Do xerophytes have stomata?

Xerophytes are a group of plants that live in very dry regions. They can survive in these areas because they possess adaptations that keep them from drying out. The first adaptation are the presence of stomata, which are microscopic openings in plant leaves that release water vapor, think of them as tiny pores.

What kind of stomata is present in xerophytes?

Xerophytes are the plants which are found in extreme dry conditions. They have very less number stomata present in sunken pits and therefore called sunken stomata. Their stomata being present in grooves keep the area around moist to tackle the water shortage.

Which are features of leaves of xerophytes?

Xerophyte survival characteristics:

• Thick cuticle.
• Stomatal closure.
• Reduction in # of stomata.
• Stomata hidden in crypts or depressions in leaf surface (less exposure to wind and sun).
• Reduction in size of transpiration surface (lower leaf only).
• Increased water storage.

What is a Xerophytic Leaf?

Xerophyte, any plant adapted to life in a dry or physiologically dry habitat (salt marsh, saline soil, or acid bog) by means of mechanisms to prevent water loss or to store available water. Succulents (plants that store water) such as cacti and agaves have thick, fleshy stems or leaves.

How do xerophytes get water?

The following adaptations allow plants to survive in the hot desert environment: Small leaves – these ensure that less water is lost from the plant by transpiration because the leaf has a smaller surface area. Tap roots – these are long roots (7-10 metres long) that reach deep under the ground to access water supplies.

What are xerophytes give any three examples?

Popular examples of xerophytes are cacti, pineapple and some Gymnosperm plants. The structural features (morphology) and fundamental chemical processes (physiology) of xerophytes are variously adapted to conserve water, also common to store large quantities of water, during dry periods.

What is stomata explain with diagram?

Hint: The stomata in plants are enclosed by bean shaped cells called guard cells. Stomata are tiny openings or pores in plant tissue that allow for exchange of gases. Stomata are typically found in plant leaves but can also be found in some stems. Fig- Labelled diagram of stomata.

How many types of stomata are there?

In ferns, four different types are distinguished: hypocytic stomata have two guard cells in one layer with only ordinary epidermis cells, but with two subsidiary cells on the outer surface of the epidermis, arranged parallel to the guard cells, with a pore between them, overlying the stoma opening.

What is the function of stomata?

Stomata, the small pores on the surfaces of leaves and stalks, regulate the flow of gases in and out of leaves and thus plants as a whole.

What is the type of leaf?

There are two different types of leaves – simples leaves and compound leaves. The other types of leaves include acicular, linear, lanceolate, orbicular, elliptical, oblique, centric cordate, etc. They perform the function of photosynthesis and help in the removal of excess water from the aerial parts of the plant.

Which plants have spines instead of leaves?

cactus have spines instead of leaves to prevent a loss of water from the surface of the leaf. Cactus has spines rather than leaves so as to save water.

Is pineapple a Xerophyte?

The pineapple is a perennial, monocotyledonous, xerophytic plant, up to 1.5 m high, of herbaceous, lily-like habit, but with tough, spiny-tipped leaves that are waxy on the upper surface and possess a fragile dusty bloom on the underside.

Where are the stomata located on a xerophytic plant?

The leaves of several xerophytic grasses roll tightly under dry conditions. In these grasses, the stomata are confirmed to the ventral surface of the leaf, so that when the leaf edges roll inward, the stomata are effectively shut away from the outside air.

Why are the hairs on the leaves of a xerophyte plant important?

The leaf hairs help create a microclimate, preventing transpiration through the stomata as the concentration gradient has been reduced, making it harder for water evaporation out of the stomata. Stomata of the rolled leaves will not be exposed to the wind, reducing the rate of transpiration further, reducing water loss.

What is the name of the swollen base of a xerophyte plant?

A swollen trunk or root at the ground level of a plant is called a caudex and plants with swollen bases are called caudiciforms. Tiny pores on the surface of a xerophytic plant called stomata may open only at night, so as to reduce evaporation.

Where does photosynthesis take place in a xerophyte?

In some plants the photosynthesis takes place in the stem where assimilatory tissues are well- developed. The reduction of leaf surface is usually accompanied by well-evolved sclerenchyma, water storage tissue and sunken stomata. Xerophytes, with reduced leaves, are called micro- phyllous.