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

Explanation

A xerophyte is a plant that can survive with very little water. Cactuses are able to thrive in the driest desert conditions because they're xerophytes. The Greek roots of xerophyte are xeros, "dry," and phyton, "a plant." Botanists use this term for species that have adapted to thrive in conditions that would quickly kill other plants. It makes perfect sense that a cactus in a barren desert falls into this category, but it may be surprising to learn that pineapples are also xerophytes, with shallow roots and curved leaves adapted to send any moisture into the plant's center.

Example Sentences

Another leafless Asclepiad, Periploca aphylla, which extends westwards to Arabia and Nubia and southwards to Sindh, is, like Boucerosia, a typical xerophyte adapted to a very dry soil and atmosphere.

From The Panjab, North-West Frontier Province, and Kashmir by Douie, James McCrone, Sir