Hapaxanth
Encyclopedia
A hapaxanth is a term used for a plant
species whose individuals flower
s only once in their lifetime and die subsequently. Other terms with the same meaning are semelparous and monocarpic
.
Its antonym is often given as pollakanth
, although pleonanth is also seen.
The term was first used by Alexander Braun
.
This term is used for plants that only have one flowering event and then die. It's used most often in conjunction with describing some of the taxa of Arecaceae
(palms) and some species of bamboo
, but rarely used otherwise. Many annuals
flower over a period of time and can have flowers and seeds on the same plant at the same time, thus they are not hapaxanthic, because flowering does not lead to death. A similar term is monocarpic
, for a plant that bears fruit
once and then dies. A related term is pleonanthic, again used with Arecaceae (palms) and some bamboos for stems that flower more than once.
Plant
Plants are living organisms belonging to the kingdom Plantae. Precise definitions of the kingdom vary, but as the term is used here, plants include familiar organisms such as trees, flowers, herbs, bushes, grasses, vines, ferns, mosses, and green algae. The group is also called green plants or...
species whose individuals flower
Flower
A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants . The biological function of a flower is to effect reproduction, usually by providing a mechanism for the union of sperm with eggs...
s only once in their lifetime and die subsequently. Other terms with the same meaning are semelparous and monocarpic
Monocarpic
Monocarpic plants are those that flower, set seeds and then die. Other terms with the same meaning are hapaxanth and semelparous. The term was first used by Alphonse de Candolle....
.
Its antonym is often given as pollakanth
Pollakanth
Pollakanth is a plant that reproduced, flowers and sets seed, recurrently during its life. The term was first used by Frans R. Kjellman.Other terms with the same meaning are polycarpic and iteroparous.Its antonym is hapaxanth....
, although pleonanth is also seen.
The term was first used by Alexander Braun
Alexander Braun
Alexander Carl Heinrich Braun was a German botanist from Regensburg, Bavaria.He studied botany in Heidelberg, Paris and Munich. In 1833 he began teaching botany at the Polytechnic School of Karlsruhe, staying there until 1846...
.
This term is used for plants that only have one flowering event and then die. It's used most often in conjunction with describing some of the taxa of Arecaceae
Arecaceae
Arecaceae or Palmae , are a family of flowering plants, the only family in the monocot order Arecales. There are roughly 202 currently known genera with around 2600 species, most of which are restricted to tropical, subtropical, and warm temperate climates...
(palms) and some species of bamboo
Bamboo
Bamboo is a group of perennial evergreens in the true grass family Poaceae, subfamily Bambusoideae, tribe Bambuseae. Giant bamboos are the largest members of the grass family....
, but rarely used otherwise. Many annuals
Annuals
Annuals is a six-piece indie-pop outfit from Raleigh and Chapel Hill, North Carolina. The band was started by Adam Baker in 2003 as a side project of the still active sister band Sunfold, formerly known as Sedona and headed up by lead guitarist Kenny Florence....
flower over a period of time and can have flowers and seeds on the same plant at the same time, thus they are not hapaxanthic, because flowering does not lead to death. A similar term is monocarpic
Monocarpic
Monocarpic plants are those that flower, set seeds and then die. Other terms with the same meaning are hapaxanth and semelparous. The term was first used by Alphonse de Candolle....
, for a plant that bears fruit
Fruit
In broad terms, a fruit is a structure of a plant that contains its seeds.The term has different meanings dependent on context. In non-technical usage, such as food preparation, fruit normally means the fleshy seed-associated structures of certain plants that are sweet and edible in the raw state,...
once and then dies. A related term is pleonanthic, again used with Arecaceae (palms) and some bamboos for stems that flower more than once.