北大武山附生植物

  當我們走進濃密的森林時,是不是發現有些植物會依附在其他樹木上生長,有如站在巨人的肩膀上看世界般,這類植物稱為附生植物。附生植物大致又可分為著生、攀緣、纏勒、半寄生和寄生等五種類型,前四類植物本身會行光合作用,可產生養分,而逐漸壯大;寄生植物則無法自行生存,必須由寄主身上取得養分,但寄生過多時就可能危及寄主的生存。步道常見的附生植物有伏石蕨、石葦、瓦葦、崖薑蕨等。

 
  Certain plants that grow on tree trunks are called epiphytes. Among the five types, tree perchers, climber, strangler, hemiparasite and parasite, the first four are able to produe nutrients through photosynthesis. A parasite, however, obtains nutrients from its host plant and could eventually kill the host. Common epipytes include Lemmaphullum microphullum, Pyrrosia lingua, Lepisorus thunbergianus and Pseudodrynaria coronans.