transpiration
"Transpiration is the pulling of water up from the soil by the plant because of the evaporation of water from the plant's leaves. If you think of soil like a sponge, transpiration is like placing a paper towel on the sponge -- the paper draws water away from the sponge as it evaporates off the paper. In the paper towel, this movement of water is called capillary action, but transpiration is similar in principle."
"Transpiration is like sweating for plants. Leaf and stem surfaces are dotted with stomata (small openings like pores) that are more numerous on the underside of the leaf. The function of transpiration is to cool the plant and allow the flow of minerals and nutrients from the root to shoot."
METAMIA is a free database of analogy and metaphor. Anyone can contribute or search. The subject matter can be anything. Science is popular, but poetry is encouraged. The goal is to integrate our fluid muses with the stark literalism of a relational database. Metamia is like a girdle for your muses, a cognitive girdle.