• (a.) Drought-loving; able withstand the absence or lack of moisture.
Xe·roph'i·lous adjective [ Greek ... dry + ... to love.] (Botany) Drought-loving; able withstand the absence or lack of moisture. « Plants which are peculiarly adapted to dry climates are termed by De Candolle xerophilous .» Goodale. 
xerophilous Plants and animals that thrive in dry habitats and even have a preference for such conditions. Cross reference of another word family related to: 'dry': arid-.xerophilous, xerophile, xerophily In biology, thriving in dry habitats or in very low water conditions.
applied to species living in dry places