"dried-up grass"
"the desert was edged with sere vegetation"
"shriveled leaves on the unwatered seedlings"
"withered vines"

"The heat scorched the countryside"

"my eyebrows singed when I bent over the flames"

"The cook blackened the chicken breast"
"The fire charred the ceiling above the mantelpiece"
"the flames scorched the ceiling"

"The sun parched the earth"