Q.What are Xerophytes?

Xerophytes are drought-adapted plants whose thick cuticles, sunken stomata, reduced leaves, and deep/extensive roots together minimise water loss and maximise water capture in arid habitats.

Xerophytes grow in habitats where water is scarce or only intermittently available (deserts, dry rocky areas, sandy soils). To survive, they show a set of characteristic XEROMORPHIC adaptations:

• Reduced leaf surface area to cut down transpiration - leaves may be reduced to spines or scales (e.g. Opuntia/cactus), or be small and thick.
• A thick, waxy CUTICLE on the epidermis to reduce cuticular water loss.
• SUNKEN STOMATA (recessed into pits, sometimes with hair cover) to trap humid air and slow transpiration.
• Extensive, deep, and/or widely spreading ROOT SYSTEMS to draw water from a large volume of soil or from deep water tables. …