Foliicolous

Foliicolous lichens growing on a leaf on the Amazon jungle near Tena, Ecuador

Foliicolous refers to the growth habit of certain lichens, algae, fungi, liverworts, and other bryophytes that prefer to grow on the leaves of vascular plants.[1][2][3] Foliicolous simply means 'growing upon leaves'[4] whilst epiphyllous derives from the Greek epi-[5] meaning on or over and phyllous means leaf[6] so 'over leaf' and hypophyllous means 'under leaf'.[7] The microhabitat on the leaf surface is called a phyllosphere.[2][3]

  1. ^ Pócs, Tamás; Tóthmérész, Béla (1997). "Foliicolous bryophyte diversity in tropical rainforests". Abstracta Botanica. 21 (1): 135–144.
  2. ^ a b "Foliicolous lichens". Australian National Herbarium. Australian National Botanic Gardens. Retrieved 23 January 2024.
  3. ^ a b "Epiphyllous bryophytes". Australian National Herbarium. Australian National Botanic Gardens. Retrieved 23 January 2024.
  4. ^ "Definition of foliicolous". www.merriam-webster.com. Retrieved 2 August 2022.
  5. ^ "Definition of epi-". www.merriam-webster.com. Retrieved 2 August 2022.
  6. ^ "Definition of -phyllous". www.merriam-webster.com. Retrieved 2 August 2022.
  7. ^ "Definition of hypophyllous". www.merriam-webster.com. Retrieved 2 August 2022.