Lifecycle Adaptations Flashcards
What is the lifecycle of a plant?
Seed (embryonic)
Juvenile
Adult
Senescence
Death
Explain Seed stage?
Growth suspended till right environmental conditions are met.
Little metabolic activity
Low respiration
Low moisture content
How do seeds affect biodiversity?
Easy to spread plant population
May become dominant in area, influencing insect populations
May become invasive
How does this affect plant design in gardens?
Value linked to life cycle groups (perennial vs. annual)
How does it spread? rhizome/seed?
Genetically different which is good.
What is the Juvenile stage?
Produces only vegetative growth (unable to flower or reproduce)
How is juvenile stage affect biodiversity?
No chance to reproduce but great cover crops.
Cutting of juvenile root better.
Great for winter protection/layering
Examples:
Hedera helix, Cornus alba, Fagus sylvatica.
What is the adult stage?
Flowering and Sexual reproduction
What is senescence
Metabolism slows
Entire plant/fruit die back
Produces seedheads
What are the plant classifications according to their lifecycles?
Ephemeral (Taraxacum officinale or Stellaria media): Quickly colonize, quick to smother.
Annuals: Eschscholzia californica, Calendula officinalis) Enhance color and good for pollinators.
Hardy Annual: Withstand frost to 10c. Seeds sown in ground in autumn, germinate in Feb/Mar: Nigella damascena, Helianthus annus)
Half Hardy Annual: Withstand -5C. Sown under glass (mar/apr). Outdoors after frost: Cosmos bipinnatus, Nemesia caerulea
Biennials: Year 1 roots; Year 2 flower; Daucus carota, Digitalis purpuea
Tender Biennial: Oenothera biennis.
Perennials: complete life cycle more than 2 years. Flowers short lived; Phlox paniculate cv.
What is a herbaceous perennial
Does not form woody stems
Dies in fall new growth spring
Echinacea purpurea cv. Rudbeckia fulgida var. deamii
Tender perennial Heliotropium arborescens.
Example of evergreen herbaceous perennials
Long lived, non woody.
Provide winter presence.
Armeria maritima, Helleborus x hybridus cv.
Examples of woody perennials
TREE: Quercus robur, Fagus sylvatica
Shurb: Skimmia japonica, Buddleja davidii
Subshrub: Thymus vulgaris, Salvia rosmarinus
What should you be aware of when planting a woody perennial?
Long term investment:
Site selection, water and sun requirements essential.
Provides shelter for wildlife, privacy, decoration and area division.
Examples of perennials
Half Hardy: Heliotropium arborescens
Hardy: Achillea millefolium
Semi EG: Liqustrum vulgare or Quercus turneri
DESCRIBE BULBS
Herbaceous perennials
Swollen storage organs
Fleshy leaves in concentric rings attached to basal plate
Monocots
Allium validum, Narcissus papyraceus, Tulipa ianata ‘Regal’.
Describe Corms
Enlarged underground stems that store nutrients
surrounded by papery outer layers
Cormlets attached at bottom.
Crocus sativa, Gladiolus palustrus
Describe Tubers
Swollen stems or root enlarged storage.
stem tubers can start new plant.
root tubers need to be divided but do not grow new plants, just separated.
STEM TUBER: Solanum tuberosum
TUBER: Dahlia ‘Bishop of Llandaff’
What is a rhizome?
Swollen underground stem
Continuously grow horizontal above or at ground level
Bambusa vulgaris, Zingiber officinale, Iris pseudacorus.
What is an ecological niche?
Describes how a species interacts with and lives in its habitat.
Specific characteristics:
1. Dictates how it will survive
a. availabilty of nutrients, temp, sunlight, predators, and terrain.
b. impact of species on its enviornment as well as species requirements.
What is the competitive exclusion principle?
Two species can’t occupy same eco niche if competing for same resources.
Natural selection: if successful it reduces competition
If neither evolves to reduce competition, species that more efficiently exploits the resources wins.
What are the 10 plant survivability climates?
6 Natural
Mesophytes: Temperate
Xerophytes: Arid
Hydrophytic Freshwater aquatic
Cryophytes Arctic
Halophytes Coastal
Epiphytes Grown on other plants
Manmade:
Greenhouse
Fern House
Cacti and succulents
Alpine House