Echeveria polishedis
Cacti, succulents and plants with caudex, although they are very different from each other, have something in common: the CAM metabolism, or Acid Metabolism of Crassulaceae. And is that, living in habitats with a strong insolation, they have had to manage to avoid losing water through perspiration. Without this liquid they could not exist, that's why every drop is very importantas it could be the difference between life and death.
In fact, it is so much so that they stop their growth completely when high temperatures are combined with periods of drought, and they resume it when conditions improve. But do you know what CAM metabolism is? Do not? Well, don't worry, I'll tell you about it right now 😉.
Plants that have leaves, let's say common, that is, those that are finite, green in color, photosynthesize during the day. How? Opening their pores or stomata to absorb carbon dioxide (CO2) to transform the Sun's energy into food. This is a function that they perform without problem, as they have a more or less constant water supply. But, What happens when the conditions for life are especially harsh?
In nature, only two things can happen: either you adapt, or you can't stay alive. In the case of succulents, they adapted. They did it in a very peculiar way: by photosynthesis in two stages. During the night they incorporate carbon dioxide, thus forming malate without the need for sunlight, and during the day they generate sugars from malate., being able to have the stomata closed. Thus, they can save water and use it only if it is strictly necessary.
Aztekium hintonii
Did you find it interesting? Without a doubt, succulents are some of the most amazing plants. Not only have they modified their leaves and / or bodies turning them into water reserves, but they also do everything possible to avoid losing it.