy. It grows in meadows and fields, on rocky and sandy slopes. Found grains in Ukraine, Belarus, Central Asia, Siberia, the far East and the European part of Russia.

Scilla

Praleska often called “blue snowdrop” because of the strong affinity of plants. This is a typical ephemeroid that lives for several years. Bluebell flowers are often blue but can be white or yellow. It blooms about two weeks in April, some species appear in the autumn.

Scilla's found in Africa, Asia and southern Europe, Crimea, the South of the European part of Russia. The flower grows in the highlands or on the shaded very moist plains. Despite the fact that his homeland is the southern regions, it is perfectly resistant to frost.