Epiphytes Grow Without Soil

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31663, 26 April 1968, Page 6

Epiphytes Grow Without Soil

Epiphytes are unusual plants in that they grow without a soil connection, develop upon others (and also on rocks) and yet are not parasites for they do not draw upon their hosts for nutrition. Their roots sometimes reach the soil but usually ramify in the bark of their host. Food is obtained from the air, from rain water and its dissolved substances and in many instances from the decaying surface of the host or even from windblown soil or decaying leaves which may have lodged in the forks of the branches where they are growing.

They are adapted for living in extremes and have a capacity to store water as they may often be faced with long periods of dryness. However, they are found predominantly in rain forests and decreasingly less in drier areas and are absent from dry bush country.

Epiphytes can be found chiefly among mosses, ferns and orchids but also vaccineum and rhododendron in New Guinea and in New Zealand one can find many examples apart from ferns and orchids.

In the accompanying photograph taken near Punakaiki, a white pine, Podocarpus dacorydiodes, is host to a number of plants. There is the tree orchid Dendrobium cunninghamii, in flower, which may commence to bloom in late December and last until March. The flowers vary in colour detail from white to pale rose and are pleasantly scented. Collospermum hastatum belongs to the lily family and is commonly known as the Perching Lily. It can develop into a huge clump-like plant with sword-like leaves and bears drooping racemes of sweetly scented flowers during the first two months of the year, followed by berries which may take as long as one year to ripen. The remaining epiphyte Is Griselinia lueida, the so-called shining broadleaf which is not necessarily found as an epiphyte. It has very thick large round glistening green leaves. It flowers between November and December and these develop into fleshy purplish berries. This particular plant makes an excellent foliage specimen and is well worth as such.