Question

What is true regarding epiphytes?
a. They are the plants growing on other plants.
b. They use other plants only for support and not for water or food supply.
c. They are commensals and differ from the lianas in that they are not rooted in the soil.
d. All of these.

Answer 1

Hint: Epiphytes are plants that grow on other plants. They depend on other plants for only support. They don’t have any parasitic action towards the host plant. The term epiphyte is derived from the Greek word ‘epi’ meaning ‘upon’ and ‘phyton’ meaning ‘plant’.

Complete answer:
Epiphytes are plants that grow upon another plant or object merely for physical support. They don’t have any attachment to the ground or any other obvious sources of nutrition. However, they are not parasitic on the supporting plants. They are mostly found in the moist tropical regions where their ability to grow above ground level helps them to access sunlight in the midst of dense shaded forest. They exploit the nutrients available from leaf and other organic debris that collects in high amounts in the tree canopy. They derive nutrition from the air, falling rain and the compost available on the tree branches. Epiphytic plants are mostly Angiosperms (flowering plants). Example- Mosses, Ferns, Liverworts and many species of Orchids.

Hence, the correct answer is option (A).

Additional information:
Epiphytes take advantage of other plants' structure for physical support to grow into the shaded forest canopy using the trunks and branches of older trees so as to reach the heights and capture sunlight. By growing high in the canopy of tropical forests, they manage to capture sufficient amounts of sunlight but face other challenges such as getting nutrients and conserving water.

Note: Epiphytes obtain water from rain and water vapour in the air. They mostly absorb water with their roots. However, many epiphytes have specialised leaves that can absorb water. Water is the most concerning issue for their survival.