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A B S T R A C T The annual rhythm of cambial activity is compared in Proustia cuneifolia and Acacia caven, two typical shrubs of the "matorral" in the semiarid region of central Chile. Proustia, a drought deciduous shrub, shows a typical desert cambial rhythm, highly sensitive to rainfall. The growth activity of this species is limited to the periods of adequate moisture. Acacia is an evergreen whose cambial activity is observed almost throughout the year; it is not synchronous with rainfall. Adaptation in this species seems to consist in developing long roots able to tap underground water. These results indicate that both shrubs, although growing together, have different adaptive strategies to the same xerophytic conditions. THE STUDY of the adaptations of plants to the |
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