A strategy that helps the plants deal with salty soils may also help them stay hydrated in arid environments
) is a bushy, evergreen tree with spindly leaves that can grow to a towering 18 meters tall. It thrives in the harsh, salty soils of desert regions of Africa and Asia thanks to a nifty adaptation: It rids itself of excess salt by secreting the substance onto its leaves. However, these secretions may do more than purge salinity. They can also help the plant. The team examined crusts on the plant’s leaves and learned they contain more than 10 different kinds of salt.
But researchers observed that at least one type of salt, lithium sulfate, forms small crystals that remain on the leaves and absorb water from the air . When the team added colored water to salty leaves, they watched the liquid stick to the crystal crust, then absorb into the plant’s leaves—evidence that. The strategy could inspire systems for people in dry places to collect moisture from the air, or even seed clouds to promote rain, the team says.
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