Often growing far above the ground, "air plants" (or epiphytes)
defy many of our common perceptions about plants. The majority use
their roots only for attachment in the crowns of larger, usually
woody plants or to objects such as rocks and buildings and derive
moisture and nutrients from the atmosphere and by collecting
falling debris. Only the mistletoes are true parasites. Epiphytes
are not anomalies and there are approximately 28,000 species about
10 percent of the higher or vascular plants that grow this way.
Many popular houseplants, including numerous aroids, bromeliads,
ferns, and orchids, rank among the most familiar examples. In Air
Plants, David H. Benzing takes a reader on a tour of the many
taxonomic groups to which the epiphytes belong and explains in
nontechnical language the anatomical and physiological adaptations
that allow these plants to conserve water, thrive without the
benefit of soil, and engage in unusual relationships with animals
such as frogs and ants.
Benzing's comprehensive account covers topics including ecology,
evolution, photosynthesis and water relations, mineral nutrition,
reproduction, and the nature of the forest canopy as habitat for
the free-living and parasitic epiphytes. It also pays special
attention to important phenomena such as adaptive trade-offs and
leaf economics. Drawing on the author's deep experience with
epiphytes and the latest scientific research, this book is
accessible to readers unfamiliar with technical botany; it features
a lavish illustration program, references, a glossary, and
tables."
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