Final answer:
The blooming of Pink Rain Lilies after storms may be linked to atmospheric changes like lightning-induced nitrogen compounds, acting as a fertilizer signal, and barometric pressure shifts. Plants employ a variety of adaptations to their environments, including rapid flowering cycles and moisture capture mechanisms. In some cases, controlled dark periods can also induce flowering.
Step-by-step explanation:
The phenomenon you have observed with your Pink Rain Lilies blooming following storms, even without direct rainfall, may indeed be linked to atmospheric changes associated with storms.
While the exact trigger for Pink Rain Lilies (and other similar plants) to bloom is not always clear, it is known that such plants have evolved to take advantage of specific environmental cues.
In some cases, lightning from a storm can cause a chemical reaction in the atmosphere, leading to the formation of nitric oxide which can ultimately yield nitrogen compounds when dissolved in rain.
These compounds can be absorbed by the soil and may act as a natural fertilizer, possibly signaling the lilies to flower. Barometric pressure changes during a storm might also play a role.
However, it is also essential to consider that plants have complex mechanisms for survival, and various factors can contribute to their flowering patterns.
Other adaptations, such as those seen in plants from arid regions that rapidly complete their life cycle after rare rains, or aquatic plants like water lilies that float to maximize sunlight absorption, reflect the diversity of strategies plants use in different environments.
Epiphytes, like certain ferns and bromeliads, capture moisture from the air, displaying another form of adaptation.
In the case of controlled experiments with shrubs subjected to different light schedules, flowering can be induced by giving plants a sufficient amount of uninterrupted dark periods, suggesting that such plants are short-day plants that require longer nights to trigger blooming.