Why do desert plants not wilt under the hot sun?

You must have seen image of deserts in pictures of movies. The sandy expanse of the landscape is inhospitable for people like us. The sweltering heat of the sun is unbearable. How do plants manage this heat?

Most desert plants have light coloured leaves. These leaves reflect the rays of the sun and thus reduce the effect of heat of the plants. Some plants have the ability to move their leaves throughout the day. The Sun’s rays hit the edges of the leaves and the rest of the leaves are the shade. This helps the leaves to reduce the absorption of heat by the plant, and in turn, saves water.

Some plants in the desert are very clever. Their leaves wilt in the hot desert sun, but regain their freshness in the night. Photosynthesis for these plants takes place in their night and not during the day. They use the light energy collected during the day and use it at night.

Plants such as cacti have thickened stems in spherical shape. This feature reduces the surface area where sunlight hits, and thus saves so much of energy.

 

Picture Credit : Google