[ep-uh-fahyt] 
| a plant that grows above the ground, supported nonparasitically by another plant or object, and deriving its nutrients and water from rain, the air, dust, etc.; air plant; aerophyte. |
| ep·i·phyte (ěp'ə-fīt') n. A plant, such as a tropical orchid or a staghorn fern, that grows on another plant upon which it depends for mechanical support but not for nutrients. Also called aerophyte, air plant. ep'i·phyt'ic (-fĭt'ĭk), ep'i·phyt'i·cal adj., ep'i·phyt'i·cal·ly adv. |
| epiphyte (ěp'ə-fīt') Pronunciation Key
A plant that grows on another plant and depends on it for support but not food. Epiphytes get moisture and nutrients from the air or from small pools of water that collect on the host plant. Spanish moss and many orchids are epiphytes. Also called aerophyte, air plant. epiphytic adjective (ěp'ə-fĭt'ĭk) |
əˌfaɪt