Photosynthesis by the C₄ pathway in which carbon dioxide is taken up during the night, when the plant’s stomata are open, and fixed into malic acid. During the day, when the stomata are closed, carbon dioxide is released from malic acid for use in the Calvin–Bassham–Benson cycle. This is important for plants that live in arid conditions as it enables them to keep their stomata closed during the day to reduce water loss from evaporation. Crassulacean acid metabolism is common in succulent plants of desert regions, including cacti and spurges, and in certain ferns. It is so named because it was originally studied in plants belonging to the family Crassulaceae, which includes stonecrops and houseleeks.