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Some xerophytes have tiny hair on their surfaces to provide a wind break and reduce air flow, thereby reducing the rate of evaporation. When a plant surface is covered with tiny hair, it is called tomentose. Stomata is located in these hair or in pits to reduce their exposure to wind. This enables them to maintain a humid environment around them.
The stomata sit in small pits within the curls of the structure, which makes them less likely to open and lose water. The folded leaves have hairs on the inside to slow or stop air movement, much like many other xerophytes (though these are typically found on the outside of the plant,in marram grass they are also within the leaf as this has now ...
xerophyte widespread in the family; Mesembryanthemum crystallinum is a rare instance of an halophyte that displays CAM [36] Cactaceae: xerophyte Almost all cacti have obligate Crassulacean Acid Metabolism in their stems; the few cacti with leaves may have C 3 Metabolism in those leaves; [37] seedlings have C 3 Metabolism. [38] Portulacaceae ...
They usually have larger, thinner leaves compared to xerophytes, sometimes with a greater number of stomata on the undersides of leaves. Because of their lack of particular xeromorphic adaptations, when they are exposed to extreme conditions they lose water rapidly, and are not tolerant of drought.
Certain xerophytes, like oleander, feature stomata that are recessed as a form of protection against hot, dry desert winds, which allows the leaves to retain water more effectively. Another unique adaptation can be found in xerophytes like ocotillo, which are "leafless during most of the year, thereby avoiding excessive water loss". [15]
The long narrow leaves can roll or fold, and the rough upper leaf surface, which contains the gas exchange openings (stomata), can orient itself away from the wind. [ 8 ] Beachgrass is a dominant species on foredunes, and is sometimes the only plant found there, but is unable to grow farther inland on stabilized dunes and soil .
Stoma in a tomato leaf shown via colorized scanning electron microscope image A stoma in horizontal cross section The underside of a leaf. In this species (Tradescantia zebrina) the guard cells of the stomata are green because they contain chlorophyll while the epidermal cells are chlorophyll-free and contain red pigments.
As well as closing their stomata, most plants can also respond to drought by altering their water potential (osmotic adjustment) and increasing root growth. Plants that are adapted to dry environments ( Xerophytes ) have a range of more specialized mechanisms to maintain water and/or protect tissues when desiccation occurs.