Epiphyte
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
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An epiphyte is an organism that grows on the surface of a plant and derives its moisture and nutrients from the air, rain, water (in marine environments) or from debris accumulating around it. The plants, on which epiphytes grow, are called phorophytes. Epiphytes take part in nutrient cycles and add to both the diversity and biomass of the ecosystem in which they occur, like any other organism. They are an important source of food for many species. Typically, the older parts of a plant will have more epiphytes growing on them. Epiphytes differ from parasites in that they grow on other plants for physical support and do not necessarily affect the host negatively. An organism that grows on another organism that is not a plant may be called an epibiont.
See also
- Tillandsia - a genus of the Bromeliaceae
- Epiphyllum - a genus of epiphytic cacti
- Parasitic plant
- Epilith, an organism that grows in a rock
- Epiphytic bacteria
- Epiphytic fungus
- Canopy soils
