Rainforest plant popular science-epiphyte

Epiphyte

Also known as attached plants, plant-bearing plants, is the phenomenon that plants grow or depend on other living plants. This relationship is usually related to higher-order plants, but epigenetic bacteria, fungi (epigenetic fungi), algae, lichens, moss, and ferns also survive well, with their roots attached to the branches of other trees. live on rain and dew, water vapor in the air, and limited humus (rotten branches, leaves or animal waste, etc.).

They usually do not grow very tall and can photosynthesize on their own and do not plunder the nutrients and water of the plants to which they are attached (as distinct from parasitic plants); the significance of this growth pattern is that they can better absorb light by clinging to tall trees. As one of the landmark plants of tropical rain forest, beautiful epiphytes have been widely used in horticulture.

These include most orchids, pineapples, ferns, Araceae and people's favorite air pineapples and stagnant pineapples.

Epiphytic phenomenon refers to a kind of life phenomenon in which two organisms live closely together, but there is no communication of nutrients between them. A plant can absorb water and produce nutrients by living on the life forms of other plant species. This kind of phenomenon is called epiphyte.

The most common characteristics of epiphytes are: epiphytes are attached to the branches and bifurcations at the level of host plants, because these places are most likely to accumulate dust, and some lower plants are even attached to leaves; except that leaf epiphytes will have a certain impact on the light conditions of the host, epiphytes generally do not cause damage to the host.

The epiphytic phenomenon of plants is one of the main landmark characteristics of tropical rain forest. the main reason for this phenomenon is to meet certain environmental conditions. First, the air humidity of the environment is high, and second, there is a certain amount of humus on the surface of the host. The epiphytic phenomenon of organic matter exists among plants, especially in tropical and subtropical forests.

Epiphytes are rich in species, from lower plants to higher plants. According to statistics, there are about 30,000 species of epiphytes belonging to 850 genera and 65 families in the world. The common pteridophytes of Polypodiaceae include Wawei, Shiwei, Polypodiaceae, star fern, book belt fern, etc., and bird's nest ferns of Pteridaceae; the main dominant species of epiphytic bryophytes are East Asian whip moss, lobular whip moss, toothed calyx moss, tree flat moss, prickly moss, green moss, small vine moss, sharp beak moss, etc. Phalaenopsis, peony golden nobile orchid, secret orchid, Dendrobium nobile, Dendro

In the tropical rain forest, plants grow thickly, and as the competition for sunlight among plants is fierce, epiphytic plants are easier to obtain hard-won light sources. Epiphytes have formed very adaptive characteristics in morphology and physiology, for example, the shape of bird's nest fern is like a bird's nest, which can intercept as much as possible Rain Water, litter, bird dung and so on. Spongy litter can store water and provide nutrients.

Epiphytes in the ecosystem have many ecological functions, which play a certain role in the formation and maintenance of forest ecosystem diversity, nutrient and water cycle, and epiphytes can also indicate environmental changes. Human activities will affect the existence of epiphytic phenomenon, where human activities are intense, epiphytic phenomenon will be greatly reduced, or even disappear.

Epiphytes are slowly evolved from terrestrial plants, so the ability of epiphyte varies greatly.

Common ornamental plants that are well adapted to the epiphytic environment include Wandai orchid, Phalaenopsis, Magnolia, staghorn fern and Dendrobium fern. This part of the plant is often characterized by drooping stems, leaves and inflorescences, and even the whole plant grows downward, growing directly on completely bare tree trunks or rocks in the wild. This part of the plant is extremely resistant to drought and has low requirements for environmental humidity, so it is more suitable for indoor cultivation in the north.

The choice of pot substrate is very important, it is best to use fern root, broken stone, big tree bark cultivation. They can even grow well if they are directly tied to the bark and Alsophila spinulosa. On the contrary, the potted plants do not grow well. There are also some plants, such as Dendrobium, Cartland, Oncidium, bird's nest fern, crown fern, epiphyte of Araceae. Some plants can adapt to the dry climate, but in the wild, most of them are epiphytic in dense forests, where the humidity is high, they are generally adapted to potted plants, with erect stems and leaves, and the cultivation substrate can be grown with lumps such as bark, or with some moss. Most pineapples and Cymbidium grow on the soil layer of tree trunks in the wild.

What is the soil layer of the tree trunk?

That is to say, because the remains of other epiphytes and dust form a thick layer of humus over the years on the trunk, it provides a good place for other epiphytes and earthworm animals to grow. Like this epiphyte, the cultivation substrate can be made of pure peat or peat moss, with erect stems and leaves and a preference for ordinary plants.

The simple way to determine which type of epiphyte belongs to is from stems, leaves and inflorescences.

The stronger the epiphyte, the more drooping the inflorescence of stems and leaves. Inflorescences or leaves often transversely epiphytic.

The weaker the epiphyte, the inflorescence leaves are erect.

Ps: by the way, the difference between epiphytes and parasites

I. the characteristics of epiphytes and how they absorb nutrients

Epiphytes do not grow on the ground, but grow on the stem surfaces or branches of other plants. their roots grow on the bark of the attached trees, and they also grow air roots, which can absorb water in the air and water accumulated on the tree surface. Because epiphytes grow in hot and humid mountain forests, there must be a lot of moss in the place where they grow, which often covers the roots of epiphytes, providing a layer of protection for epiphytes to retain water (at this time, moss is also epiphytes). Bryophytes provide nutrients for epiphytes with old bark, fallen leaves, dirt, and so on.

Epiphytes cannot grow in places where there is not enough humidity in the air, because most of the water they absorb comes from the air and tree surfaces.

2. Characteristics of parasitic plants

Parasitic plants, whose roots do not grow in the soil, but into the body of the host plant (mainly in the cortex and cambium), connect with it, and absorb water and nutrients from the host.

Third, the difference between the two

The difference between an epiphyte and a parasitic plant is that the root of an epiphyte is not connected with the plant attached to it, and its water and nutrients are obtained independently by it. Its existence and growth do not have a direct interest with the plant attached to it (that is, it does not directly harm the attached plant).

Parasitic plants on the contrary, its roots into the parasitized, connected with it, water and nutrients are directly obtained from the parasitized, seriously affecting the growth of the parasitized, resulting in poor growth, unable to blossom and bear fruit, and serious ones will eventually die.

4. Give an incidental lecture

In the plant kingdom, there may also be saprophytic or symbiotic relationships between the two plants, which should be separated from epiphytic and parasitic areas.