noun
- Plural of hydathode; specialized pores or openings in plant leaves through which water is secreted or exuded.
Usage: botanical term; typically found on leaf margins or tips; involved in guttation process
Examples
- Hydathodes are visible as small dots along the edges of many plant leaves.
- The plant releases excess water through its hydathodes during humid conditions.
- Botanists study hydathodes to understand how plants regulate water loss.
- Guttation occurs when water droplets form at the hydathodes on grass blades.
- Unlike stomata, hydathodes do not have guard cells to control water release.