Leaf deciduousness and flowering of woody caatinga species

We determined the distribution (FDI), duration (FDU), and peak (FPE) of flowering in woody deciduous (DE) and evergreen (EV) species of the Caatinga with available data in the literature. Possible relations were established between leaf persistence and reproductive phenology throughout the year. The FDI indicated the relative number of species bearing flowers in each month, and the FDU denoted the number of months each species showed flowers. We defined the FPE as the four consecutive months with the highest number of species in flower. DE and EV did not show significant differences in FDI and FDU, probably due to the inability to sustain reproductive and vegetative annexes of woody axes simultaneously during the dry period. Some DE species showed flowering during the dry period in a crown free of leaves. EV flowering occurred outside the dry period. Flowering during the dry season in DE may happen due to water accumulated inside the plant body. FPE in EV during the transition between dry-rainy periods may indicate the ability to capture the first rain from all the plant body surface, covering the hydric demand of full foliage and folded reproductive buds anticipating the flowering in DE. This resulted in different values of FPE between DE and EV.