mesophyte
- noun
- /ˈmɛzəˌfaɪt/
- Specialized
:
mesófitas
- Most temperate forest trees are considered mesophytes because they thrive in environments with moderate rainfall.
Examples
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Unlike a cactus, a mesophyte cannot survive prolonged droughts.
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Many mesophytes can be found in temperate forests.
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The lush, green leaves of the mesophyte indicate it is well-suited to average moisture levels.
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A mesophyte thrives in areas with moderate rainfall.
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The lush, green leaves of the mesophyte indicate it is well-suited to average moisture levels.
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Most temperate forest trees are considered mesophytes because they thrive in environments with moderate rainfall.
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Many mesophytes can be found in temperate forests.
Synonyms
A land plant that needs a moderate amount of water to grow
How Wet
Surface Forms
Morphology
mesophyte = phyte (opaque) = meso + phyte
Formed from Greek combining elements ('meso-' + '-phyte') that are technical and not familiar to average B1 learners, so the meaning is not readily inferable.
Etymology
Mesophyte comes from the parts meso- 'middle' and -phyte 'plant'. So, it literally means a 'middle' plant that prefers a moderate amount of water, which is why the word names plants that live in places that are neither very wet nor very dry.