therophyten

Therophytes are plants that complete their entire life cycle within a single growing season and survive unfavorable periods as seeds. This life-form represents an annual or ephemeral strategy where the dominant above-ground phase is short and the next generation arises from seeds when conditions improve.

In therophytes the plant typically dies after flowering and seed production, leaving no persistent perennating organs. The life cycle is rapid, with germination, vegetative growth, flowering, and seed maturation often occurring within weeks to a few months. The emphasis is on swift reproduction to ensure a new seed crop before conditions become unfavorable again.

These plants are especially common in climates with pronounced dry or cold seasons, such as deserts, steppes, and Mediterranean-type ecosystems, and they frequently occur among annual weeds in disturbed habitats. They often rely on a soil seed bank, with seeds that can remain viable for extended periods and germinate in response to favorable conditions like adequate rainfall.

Taxonomically, therophytes belong to Raunkiaer’s system of plant life forms, which classifies plants according to the location of their perennating buds. Therophytes contrast with geophytes (underground perennating organs), chamaephytes (buds near the ground), hemicryptophytes (buds at or just below the soil surface), and phanerophytes (above-ground perennating organs). The term highlights an annual, seed-based strategy adapted to seasonal environments.