Word of the Day: Lithophyte
Today’s orchid related vocabulary word is lithophyte. Pronounced “LITH-ah-fayht,” it rhymes with “lip-oh-fight.” A lithophythe is a plant that grows attached to rock. Sound like science fiction? Well, just as orchid roots can attach to tree trunks and branches, some can also attach to rocks. Lithophytes may sink their roots into crevices and absorb nutrients from decomposing plant and animal debris, or they may simply attach to the rock surface, and absorb water and nutrients that wash over them. By growing on rocks, lithophytic orchids take advantage of valuable rainforest “real-estate” where most other plants cannot survive.
This photo shows Epidendrum roots growing on the surface of a large rock at Kula Botanical Garden, Kula, Maui, Hawaii. The long white roots attach to the stone surface and anchor the orchid, which is visible at the top of the picture.
In cultivation, many lithophytes are grown in the same manner as epiphytes, potted in bark or moss.
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June 10th, 2008 at 9:46 pm
Ive been to Maui but I haven’t been to that garden. And it’s a cool picture.