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A xerophyte shrub grows in an arid environment. Its leaves are small and thick, with a thick waxy cuticle. The stomata are sunken in pits on the lower epidermis, and there is a dense covering of trichomes (hairs) on the lower leaf surface. In contrast, a typical mesophyte leaf has a thin cuticle and stomata on the lower surface without sunken pits or dense trichomes.
Compare the adaptations of the xerophyte leaf to those of the mesophyte leaf in reducing water loss by transpiration.