25. 



"but later develop absorbing roots by means of v/hich. 

 they grow as terrestrial plants.He believes that the 

 distribution of the epiphytes depends on the presence 

 or absence of inorganic material «He suggests that 

 epiphytes have been evolved from root climbers which 

 at first possessed only anchoring roots,] e,ter absorbing 

 roots were also formed, sjid so the plant^a "hemi epiphyte"; 

 finally, both the anchoring and the absorbing roots 

 ceased to function and the plant became a"true epiphyte". 

 Nabokisch (20) found that the velamen is not concerned 

 with the condensation of of atmospheric humidity, It 

 serves chiefly as a good protection against dessication 

 and against sudden cooling of the roots, Where the mists 

 are very heavy the velamen may absorb the drops of water 

 which form on the roots, He believes that the velamen 

 can absorb water only in the form of liquid,Lindsbauer 

 (16) found that the typical absorbing roots of the 

 aroids are posit;\rely geotropic while the anchoring 

 roots are usually negatively geotropic, Staeger (27) 

 searched for any possible adaptations among the*chance 

 epiphytes" of Switzerland in order to determine any 

 possible relation between the European "epiphytes" 

 and the tropical true epiphytes, He found no special 

 adaptations for the epiphytic mode of life among the 

 European "epiphytes ".This investigator applied for 

 the first time the name of "accidental epiphytes" to 

 those forms studied by Loew, Beyer, andlthe other students 



