Poikilohydry

Poikilohydry occurs in such organisms as lichens and bryophytes, which lack mechanisms such as waterproofing cuticles or stomata that can help resist desiccation.

Frequently, poikilohydry is coupled with the capacity to tolerate dehydration or low water content of cell tissue and to recover from it without physiological damage.

Nonvascular cryptogams, particularly the lichens and mosses, form a majority of the species and biomass exhibiting poikilohydry within desert regions of the world, including North America.