Final answer:
Plants thrive in pure water but wither and die in salty water due to their adaptability to specific salinity conditions.
Step-by-step explanation:
When a flower stem is placed in pure water, the plant thrives and grows. However, when the stem is placed in salty water, the plant withers and eventually dies. This is because plants have adapted to live in certain salinity conditions, and salt water can have a detrimental effect on their growth and survival.