Mesophytes have leaves like I have described as a typical leaf. A plant that normally grows in a dry habitat or survives an extended period of drought. A plant that normally grows in a wet habitat. A plant that grows under moderate habitat conditions. In this area trees and shrubs are either deciduous or evergreen .
Deciduous plants lose their leaves in autumn by forming an abscission zone at the base of the leaf.
Since evergreens retain their leaves through winter, the leaves are adapted to withstand the xerophytic conditions of winter. The site at which a leaf is or was once attached is called a node . The section of stem between nodes is called an internode . The distance between nodes can indicate stress or rapid growth. Stems provide support for leaves and reproductive structures.