A plant that lives in places where water is either in short supply (physical drought), e.g. deserts or sand dunes, or where there is plenty of water but it is not easily obtainable (physiological drought), e.g. in salt marshes and mudflats. A succulent plant conserves water by storing it in large parenchyma cells in swollen stems and leaves. Many succulents reduce water loss by having rolled leaves, leaves reduced to spines, sunken stomata, etc. Some succulents conserve water by opening their stomata at night and closing them during the day (see crassulacean acid metabolism). Examples of succulents are desert cacti, many salt marsh plants, and Sedum species. See also halophyte , xerophyte. |
