Pneumatophores are specialized structures for:

Pneumatophores are specialized structures for:

maintaining turgor pressure in cells.
providing physical support to plants in marshy lands.
oxygen inhalation by plants.
carbon dioxide release during photosynthesis.
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UPSC Geoscientist – 2020
Pneumatophores are specialized root structures that grow upwards from the soil in plants found in waterlogged or anaerobic conditions, such as mangrove swamps. Their primary function is to facilitate the diffusion of oxygen into the root system, essentially acting for oxygen inhalation by the plant roots in oxygen-poor soil.
– Pneumatophores are negative geotropic roots, growing vertically upwards out of the mud or water.
– They possess pores (lenticels) on their surface that allow for gas exchange.
– They contain spongy tissue (aerenchyma) that stores and transports air to the submerged roots.
– Examples of plants with pneumatophores include various mangrove species (like *Avicennia* and *Sonneratia*) and some other wetland plants.
– They are an adaptation to anaerobic conditions where oxygen is scarce in the soil due to waterlogging.
– Other specialized root structures in mangroves include prop roots and buttress roots, which provide physical support, but pneumatophores are specifically for gas exchange.
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