Question

Which of the following is true?
(a)Hygrophyte have bilateral automatic leaves
(b)Hygrophytes have aerenchyma
(c)Most of the hygrophyte have hydathodes
(d)Xerophytes have more lenticels but the thin cuticle

Answer 1

Hygrophyte is plants that grow in wet conditions. Their distinctive feature is that, in contrast to xerophytes, they have no adaptations that limit their consumption of water. Hygrophyte has, for the most part, large thin blades with a weakly developed cuticle. They are therefore characterized by high curricular transpiration.

Complete answer:
Hygro literally means something related to moisture. The term hygro comes from the Greek word. A Hygrophytes is a plant living above ground that is adapted to conditions of moisture pads of the surrounding air. They inhabit dark and wet forests and islands, darkened swamp, and very humid bloody meadows. Examples of hygrophytes are cyperus, drosera, oxalis, Juncus, etc. These structural characteristics are very pronounced in herbaceous plants, growing in tropical rainforests. The plants in grass swamps, whose roots are in constantly moist soil and who’s above organs are subjected to the drying effect of the sun and wind, have somewhat thicker cuticles. Most hygrophytes have hydathodes. Hydathodes are very common in the leaf tips of many hygrophytes. Hydathodes is a type of pore commonly found in angiosperms. These are structures that discharge water from the interior of the leaves to its surface in a process called guttation.

Additional Information:
-Guttation is an adaptation for the elimination of surplus water.
- Guttation water exudes through hydathodes or water stomata, seen at the xylem terminals of leaves.
- Hydathodes are stomata like pores generally present at the tips or margins of leaves of those plants which grow in moist shady places.
-water pores are present over a mass of loosely arranged cells called epithem.
-In between the cells are intercellular spaces. The xylem of veinlets usually terminates among thin parenchymatous cells of epithem.
- The driving force of guttation is the root pressure that develops in the xylem sap of roots.
- in xerophytes lenticels are absent, sunken stomata and thick cuticle is present
So, the correct answer is ‘Most hygrophytes have hydathodes.’

Note: Hydrophyte is a plant that lives in the abundance of water, usually excluding seaweed while hygrophyte is any plant that grows wholly in water, either rooted to the bottom or floating freely. Hydrophytes are adapted to aquatic environments. They have leaves with very reduced or absent cuticle and no stomata. Hygrophytes are plants that grow in moist habitats l. It is a type of plant that does not live in an aquatic environment though still requires copious amounts of water.