April 1978
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| Photography by Dr. Sharon Johnson drsharonjohnson@comcast.net |
Imagery & site design by
Kat G. Kalamaras |
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April 1978 |
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| These yellow wildflowers (Oenothera sp.) exhibit a successful strategy to survive in arid climates: short life cycle and seed adaptations that limit germination to times when moisture is adequate. Short life cycle refers to the fact that many of these species can go from seed to seed in a matter of weeks. Because of this, they are often called "ephemerals." Seed adaptations that restrict germination to times of adequate moisture include mechanisms such as seed coatings that need water to dissolve, or coatings that must be cracked. Under natural conditions this occurs as seeds roll with gravel and water during periods of heavy runoff. Seeds of some desert wildflower species may lay in desert soils for decades, dormant until conditions are right. When conditions are right the desert can explode in bloom during the spring. But, alas for wildflower hunters, years may pass between spectacular blooms. | ||||||
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