Plants in the desert are similar to others. There is a large variety in the desert, all different in their mechanisms. Many desert plants are C4 and CAM plants. CAM is an acronym for crassulaceae acid metabolism. C4 and CAM plants are considered to be more tolerant to arid conditions such as drought, salinity, and high temperatures. Cacti are just one group of CAM plants. Plants in general when they open their stomata to absorb CO2 they lose water. CAM plants open their stomata at night, thereby minimising water loss. In C4 plants the enzyme that first takes in CO2 from the atmosphere is more efficient and therefore the time that the stomata opens can be shortened. . An example of C4 plants in maize, or corn. There are also many C3 plants that have specific adaptations, from being an annual that only grows for a short time when there is rain, to being very tolerant to salinity, nutrition deprivation, high light, and many other such adaptations.