XEROPHYTES AND HYDROPHYTES

ADAPTIVE FEATURES OF PLANTS IN

DIFFERENT ENVIRONMENTS IGCSE
BIOLOGY
 ADAPTIVE FEATURES
• Key definition
• An adaptive feature is an inherited feature that helps
an organism to survive and reproduce in its
environment.
• Key definitions
• Adaptive features are the inherited functional features
of an organism that increase its fitness.
• Fitness is the probability of that organism surviving
and reproducing in the environment in which it is
found.
 XEROPHYTES
• A xerophyte is a plant adapted to live in dry
conditions, for example desert plants.
• Plants that live in deserts can easily run short of
water, especially if the temperatures are hot.
• Desert plants such as succulents and cacti must
be well adapted to live in these difficult
conditions.
• All xerophytes have adaptations that help them
to survive in these difficult environments.
 Adaptations of xerophytes to reduce water
loss
• Closing stomata
• Plants lose water through their stomata.
• If they close their stomata, then transpiration will slow
down.
• However, if the stomata are closed , then the plant
cannot photosynthesise, because carbon dioxide
cannot diffuse into the leaf.
• Stomata close when it is very hot and dry, or when
they could not photosynthesise anyway such as at
night.
How stomata open and close
 Waxy cuticle
• The leaves of desert plants are often covered
with a waxy cuticle, made by cells in the
epidermis.
• The wax makes the leaf waterproof.
 Hairy leaves
• Some plants have hairs on their leaves.
• These hairs trap moist air next to the leaf.
 Stomata on the underside of leaf
• In most leaves, there are more stomata on the
lower surface than on the upper surface.
• The lower surface is usually cooler than the
upper one, so less water will evaporate.
• In desert plants ,there may be fewer stomata
than usual, and they may be sunk into deep
pits in the leaf.
 Cutting down on Surface area
• The smaller the surface area of the leaf, the
less water will evaporate from it.
• Plants like cacti, have leaves with a small
surface area, to help them conserve water.
However, this slows down photosynthesis,
because it means less light and carbondioxide
can be absorbed.
 Having deep spreading roots
• Desert plants may have to seek water very deep down in the soil.
• They usually have either very deep roots, or roots that spread o
long way sideways from where the plant is growing.
• Many plants even those that do not leave in the deserts have at
least some of the adaptations. For example a plant growing in the
garden may have to cope with hot, dry conditions at least some
of the time.
• Most plants have stomata on their undersides of their leaves,
which close when need arises.
• Most plants also have waxy cuticles on their leaves, to cut down
water loss.
Ferocactus a plant adapted to live in deserts
Transverse Section Through Leaf of Xerophytic Plant
Xerophytes possess some or all of
these adaptations to prevent
excessive water loss
•Stomata sunken in pits creates local
humidity/decreases exposure to air currents;

•Presence of hairs creates local humidity next

to leaf/decreases exposure to air currents by
reducing flow around stomata;

•Thick waxy cuticle makes more waterproof

impermeable to water;
Xerophytes possess some or all of
these adaptations to prevent
excessive water loss cont.

•Stomata on inside of rolled leaf creates local

humidity/decreases exposure to air currents
because water vapour evaporates into air
space rather than atmosphere e.g. British
Marram grass

•Fewer stomata decreases transpiration as this

is where water is lost;
Xerophyte adaptations summary:
Adaptation How it works Example

thick cuticle stops uncontrolled evaporation  

through leaf cells

small leaf surface less surface area for conifer needles, cactus
area evaporation spines

low stomata density smaller surface area for  

diffusion

sunken stomata maintains humid air around marram grass, cacti

stomata

stomatal hairs maintains humid air around marram grass, couch

(trichores) stomata grass

rolled leaves maintains humid air around marram grass,

stomata

extensive roots maximise water uptake cacti

All Cacti are xerophytes
Marram grass-an example of a xerophyte
• Marram grass (Ammophila) lives on sand dunes where water
drains away very quickly.
• It has very long roots to search for water deep down in the sand.
• Its leaves roll up into straw-like tubes in dry weather due to the
presence of hinge cells, which become flaccid as they lose water.
• Leaf rolling, along with the fact that the stomata are sunken,
helps around the stomata, reducing transpiration.
• The presence of fine hairs around the stomata reduces air
movement so humidity builds up and transpiration is reduced.
Marram grass growing on a sand dune
Transverse section of rolled up Marram grass
leaf
Marram grass as seen under a microscope
and the plan drawing
Hydrophytes :Adaptations to living in water
• Plants adapted to living in water are called hydrophytes.
• An example is the water lily (Nymphaea) .
• The leaves contain large air spaces to make them buoyant, so they float on
or near the surface .
• This enable them to gain light for photosynthesis.
• The lower epidermis lacks stomata to prevent water entering the air spaces,
while stomata are present on the upper epidermis for gas exchange.
• With land plants, most stomata are usually on the lower epidermis.
• The roots of hydrophytes, which can be poorly developed, also contain air
spaces.
• This is because the mud they grow in is poorly oxygenated and the root cells
need oxygen for respiration.
• Stems lack much support as the water they are surrounded by provides
buoyancy for the plant.
Water lily (Nymphaea)
Section through water lily leaf