﻿50 
  INTRODUCTION 
  TO 
  BOTANY 
  

  

  Lianas, 
  which 
  were 
  mentioned 
  in 
  the 
  preceding 
  section, 
  get 
  

   their 
  living 
  without 
  receiving 
  from 
  other 
  plants 
  any 
  benefit 
  

   except 
  that 
  of 
  position. 
  The 
  other 
  groups 
  (2-5) 
  are 
  discussed 
  

   in 
  the 
  following 
  sections. 
  

  

  50. 
  Epiphytes. 
  Unfortunately 
  for 
  students 
  in 
  temperate 
  

   climates, 
  flowering 
  epiphytes 
  are 
  mainly 
  confined 
  to 
  the 
  tropics. 
  

   The 
  Spanish 
  moss 
  (fig. 
  31) 
  is 
  one 
  of 
  the 
  few 
  exceptions. 
  A 
  

   visit 
  to 
  any 
  large 
  greenhouse 
  in 
  which 
  orchids 
  are 
  kept 
  will, 
  

   however, 
  suffice 
  to 
  give 
  a 
  fair 
  idea 
  of 
  the 
  appearance 
  of 
  some 
  

  

  .Fie. 
  32. 
  Indian 
  pipe 
  (Monotropa 
  unijloru), 
  a 
  symbiotic 
  saprophyte 
  

   The 
  plants 
  are 
  white 
  from 
  lack 
  of 
  chlorophyll 
  

  

  of 
  the 
  most 
  characteristic 
  plants 
  which 
  live 
  upon 
  the 
  trunks 
  

   or 
  branches 
  of 
  trees. 
  Since 
  these 
  plants 
  usually 
  have 
  little 
  or 
  

   no 
  permanent 
  water 
  supply 
  about 
  their 
  roots, 
  they 
  must 
  be 
  

   provided 
  with 
  means 
  of 
  absorbing 
  water 
  rapidly 
  during 
  rains, 
  

   and 
  of 
  retaining 
  it 
  between 
  one 
  rainfall 
  and 
  the 
  next. 
  The 
  

   Spanish 
  moss, 
  which 
  is 
  rootless, 
  takes 
  up 
  water 
  along 
  the 
  

   sin-face 
  of 
  the 
  stems 
  by 
  the 
  aid 
  of 
  special 
  absorbent 
  hairs 
  

   which 
  grmv 
  from 
  the 
  epidermis. 
  This 
  plant 
  can 
  become 
  almost 
  

   dried 
  up 
  without 
  permanent 
  injury. 
  Other 
  epiphytes, 
  as 
  

   orchids, 
  have 
  specialized 
  water-absorbing 
  tissues 
  upon 
  root, 
  

   stem, 
  or 
  leaf 
  surfaces, 
  and 
  from 
  these 
  tissues 
  water 
  escapes 
  

   slowly 
  in 
  dry 
  weather. 
  

  

  