Re: FW: "accidental epiphyte"

From: StellrJ at aol.com on 2000.06.21 at 01:48:27(4864) In a message dated Mon, 19 Jun 2000 5:33:31 PM Eastern Daylight Time, Jonathan Ertelt writes: I have been intrigued with this thread for the last week, and have watched +More the postings carefully. As no one else has suggested this I would offer that the term I have heard for years used to describe this phenomenon is "Facultative epiphyte." The definition of this term, from my understanding, is a plant that would typically ("normally") not be seen growing as an epiphyte, but which can adopt (adapt to) an epiphytic lifestyle when there is enough moisture and nutrients available... Yes! That is an excellent term to use. The converse would be "obligate" -- a plant which must be epiphytic, or must be terrestrial. Facultative means it is capable, dut does not have to. Sort of like some of the trailing/climbing Peperomia species I saw in Costa Rica, which sometimes formed carpets on the ground, other times clung to tree trunks, with or without a connection to the ground. Jason Hernandez Naturalist-at-Large

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