| Home | E-mail | Cactuspedia | Mail Sale Catalogue | Links | Information | Search  |

 
 
 
Xeromorphic [ Botany - Ecology ]

Dictionary of botanic terminology - index of names
     
  Having special features which protect the plant from desiccation allowing them to survive with a small amount of water in a dry habitats.
 		  
     
Refers to specialized structural adaptations and features of plants adapted to live in dry habitats (xerophytes)

Xeroromorphic features Include:
  1. Reduced surface to volume ratio:  rounded leaves, scale leaves
  2. Thick cuticle, thick cell walls
  3. Hairs
  4. Sunken stomata
  5. CAM metabolism (open stomata at night, fix CO2 (+ PEP) into malic acid, decarboxylate in the day while stomata are closed
  6. Succulence = parenchyma with large vacuoles filled with dilute or mucilaginous sap.
  7. Morphological adaptations include woody stem succulents and primary stem succulents
  8. Spines
     

 


Advertising



 

 
1

| Home | E-mail | Cactuspedia | Mail Sale Catalogue | Links | Information | Search  |