April 2017

The life span of an individual plant depends upon two factors. The first is the innate, genetically determined potential for longevity. The second is the effects of the environment, including soil and weather conditions, competing plants, disease-causing microbes, and herbivores. Historically, people have classified the life spans of plants into three categories: annuals, biennials, and […]

Paucicarpic and polycarpic plants normally reproduce more than once before they die. They are able to survive for at least one year following reproduction and hence are true perennials. Paucicarpic plants are short-lived herbs that may die after reproduction but more commonly live to reproduce two, three, or four times before dying. Paucicarpic plants are […]

Monocarpic plants have a general life history that involves four separate stages: germination, vegetative growth, reproduction, and death. The period of vegetative growth is very important to the monocarpic plant because during this time the plant manufactures and stores starch, which is rich in energy. When reproduction occurs, all that stored energy is devoted to […]