Hot Desert Plants

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Hot Desert Plants
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Some times the desert is in bloom Blooms occur
after rain storms
The flowering plants are ephemerals only there
for a short time The germinate, grow, flower,
produce seed and die back quickly after rain
The seeds lie dormant until it rains again
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• Desert Plants include scrub / bushes which have
  to be adapted to survive in the extremely dry
  conditions
• The plant can have adapted
• . Leaves
• Stems and
• Roots

The creosote bush has waxy leaves to reduce water
loss and The leaves have real aroma to put
animals off eating them.
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Creosote bushes are very hardy and can tolerate
soils that are very alkaline. The evaporation
brings poisonous salts to the surface.
The creosote bushes are spaced wide apart as each
plant has shallow widespread roots so they can
get water even if there is just a light shower
that only wets the surface
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Creosote bushes grow out in a circle from the
original plant and can survive for thousands of
years. The old core dies but the circumference
plants survive.
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Cactii are only found in North America. The
Saguaro cactus is the state flower of
Arizona. Its leaves are tiny thorns so it
doesnt get eaten, The stem is green for
photosynthesis And the concertina folds swell up
to store water after rain The roots are long to
get underground water stored deep underground.
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There can be storms in the desert and saguaros
can collapse.
Can grow to 15metres high can store 800 litres of
water Desert plants grow slowly and live a long
time
Saguaros can live for 200 years only produce
arms after 75 years only mature after 150 years
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Some plants store water in root bulbs
A Kalahari Desert bushmen obtaining vital water
from plant roots