Excretion in Plants

• Plants do not have nitrogenous waste

products in the same way as animals.
• Organic wastes are stored in non-living
parts of the plant, e.g. heartwood, where
they do not affect the living tissue.
• Excess minerals, e.g. Ca, may combine with
oxalic acid or pectic acid to form crystals
and safely stored in plant cells.
• Other excess ions may accumulate in
leaves, petals, fruits and seeds.
• They will be lost from the plant when the
leaves and petals fall or when fruits and
seeds are dispersed.
Plant adaptations to habitats
Plants in different habitats possess different adaptations:

Mesophytes: plants adapted to a habitat with adequate

water

Xerophytes: plants adapted to a dry habitat

Halophytes: plants adapted to a salty habitat

Hydrophytes: plants adapted to a freshwater habitat

Water lily leaf ~ Floating
Victoria regia
 Hydrophyte leaf
Thin cuticle
Upper epidermis

Stoma

Palisade mesophyll

Buoyancy ~ gas

Spongy mesophyll
(Aerenchyma)
Sclereid

Lower epidermis
Thin cuticle
Nymphaea
Mesophyll Sclerophyll
(xerophytic)
 Mesophyte leaf
Cuticle
Upper epidermis

Palisade mesophyll
Many chloroplasts

Vascular bundle

Spongy mesophyll

Stoma

Lower epidermis
Cuticle

Vitis
XEROPHYTES
Xerophytes possess some or all of
these adaptations to prevent
excessive water loss

•Stomata sunken in pits creates local

humidity/decreases exposure to air currents;

•Presence of hairs creates local humidity next

to leaf/decreases exposure to air currents by
reducing flow around stomata;

•Thick waxy cuticle makes more waterproof

impermeable to water;
Drought tolerant vascular plant
Stoma
Guard cells Thick
waxy
cuticle
Xerophytes possess some or all of
these adaptations to prevent
excessive water loss cont.

•Stomata on inside of rolled leaf creates local

humidity/decreases exposure to air currents
because water vapour evaporates into air
space rather than atmosphere e.g. British
Marram grass

•Fewer stomata decreases transpiration as this

is where water is lost;
Xerophyte adaptations summary:
Adaptation How it works Example

thick cuticle stops uncontrolled  

evaporation through leaf
cells
small leaf surface less surface area for conifer needles,
area evaporation cactus spines

low stomata smaller surface area for  

density diffusion

sunken stomata maintains humid air marram grass, cacti

around stomata

stomatal hairs maintains humid air marram grass, couch

(trichores) around stomata grass

rolled leaves maintains humid air marram grass,

around stomata

extensive roots maximise water uptake cacti

Triodia ~ “spinifex”: xerophytic grass, spreading
tussocks
 Xerophyte leaf
Thick cuticle
Upper epidermis

Palisade mesophyll

Spongy mesophyll

Vascular bundle
Stomata in deep
grooves or pits

Trichomes (hairs)

Lower epidermis
Oleander Thick cuticle
All Cacti are xerophytes
 XEROPHYTE
SPECIES STUDY:

MARRAM GRASS
Marram grass possesses:
rolled leaves, leaf hairs and
sunken stomata. These
adaptations make it resistant
to dry conditions and of
course sand-dunes which
drain very quickly retain very
little water.
 Crassula
colorata
CAM succulent
Night
Stomata open:
take up CO2 (Fix
as malic acid)
when low H2O
loss
Day
Release CO2
from acid, use in
P76 Q6 Describe 3 xerophtyic adaptations
Search through the internet
4 xerophytic adaptations of pinus leaf.