Xerophytes are plants that can Survive in any environment, such as desert, where water supply is scare. They show the following adaptations:
• the roots are well developed. They grow down to great depths if necessary, and branch extensively in order to absorb water from as large an area as possible.
• some Xerophytes have swollen stems or leaves containing water storage cells. These are known as succulents and can withstand long periods of drought. Examples include cacti, Euphorbia and aloe.
• Xerophytes have various ways of reducing water loss from leaved by transpiration. For example, in many cacti, the leaves are reduced to spines. The stems become fleshy and green and take over the photosynthesis. In acacia, the leaf blade is absent and the leaf stalk becomes flattened to carry out photosynthesis. The leaves of some Xerophytes are covered with thick waxy cuticles or hairs, while in some, thr numbers of stomata are greatly reduced or sunken into pits.
• the protoplasm in the cells of Xerophytes can tolerate a high degree of water loss without being damaged. This is an extremely important adaptation that enables Xerophytes to withstand prolonged droughts.
