Is there a term for plants that attach to wood/rocks?

[Ranger]

Hi All

Is there a term or category description for plants that grow attached to driftwood or rocks and do not need to be planted in the substrate?

Plants such as: Java fern, Anubias, African Bolbitis Fern. Could these plants be referred to collectively as “_______” plants?
I was thinking their might be a term for these aquatic/emergent plants; similar to how air breathing fish are referred to as “Labyrinths”, or mammals with pouches are “Marsupials”, flightless birds are ”Ratites” etc.

I ask because I am thinking about a new planted tank, but with only these kinds of plants and I really don’t know how to search for them, or how to ask about them as a group.

If anyone has any specific suggestion for a plant species that is like this, that would be helpful too?

Thanks!

 

[dougall]

Epiphitic is likely the word you are looking for.

 

[fishorama]

I would include Hygrophillia pinnatifida (pinnatiflolia?) as a possible "epiphytic" plant. Fairly easy to grow with co2 but mine without is doing ok...so far!

 

[OrionGirl]

Epiphytes refers to plants the attach to objects and don't have true roots. Nothing to do with requirements for CO2 supplementation or other nutritional needs. Hygrophillia as a whole tend to do well in most conditions, and will handily extend above the surface, but they most definitley are not epiphytic and do develop roots.

Keep in mind that many epiphytes are not aquatic. Orchids, for example. A decent resource: http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/forumapc/plantfinder/all.php

 

[fishorama]

I thought anubias had "true" roots in the terrestrial? sense, but I see now they're considered epiphytes. Thanks for that Sheila.

I was going for what plants "can" attach to wood but I know there's more to it.

 

[OrionGirl]

Anubias produce both. The anchors are smooth, the roots are hairy. They tend not to produce very many roots if anchored away from the substrate, but if an anchor detects soil/good substrate, the plant will send roots that way.

 

[fishorama]

Yeah, I've had them with bushy hairy roots often. I guess I wasn't differentiating them as 2 types of roots, rather as just in the substrate or not.

 

[Ranger]

Thank you!

 

[MardieJane]

I'll be watching this thread. The Java ferns amazon swords and anubia I got had hairy looking roots also. Confusing. If you dont mind, post what you find and a little about your set up. And why you did or did not like the growth after. I would like to try more plants when mine are for sure doing well... only started my first tank (of any kind) a couple of days ago. So just rocks and plants.

On the same line are there plants to get that would not need soil/substrate but an updated light? Or are these all low light plants. Is there a moss that won't get crazy? I'm afraid I won't be able to keep up with Java moss once it's established. So pretty though on "trees".

 

[OrionGirl]

That will depend what you consider 'crazy'...if you can plan to trim once a month or so, it should be fine. I hate trimming, so avoid plants and mosses that will need it to avoid taking over the tank. Most any plant will be fine in higher light--the big concern there will be dosing nutrients to the water column to avoid deficiencies.

There is a difference between plants appearance grown emersed versus submersed, but I've never noted a difference between ones grown in soil versus attached, other than the roots. The attachment structures can developer roots themselves if they reach the substrate, for example, but the leaves look the same.