Plietesials
Encyclopedia
Plietesials are plant
s that grow for a number of years, flower
gregariously (en masse), set seed
and then die.
The length of the cycle can vary between 8 and 16 years. For example, the Neelakurinji plant flowers every 12 years and
bloomed as expected in 2006 in the Munnar
region of Kerala
.
The life history of certain species among unrelated families of flowering plants is termed as Aplietesial including Poaceae, Arecaceae, Scrophulariaceae, Fabaceae, Apocynaceae, and Acanthaceae. The term plietesial has been used in reference to perennial monocarpic plants “of the kind most often met with in the Strobilanthinae” (a subtribe of Acanthaceae containing Strobilanthesand allied genera) that usually grow gregariously, flower simultaneously following a long interval, set seed, and die. Other commonly used expressions or terms which apply to part or all of the plietesial life history include gregarious flowering, mast seeding, and supra-annual synchronized semelparity (semelparity = monocarpy). It is not clear why gregarious flowering after long vegetative intervals would be associated with death after flowering, although both are associated with higher reproductive outputs.
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...
s that grow for a number of years, 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...
gregariously (en masse), set seed
Seed
A seed is a small embryonic plant enclosed in a covering called the seed coat, usually with some stored food. It is the product of the ripened ovule of gymnosperm and angiosperm plants which occurs after fertilization and some growth within the mother plant...
and then die.
The length of the cycle can vary between 8 and 16 years. For example, the Neelakurinji plant flowers every 12 years and
bloomed as expected in 2006 in the Munnar
Munnar
Munnar is one of the most popular hill station in Kerala and in southern India. Munnar is located on the Western Ghats, situated in the Idukki district....
region of Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
.
The life history of certain species among unrelated families of flowering plants is termed as Aplietesial including Poaceae, Arecaceae, Scrophulariaceae, Fabaceae, Apocynaceae, and Acanthaceae. The term plietesial has been used in reference to perennial monocarpic plants “of the kind most often met with in the Strobilanthinae” (a subtribe of Acanthaceae containing Strobilanthesand allied genera) that usually grow gregariously, flower simultaneously following a long interval, set seed, and die. Other commonly used expressions or terms which apply to part or all of the plietesial life history include gregarious flowering, mast seeding, and supra-annual synchronized semelparity (semelparity = monocarpy). It is not clear why gregarious flowering after long vegetative intervals would be associated with death after flowering, although both are associated with higher reproductive outputs.
Description
A good description of this Natural History aspect of a plant's life cycle can be found in the following report:See also
- Semelparity
- MonocarpicMonocarpicMonocarpic 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....
- Masting
- Strobilanthes callosusStrobilanthes callosusStrobilanthes callosus Nees is a shrub found mainly in the low hills of the western ghats all along the west coast of India. Its standardized Hindi language name is Maruadona by which it is called in the state of Madhya Pradesh where it is also found...
- Strobilanthes kunthianaStrobilanthes kunthianaNeelakurinji , is a shrub that used to grow abundantly in the shola grasslands of the Western Ghats in South India above 1800 metres...