Xerophyte


a plant adapted for growth under dry conditions.
noun
a xerophilous plant, such as a cactus
n.
xerophyte
(zîr’ə-fīt’)
a plant that is adapted to an arid environment. many xerophytes have specialized tissues (usually nonphotosynthetic parenchyma cells) for storing water, as in the stems of cacti and the leaves of succulents. others have thin, narrow leaves, or even spines, for minimizing water loss. xerophyte leaves often have abundant stomata to maximize gas exchange during periods in which water is available, and the stomata are recessed in depressions, which are covered with fine hairs to help trap moisture in the air. compare hydrophyte, mesophyte.

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    a sere occurring on dry soil. noun (ecology) a sere that originates in dry surroundings

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    of or relating to the condition of being dry and hot: a xerothermic climate. adapted to an environment that is dry and hot: a xerothermic organism.

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    abnormal dryness, as of the eye or skin. normal sclerosis of the tissue in an aged person. noun (pathol) abnormal dryness of bodily tissues, esp the skin, eyes, or mucous membranes adj.


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