Ephemerals

In parts of Maharashtra, certain plant species wait throughout the year to bloom only during the monsoon because they love rain.

Key points

  • Such plants are termed ephemerals. They are of two types — annual and perennial.
  • Annual ephemerals form new individuals every year and are seen for a very short period. They form seeds at the end of their life cycle, remaining dormant till the next year.
  • Perennials have a source like a tuber or a bulb in the soil, so it is the same individual, but the other parts (stem, flowers) are newly formed.
  • Monsoon ephemerals bloom towards the end of May and throughout June, July, August, and September.
  • Some other monsoon ephemerals will just form leaves and little branch structures after a few showers. These leaves stay for a month or more and then flowering starts, which goes on till July and August. The leaves stay till the end of monsoon and then disappear.
  • In some plants, like Nervilia and wild yam, flowers appear first and then the leaves.

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