heterophyte

[ het-er-uh-fahyt ]

nounBotany.
  1. a plant that secures its nutrition directly or indirectly from other organisms; a parasite or saprophyte.

Origin of heterophyte

1

Other words from heterophyte

  • het·er·o·phyt·ic [het-er-uh-fit-ik], /ˌhɛt ər əˈfɪt ɪk/, adjective

Words Nearby heterophyte

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

Scientific definitions for heterophyte

heterophyte

[ hĕtər-ə-fīt′ ]


  1. A plant that obtains its nourishment from other living or dead organisms. For example, Indian pipe is a pale white plant without chlorophyll that obtains its nutrition from fungal symbionts. See also heterotroph.

The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.