succulent plant

n. plant having fleshy leaves or stems that store water

Succulent plants, also known as succulents or fat plants, are water-retaining plants adapted to arid climate or soil conditions. Succulent plants store water in their leaves, stems and/or roots. The storage of water often gives succulent plants a more swollen or fleshy appearance than other plants, also known as succulence. In addition to succulence, succulent plants variously have other water-saving features. These may include:CAM metabolism to minimize water lossAbsent, reduced, or cylindrical to spherical leavesreduction in the number of stomatastems, rather than leaves, as the main site of photosynthesisa compact, reduced, cushion-like, columnar or spherical growth formribs enabling rapid increases in plant volume and decreasing surface area exposed to the sun waxy, hairy or spiny outer surface to reduce water loss via the creation of a humid microhabitat around the plant and a reduction in air movement near the surface of the plant.
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