THE FORESTS. 



35 



its great leathery shining green leaves, is frequent high up in the 

 forks of some forest giant; but it also grows on rocks near the sea, 

 and under cultivation makes a most handsome shrub for the open 

 border. Some of the orchids are epiphytes, and these have a special 

 root-tissue which is quite spongy, and can absorb whatever moisture 

 drips on to it. These perching-plants build up immense masses of 



'V 



i 



FIG. 12. On left. Seedling of a finally much-branched Drought-resisting 

 Shrub. On right, Seedling of a Climbing-plant. 



[Photo, L. Cockayne. 



soil on the tree-trunks, and it is the water-holding capacity of 

 this which in part enables them to live under what appear such 

 adverse circumstances. Certain ferns and lycopods are generally 

 epiphytic--e.gr., the drooping-spleenwort (Asplemum flacci(hun). 

 the shining-leaved Asplenium adiantoides, and many of the filmy 

 ferns. 



Seedling trees are very common as perching-plants, or epiphytes, 

 to use the scientific term, and some of the forest giants begin theii 

 career in this manner. These finallv send down to the ground 



