Question

Which of these is an example of epiphytism?
a. mistletoe on a citrus tree
b. fern on a palm tree
State reasons

Answer 1

b. fern on a palm tree

Some tropical ferns grow on the surface of a palm tree. However, they do not use nutrients from the tree and do not affect its growth. Ferns use a palm tree only as a substrate while nutrients are taken from the air, surface moisture, debris, etc. These plants are called epiphytes and the interaction between plants is called epiphytism. In contrast, mistletoe is a hemiparasite that uses its haustoria to absorb water and nutrients from the host plant. This is an example of parasitism.