Biome and Plant Growth Forms Activity
1. Grass tree - Xanthorrhoea
-​ Biome: Chaparral
-​ Climactic features that lead to growth
form: nutrient-poor soils, fire-prone
landscapes, dry summers
-​ Growth form: Rosette growth
-​ Feature: arrangement of long, grasslike leaves emerging from an apical
meristem (a central point of growth)
-​ How feature helps with climate: the
living growth point, the apical meristem,
is protected from harsh climatic
conditions like drought and fire that are
common in a chaparral biome due to
its rosette growth form characteristics
-​ Example Biome: Chaparral - Western Australia, Australia
2. Canary Island Pine
-​ Biome: Temperate Coniferous Forest
-​ Climactic features that lead to growth
form: cool summers, cold winters,
moderate precipitation
-​ Growth form: Evergreen Conifer
-​ Feature: Conifers have a conical shape,
needle-like leaf growth, and resin or
thick bark
-​ How feature helps with climate: the
waxy needles minimize water loss and
help shed snow, the cone shape helps
prevent branch breakage, and thick bark
offers protection from the cold, pests, or
wildfires
-​ Example Biome: Temperate Coniferous Forest - Meuzac, France
3. Aloe
​
-​ Biome: Savanna
-​ Climactic features that lead to growth
form: arid climates with hot and dry
conditions, sandy soils
-​ Growth form: Succulent
-​ Feature: thick waxy cuticle, fleshy leaves
-​ How feature helps with climate: the
thick waxy cuticle coats the leaf to reflect
sunlight and reduces water loss due to
transpiration and the fleshy leaves store
large amounts of water for times of dry
climate periods
-​ Example Biome: Savanna - Tagant, Mauritania