Adhesion is the force of attraction between dissimilar molecules. The forces serving as a foundation for capillary action are adhesion and cohesion.
Adhesion of water to the walls of a vessel cause an upward force on the liquid. There is a capillary action when the adhesion to the walls is stronger than the cohesive forces between the liquid molecules.
Capillary action is a special property of the water molecules, which is due to the water molecules adhering to one another. When these water molecules are applied to a tube like structure such as the root or vessel wall causes an upward force. This causes the liquid to move up the tube.
This is possible due to the surface tension on the water surface due to adhesion between water molecules. This causes the surface of the water to become unbreakable. The capillary action results because the force between the walls of the tube and the water molecules is much higher than the forces between the liquid molecules.
Adhesion leads to __Surface tension______________, which is the characterisitc of water in which explains the molecular absoprtion of water into a root or stem of a plant