xerophyte

American  

[zeer-uh-fahyt] / ˈzɪər əˌfaɪt /

noun

1. a plant adapted for growth under dry conditions.

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xerophyte British  

/ ˌzɪərəˈfɪtɪk, ˈzɪərəˌfaɪt /

noun

1. a xerophilous plant, such as a cactus

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xerophyte Scientific  

/ zîr′ə-fīt′ /

1. A plant that is adapted to an arid environment. Many xerophytes have specialized tissues (usually nonphotosynthetic parenchyma cells) for storing water, as in the stems of cacti and the leaves of succulents. Others have thin, narrow leaves, or even spines, for minimizing water loss. Xerophyte leaves often have abundant stomata to maximize gas exchange during periods in which water is available, and the stomata are recessed in depressions, which are covered with fine hairs to help trap moisture in the air.

2. Compare hydrophyte mesophyte

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Other Word Forms

• xerophytic adjective
• xerophytically adverb
• xerophytism noun

Etymology

Origin of xerophyte

First recorded in 1895–1900; xero- + -phyte

Example Sentences

The ordinary plants, not the xerophytes, are the ones that are chiefly preserved since they occur in most abundance near streams where deposition is taking place.

From Project Gutenberg