Features of age-related conditions of the Crambe tataria Sebeók in Western Kazakhstan

The study of age-related conditions is necessary to assess the state of populations and develop the measures for its protection. C. tataria is rare throughout the range, its habitats are often destroyed and the plant needs widespread protection. Despite the high degree of rarity and threat of plant destruction in natural populations, there is extremely little information about the characteristics of age-related states of C. tataria. The aim of our research was to study the age-related states of C. tataria in the northwestern part of Kazakhstan. Three periods and 8 age-related states were distinguished in the ontogenesis of C. tataria. The duration of ontogenesis from seedlings to the old generative state makes from 12 to 30 years. In the most arid conditions, plants remain in a virgin state indefinitely without starting to bloom, forming invasive-regressive cenopopulations. Vegetative buds on a shortened shoot are formed only among young generative species; they are not formed among middle-aged and old generative species. The incompleteness of age-related conditions does not provide population stability decrease and indicates a high plasticity of the species under extreme conditions of Cretaceous hills.