The Ecological Life Cycle of Frasera caroliniensis, a Long-lived Monocarpic Perennial

Abstract

In the life cycle of Frasera caroliniensis Walt., seed germination, seedling establishment, bud dormancy break, rosette expansion and bolting occur before the canopy closes in early May. Flowering occurs from early May to mid-June, and seeds are mature by early to mid-August; most of the seeds are dispersed during late autumn and winter. Senescence of the flowering stalk and/or rosette occurs from mid-June to late August. Temperature and precipitation can cause variations in the timing of phenological events. Plants of F. caroliniensis are monocarpic, but they live for many years before flowering. Factors which stimulate flowering are unknown. Size alone does not appear to be the sole determinant of whether or not a plant will flower in a given year. Although plants must grow to a certain minimum size before they can flower, not all plants flower when they reach this minimum size. Thus, there is an overlap in sizes of flowering and nonflowering plants.