In the Sahara Desert in Africa, there is a plant of the Asteraceae family called ephemeral chrysanthemum, which is the shortest-lived plant in the world. In the arid desert, rain is very scarce. As long as there is a little bit of moisture from raindrops, the seeds of ephemeral chrysanthemum will germinate and grow immediately. In just a few short weeks, the whole process of germination, rooting, growth, flowering, fruiting and death is completed.
Morphological characteristics: Its ligulate flowers are arranged around the head inflorescence like saw teeth. Interestingly, the flowers of ephemeral chrysanthemum are extremely sensitive to humidity. When the air is dry, they quickly close up; when it is slightly moist, they quickly open and bear fruit. When the fruit is ripe, it shrinks into a ball, rolls with the wind, spreads to other places, and reproduces offspring. Because it has a short life and comes and goes in a hurry, it is called “ephemeral chrysanthemum”.
