Epiphyte
/ˈɛpɪfaɪt/noun
A plant that grows on another plant for support but does not derive nourishment from it.
Did you know?The word was coined in modern scientific Latin from Greek roots, and its second half comes from the same ancient word family as “phyto-” in “phytology,” the study of plants.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
ἐπί (epí) + φυτόν (phutón)
“upon + plant”
Modern Latin
Latin
epiphyton
“a plant growing on another plant”
19th Century
English
epiphyte
“a plant that grows on another plant without taking nourishment from it”
Modern English
English
epiphyte
“a plant that grows on another plant for support but is not parasitic”