Efimerófito

Epimerophyte is that plant species that runs the unfavorable age for growth in the underground way, in the form of seed. The term comes from the Greek ephemeros, who lives a day and phyto, plant.

It is a type of vegetation that has adapted a short vital form and a short growth cycle. They reproduce and fructify in a short time. They have in common small size, high density, short life cycles and multiple generations, when conditions are adequate. Plants, in their process of adaptation or convergence to the climate and diverse environments, develop a series of external characters, morphological and structural. These predominant external characters form categories that are essential for the knowledge of the formations and plant communities of the earth, are the so-called biotypes.

They can be confused with geophytes, but these are always perennial plants that pass the unfavorable season in the form of a bulb. The clearest identifying characteristic of the epimerophytes is that they have a short development time and a latent life in which the plant spends the unfavorable time in the form of dormant seeds removed in the soil. This is due to parallel evolution, since epimerophyte life species do not have to be related. Their presence is usually due to weather and other conditions, such as lack of water, fires or a season favorable for short and sporadic growth. The torrential regime and climatic conditions can vary widely. Nevertheless, these plants find the way to obtain water, protect themselves from heat or cold and fructify, they have seeds which lie dormant until the rainwater or torrents awakens them. They obtain the vital water for their existence in a short period of time. They tend to be annual herbaceous plants and flowers (if they exist) are usually small.

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