Xerophyta is a genus of flowering plants in the family Velloziaceae. It was named in 1789 by de Jussieu.Jussieu, Antoine Laurent de. 1789. Antonii Laurentii de Jussieu Genera plantarum :secundum ordines naturales disposita, juxta methodum in Horto regio parisiensi exaratam 50 in LatinTropicos, Xerophyta Juss. It is native to Africa, Madagascar, and the Arabian Peninsula.Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families
Some species in this genus are poikilochlorophyllous plants. This means that during dry climatic conditions, they lose chlorophyll and cease photosynthesis and transpiration. Thus they are extremely tolerant of desiccation .Loss of chlorophylls, cessation of photosynthetic CO2 assimilation and respiration in the poikilochlorophyllous plant Xerophyta scabrida during desiccation. Z. Tuba, H. K. Lichtenthaler, Zs. Csintalan, Z. Nagy1 and K. Szente, Physiologia Plantarum, March 1996, Volume 96, Issue 3, pages 383–388, Hence the name Xerophyta, from Ancient Greek ξηρός (xeros, "dry") and φυτά (phutá), plural of φυτόν (phutón, “plant”).Wiktionary
Sequencing of the genome of Xerophyta viscosa allowed to propose that the mechanism of desiccation tolerance in these plants is achieved by employing the genetic repertoire used by desiccation-tolerant seeds.
Species
formerly included moved to other genera: Barbaceniopsis Nanuza Vellozia
See also Resurrection plant
References