ABSTRACT

Certain plants may tolerate considerable reduction in water content, as with mushrooms, sub-aerial algae, mosses, and lichens. The cells of these organisms have only small vacuoles, and the fine structure of their hyaloplasm is not destroyed by the loss of water. In case of desiccation their water potential decreases drastically, even if there are only a few mineral ions, but there will then be dissolved organic substances, concentrated, or structures that can absorb water.