A labelled photomicrograph of a transection through a Prunus leaf (a typical mesophyte)

Mesophytes are terrestrial plants which are adapted neither for a particularly dry or particularly wet environment. Divisions Green algae land plants (embryophytes) non-vascular embryophytes Hepatophyta - liverworts Anthocerophyta - hornworts Bryophyta - mosses vascular plants (tracheophytes) seedless vascular plants Lycopodiophyta - clubmosses Equisetophyta - horsetails Pteridophyta - true ferns Psilotophyta - whisk ferns Ophioglossophyta - adderstongue ferns seed plants (spermatophytes) †Pteridospermatophyta - seed ferns Pinophyta - conifers Cycadophyta - cycads Ginkgophyta - ginkgo Gnetophyta - gnetae Magnoliophyta - flowering...

Properties

Such plants have some xeromorphic features in order that they should conserve enough water such as a cuticle, stomata with regulable diameter, and a greater number of stomata on the undersides of leaves, but lack others, meaning they do not retain too much water. Because of their lack of particular adaptation, when they are exposed to extreme conditions they do not survive well. For example, in hot weather they may overheat and suffer from temperature stress. They have no specific adaptations to overcome this, but, if there is enough water in the soil to allow this, they can increase their rate of transpiration by opening their stomata, thus meaning some heat is conducted away with the exiting water. In dry weather they may suffer from water stress (losing more water via transpiration than can be gained from the soil). Again they have no specific adaptations to overcome this, and can only respond by closing their stomata to prevent further dehydration. Their cells are thus likely to loose turgidity, prompting wilting. Wilting does actually have some benefits as it reduces the leaf surface area exposed to the atmosphere, meaning it reduces transpiration, and that exposed to solar radiation, meaning temperature stress is reduced. Although mesophytes often recover from such wilting, prolonged periods of it can lead to permanent wilting or cell plasmolysis and subsequently death. Water (from the Old English word wæter) is a colorless, tasteless, and odorless substance that is essential to all known forms of life and is known also as the most universal solvent. ... In botany the cuticle is the waxy covering produced by the epidermal cells of leaves to protect the plant from excessive water loss. ... This is not about surgically created bowel openings; see stoma (medicine) In botany, a stoma (also stomate; plural stomata) is a tiny opening or pore, found mostly on the undersurface of a plant leaf, and used for gas exchange. ... Transpiration is a continuous process caused by the evaporation of water from leaves of plants and its corresponding uptake from roots in the soil. ... A red-hot iron rod cooling after being worked by a blacksmith. ... Heat flow along perfectly insulated wire Heat conduction is the transmission of heat across matter. ... When bacteria or fungi clog a plants water-conducting or vascular system, they can cause permanent wilting and death. ... Atmosphere may refer to: a celestial body atmosphere, e. ... Plasmolysis is the contraction of cells within plants due to the loss of water through osmosis. ... Death is either the cessation of life in a living organism or the state of the organism after that event. ...