succulent

views updated May 18 2018

suc·cu·lent / ˈsəkyələnt/ • adj. (of food) tender, juicy, and tasty. ∎ Bot. (of a plant, esp. a xerophyte) having thick fleshy leaves or stems adapted to storing water.• n. Bot. a succulent plant.DERIVATIVES: suc·cu·lence n.suc·cu·lent·ly adv.

The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English

succulent

views updated May 17 2018

succulent Plant that stores water in its tissues to resist periods of drought. Usually perennial and evergreen, they have bodies made up of water storage cells, which give them a fleshy appearance. A well-developed cuticle and low rate of daytime transpiration also conserve water. Succulent plants include cactus, lily, and stonecrop.

World Encyclopedia

succulent

views updated May 21 2018

succulent A plant that conserves water by storing it in fleshy leaves or stems. Succulents are found either in dry regions or in areas where there is sufficient water but it is not easily obtained, as in salt marshes. Such plants are often modified to reduce water loss by transpiration. For example, the leaves of cacti are reduced to spines. See also crassulacean acid metabolism; xerophyte.

A Dictionary of Biology