The leaf and photosynthesis; plants and their environment

For a plant, the environment is the nature around it: soil, water, temperature, light, and other plants and animals. A plant cannot move away like an animal, so over many generations it slowly adapts. The broad flat leaf of the water lily floats on the water. In the desert water is scarce: the camel thorn (yantoq) has roots long enough to reach underground water, saksovul has leaves reduced to tiny scales, and some plants have spiny, waxy or silvery leaves that lose little water. The tulip blooms quickly in the wet spring, sets seed and spends the dry months as a seed or bulb. In humid tropical forests lianas twine around trees to climb toward the light. In the cold tundra trees stay low and hug the ground.