Tropical+Rainforest+Plant+Adaptations

1. **Epiphytes**: Plants that live on the surface of other plants, they can grow on any places especially on the trunk and branches. The main reason they live upon trees is that they are exposed to a large amount of sunlight in their canopies. The name 'epiphyte' origin from the Greek word 'epi' meaning 'upon' and 'phyton' meaning 'plant'. [ [|D3]] E piphytes also varies in sizes, tiny epiphytes are called Epiphylls. There can be more than one type of Epiphytes on one tree, for example, lichens, mosses and ferns can live on the same tree. These plants began to grow in their canopies, which come from seeds or spores transported there by birds or winds. [ [|D3]]

Examples:  [[|D9]]
 *  Orchids: These plants are one of the flowering plant families. There are more than 20,000 different flower plant species. Orchids like to live in moist tropical regions and they grow non-parasitically on trees [ [|D5]]

 [ [|D10]]
 *  Bromeliads: They are brightly-colored epiphytes, grow on the trunks of trees and sometimes also on the branches. They have long, curved leaves overlap at their bases which form bowl shaped structures and allow them to absorb water and food. Many animals also drink from their water tanks that collect water from rain [ [|D7] ]

2.**Vine species**: These plants have their roots deep in the ground and climb high onto tree canopy.[ [|D13]] They have adapted to this form of living to absorb more available sunlight. They have thick, woody stems and varies in lengths and shapes. The highest can grow to 3,000 feet. Most of these plants start growing on the forest floor, absorb nutrient and water from the soil and later on depend on trees as they climb upwards. Sunlight is the key for their survival.

Examples:  [ [|D11]] <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #000033; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline;"> [ <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">[|D12]]
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline;"> Lianas are one of the vine species found commonly in tropical rainforest among ninety per cent of world’s vine species. When many lianas reach the canopy, they spread to other trees and form network of vines. This can help them to defend strong winds and protect other shallow-rooted or top-heavy trees. However, one of the disadvantage of this is when one tree falls, other trees might fall too. [ [|D4]]
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #000033; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline;"> Creepers are types of vines that modify their leaf structure as they go. These plants begin as shrubs and then grow vertically up tree trunks, with leaves positioned to capture sunlight [ [|D13]]

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #000033; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline;">3. **Drip Tips**: Plants in the tropical rainforest adapt to high levels of rainfall with drip tips, leaves shaped with a point at the end [ <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">[|D1] ]. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #000033; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline;"> Drip tips assist the flow of excess water in order to avoid algae growth on leaf surfaces [ [|D2]] <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #000033; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline;">This is important because algae growth blocks out sunlights and inhibits the plants’ ability to photosynthesize. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #000033; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline;">Examples: <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #000033; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline;"> [ <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">[|D14]]
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #000033; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline;"> Ficus elastica, more commonly known as the rubber fig tree, is best suited for the wet climate of the tropical rainforest with dark green, glossy, and sloped leaves that can grow up to 14 inches long and 6 inches wide [ [|D6]].


 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #000033; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline;"> Psidium cattleianum, is also known as strawberry guava and grows mainly in tropical and semi-tropical areas of the world [ [|D8]] . Excess water can easily flow off its long, smooth oval leaves [ [|D8] ].

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #000033; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline;"> [ <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">[|D15]]

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