Osmoregulation in plants

Plants are divided into four main groups depending on the amount of water available to them. They are; halophytes, mesophytes and hydrophytes, xerophytes.

Hydrophytes

These are plants which live partially or completely submerged in water. They have thin or no cuticle at all, no vascular tissue and reduced root systems because water is readily available to them, they also have many stomata on the upper surface.

Halophytes

These are plants that live in salty waters; they have special cells which have a higher concentration of solute than those of the ordinary plants. As a result they are able to take up water in the normal way

Mesophytes

These are plants which grow in normal water well watered soils and water lost by transpiration is replaced by absorption. They have no special means of conserving water although most of them have a well developed root system.

Xerophytes

These are plants which live in arid conditions such as deserts, and have a problem of dehydration.