Demographic study of Gynandropsis gynandra - A desert annual

The present study was designed to investigate the surviving patterns of gynandropsis gynandra (l.) briq.,an annual herb widely distributed in the tropical and sub-tropical regions of the world. the plants exhibited deevey type i survivorship curve with mortality concentrated in the later stage of life. an initial increase in the number of individuals was observed with the onset of monsoon showers. the population size decreased with time due to the harsh environmental conditions,like short moisture period and high temperature. a gradual increase in the plant height (50–90 cm) elucidates progression of the population with the time. in the early stages of life,biomass allocation was mainly towards vegetative parts,following a progressive shift towards reproductive structures,in the later phase of life and the flowering starts in the third weak of life. © 2015,pakistan botanical society. all rights reserved.