Question

The leaves of the plants of desert forests are ______?
A. Pointed in shape
B. Small sized and thorny
C. Long
D. Broad

Answer 1

Hint: Leaves of desert plants will be adapted to save moisture. The leaves of desert plants also have some adaptations to deter herbivores. Most desert plants have leaves that are highly modified to reduce the surface area.

Complete Answer:
Leaves are a part of the plant body which is the most abundantly visible in most kinds of vegetation. The leaves of a plant have many functions, the most important of all being photosynthesis. Other than that, it is also responsible for transpiration, exchange of gases, and in some cases storage of food. Since it performs so many functions, plants of different climatic areas have differently modified leaves for better survival.

Let us now see which kind of modification is seen in desert plants-
A. Pointed leaves are found in forests in the cold, alpine regions. Such plants often have very narrow needle shaped leaves. Thus, this is not the correct option.

B. Small sized and thorny leaves are found in places with dry, arid climates. This is because the leaves are modified to have as little surface area as possible. This reduces loss of water through transpiration. Therefore, this is the correct option.

C. Long leaves are found in plants which grow in grasslands. They are mostly different kinds of grasses and do not grow in deserts. Thus, this answer is not correct.

D. Broad leaves are found in plants which grow in forests with a lot of rainfall and sunlight. So they are found in tropical forests and not deserts. Thus, this answer is wrong.

Therefore, the correct answer is Option B.

Note:
- Alpine areas have plants with needle leaves so that snow and rain easily slide off the trees.
- Since desert plants have very small or no leaves at all, photosynthesis is often carried out in the fleshy stems which also store water.
- Tropical plants have broad leaves to capture more sunlight energy. This, together with easy water supply from high rainfall is used for rapid growth.