Transcript DAV College For Girls, Yamunanagar

HALOPHYTES, XEROPHYTES,
HYDROPHYTES, MESOPHYTES
CAPE BIOLOGY UNIT 2
OCTOBER 31, 201`
Xerophytes
• Plants adapted to conditions of unfavorable
water balance e.g. hot climates, dry climates,
cold or frozen climates.
• Mesophytes (opposite)
• Halophytes live in salty regions
Xerophytes
Halophytes
• Plants that can tolerate water of high salinity or
salt content.
• E.g. are the sea grape and mangroves which have
a special filtering system in the roots to remove
excess salts.
• Xerophytes, halophytes and some mesophytes
have xeromorphic features such as:
• reduced respiration rate
• storage of water (succulents)
• resistance to desiccation
Hydrophytes
•
•
•
Plants live submerged in water.
Live in marshes, swamps and aquatic regions
Adaptive features :
1. aeration tissue (lacunae)
2. absence of sclerenchyma and underdeveloped xylem
3. Submerged leaves lack stomata
4. Floating leaves have stomata in the adaxial epidermal surface
only
Hydrophytes
Lacunae