Structural and Antioxidant Changes in Roots Contribute to Whole-Plant Desiccation Tolerance in Oeosporangium Elegans

Roots play an important role in desiccation tolerance (DT) by sensing soil water deficit and initiating protective responses throughout the plant. In this study, the DT fern Oeosporangium elegans was collected from rock crevices of exposed inselberg rocky habitats at Devarayana Durga region during the monsoon season and used to investigate root responses under hydration (H), desiccation (D), and rehydration (R) conditions. The relative water content (RWC) of the O. elegans whole plant at the D stage was found to be 14.2