Australian Flora and Fauna: Plants of an Arid Land

Plants that live in habitats where water is more abundant are called mesophytes, and generally they have soft leaves. In Australia, mesophytes are restricted to wet forests, either as dominants in tall closed forests (rainforests) or as understorey species in tall open forests.

Select the 'next' button to view a cross-section of a typical mesophyte leaf.

Pomaderris aspera (Hazel Pomaderris), a small mesophytic tree common in forests on moist slopes and near streams throughout eastern Victoria and Tasmania, including the Dandenong Ranges east of Melbourne.