The best-known examples of epiphytes are the famous ornamental plants, the orchids. You probably might have noticed how they grow by wrapping their roots around tree trunks and other surfaces.
An epiphyte, sometimes known as an air plant, is, therefore, a plant that grows on a host plant. They are not parasitic and for that reason, do not feed by draining the nutrients from the supporting plants on which they grow. Instead, they feed on nutrient-rich air, rain, and organic waste. Since they grow and climb on other tall plants, it is easy to get sunlight.
It is calculated that there are over 30,000 varieties of epiphytes, belonging to 83 families in all, the most common types being the tropical ferns, orchids, cacti and bromeliads, and the temperate lichens and mosses.
Epiphytes add richness to the entire biomass of the ecosystem.
Certain epiphytes are miniature ecosystems of their own! The tank bromeliads, for instance. Their leaves are stiff, pointed upwards, and closely arranged, within which rainwater gets stored in large quantities. These water reservoirs not only nourish the bromeliads during droughts but also function as habitats for salamanders, frogs, insects, and larvae. Epiphytes are so abundant that certain tropical trees can have as many as 2000 epiphytes growing within them!
Picture Credit : Google