Question

Plants adapted to grow in shade are
A. Psammophytes
B. Sciophytes
C. Mesophytes
D. Xerophytes

Answer 1

Hint: These plants grow well under lower intensity of light. They may be found as climbers, creepers or as epiphytes.

Complete Answer:
Plants are found in a variety of environments. They have a variety of adaptations to survive in different types of environment and climatic conditions. They can be further classified on the basis of their water requirements, habitat, soil type, etc.

In the given options,
1) Psammophytes are plants which mainly grow in sandy areas. They are characterised by a variety of adaptations that allow them to grow on sand and gravel. These plants are found in desert areas. Their roots are well developed, and may either be close to the soil surface or reach deep into the earth.

2) Sciophytes are the plants suited for survival in shady places. Sciophytes have few branches and long stems. They have less hairy, small, broad, pale leaves. Plants that are shade tolerant are often generally adapted to make better use of nutrients from the soil than plants with shade-intolerance.

3) Mesophytes are the land plants that are adapted to survive throughout all seasons, and have no specific adaptations to deal with extreme cold or heat.

4) Xerophytes are plants that are adapted to survive in dry areas or areas with very little water. They have a waxy covering called cuticle on the epidermis that prevents the loss of water through transpiration.

Thus, the correct answer is option B i.e., Sciophytes.

Note: Shade-tolerant plants are adapted to be energy-efficient users. Simply put, shade-tolerant plants grow wider, thinner leaves to catch more sunlight relative to the tree's leaf production value.