Question

The plants which grow on land but need very less amount of water are called as
A) Xerophytes
B) Pteridophytes
C) Hydrophytes
D) Mesophytes

Answer 1

Different types of plants are found in different types of habitat depending on the adaptation they made to survive on the particular environment. The adaptation may be related to salinity of soil, less water, or the other environmental stress.

Complete answer:
To answer this question, we have to know details about the different morphological and physiological adaptation made by the plants to survive. According to this the plants are divided into; hydrophytes, mesophytes and xerophytes. The hydrophytes are the aquatic pants that have the adaptation to live in the aquatic environment that is freshwater or saltwater. They are also considered as the macrophytes for example, vallisneria, utricularia, trapa, pistia, etc.. Mesophiles are the terrestrial plants that are not adapted to dry or wet environments, for example; rural temperate meadow that consists of clover, goldenrod, rosa multiflora, and oxeye daisy.
Now, the xerophytes are the plant species that require very less amount of water to survive, so, such types of plant species are found in desert or ice or snow covered regions. The physiology and the morphology of xerophytes undergo various adaptations to conserve water and store large quantities of water in it. They adapted many environmental stresses to survive in desiccated form for a long time during which the metabolic activities of such plants get shut down and plants of such morphology and physiology of adaptation are considered as xeromorphic. The xerophytes have very small leaves or spines to reduce the transpiration process that means reduction in the loss of water.

Thus, the correct option is ‘D’. Xerophytes.

Note: The Pteridophytes is the phylum of plant kingdom that comprises plants that have vascular tissue and reproduce through dispersing spores as they do not produce flowers or fruits and are considered as cryptogams.