-phyte

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Biology prefixes and suffixes
bio-
myco- / -mycete
-phag-
phyto- / -phyte
-vor-
zoo- / -zoan
Contents
Top - Introduction - Etymology - List of botanical terms ending in -phyte
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Other terms ending in -phyte - See also - References

[edit] Introduction

The suffix -phyte is used primarily as a tool in botany to form words used for categorising plants based on their evolutionary origin, life-history, growth-form or ecological preferences; the main purpose of this article is to provide a single point of reference for these terms. The suffix has been used in particular to form names of subdivisions of the plants and algae and to name the life-form groupings of the Raunkiær system (Raunkiær 1934).

Some terms are also used (with a corresponding meaning) in mycology or zoology; these are indicated.

The suffix has also been used in medicine and other contexts; see the section Other terms ending in -phyte at the end of the article.

[edit] Etymology

Such words are formed from Greek or Latin roots with the terminal -phyte ("_____-phyte" basically means "_____ plant".)

[edit] List of botanical terms ending in -phyte

This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.
For ease of use, dummy entries for all other "phytes" are included in this list, but definitions are in the "other -phytes" section at the end of this article

[edit] A

  • Acidophyte is a term used in conjunction with the use of lichens to monitor air pollution (see van Herk 1999) TBC
  • An acrophyte is an alpine plant (synonym coryphophyte)
  • An actophyte is a plant found growing on rocky shorelines
  • An aerophyte is a plant which obtains all of its nourishment from the air (also called an airplant)
  • An agrophyte is an agricultural plant
  • An aigiaphyte is a plant found growing on beaches or strandlines
  • An aiphyllophyte is a plant found growing in evergreen forests
  • An aithalophyte is a plant found growing in evergreen thickets
  • An aletophyte is a ruderal or wayside plant (synonym chomaphyte)
  • An alsophyte is a grove plant
  • An amathophyte is a plant found growing on sand-plains
  • An ammochthophyte is a plant found growing on sand-banks
  • An amphiphyte is an amphibious plant
  • An ancophyte is a canyon plant
  • An anecophyte is a plant found only in human-created habitats throughout its range - known colloquially as "homeless plants" - many arable weeds fall into this category (see Zohary 1962)
  • An anemophyte is a "blow-out" plant i.e. a plant found growing in hollows created by wind in sand-dunes
  • An anthropophyte is a plant introduced via cultivation
  • For antophyte, see Anthophyte above
  • An apophyte is a native plant that has invaded abandoned fields
  • The term archaeophyte is defined as a plant which was introduced to an area by humans (or arrived naturally, but from an area in which it was present as a human introduction) and became naturalised before AD 1500 (cf. neophyte).
  • An autophyte is a plant capable of synthesizing its own food from simple organic substances (cf. saprophyte)

[edit] B

  • A bacillariophyte is a member of the diatoms
  • A bathyphyte is a plant found typically or exclusively in lowlands
  • A benthophyte is a plant living at the bottom of a body of water or in the bed of a river
  • A benthopheustophyte is any large plant resting freely on the floor of a lake but capable of drifting slowly with the lake's currents
  • A biophyte is a plant which consumes other living organisms

[edit] C

  • Carophyte is a variant of or spelling error for "charophyte" below.
  • A chamaephyte is a low-growing perennial plant whose living structures are therefore visible all year round and whose dormant overwintering buds are borne at or just above the surface of the ground
  • A chamerophyte is a herbaceous or woody plant which has its overwintering buds at or just above the soil surface
  • A chasmophyte is a plant tolerant of or adapted to growing on vertical cliff faces
  • A coprophyte is a plant which feeds on dung
  • A cormophyte is a land plant belonging to the former botanical division Cormophyta, having a stem and root system
  • A coryphophyte is an alpine plant (synonym acrophyte)
  1. a plant that grows on ice or snow (see cryophyte).
  2. a plant of the genus Cryophytum
  • A cryptophyte is a plant in which the buds are covered with soil or water (geophytes, helophytes and hydrophytes are all classes of cryptophyte). Cryptophyte also refers to the cryptomonads, a group of single-celled algae
  • A cuprophyte is a plant which is adapted to living in, or tolerant of, soils with high copper levels
  • A cyanophyte is an older name for a member of the cyanobacteria
  • A cycadophyte is a cycad

[edit] D

  • A dendrophyte is a plant found growing in an orchard
  • A dinophyte or pyrrhophyte is a member of the dinoflagellates, a group of unicellular algae
  • A dissophyte - not to be confused with dyssophyte (q.v.) - is a plant whose shoots are xerophytic (q.v.), but whose roots are mesophytic (q.v.)
  • A drimyphyte is a salt-plant
  • A dyssophyte - not to be confused with dissophyte (q.v.) - is a plant which can behave either as a hydrophyte (q.v.) or an epiphyte (q.v.)

[edit] E

  • The term ectophyte has two similar meanings (but see also Other terms ending in -phyte below):
    • it describes the parts of a parasitic plant (e.g. stem, leaves, flowers) that occur outside the host plant (c.f. endophyte)
    • it refers to a parasitic plant which lives solely on the surface of its host, without penetrating its tissue
  • An edaphophyte is a plant with its roots in soil and its shoots in the air
  • An embryophyte is a complex multicellular plant, as opposed to algae
  • An emophyte is a plant which is completely submerged, and has no functional stomata
  • An endophyte (c.f. ectophyte) is a parasitic or symbiotic organism (plant, animal or fungus) which lives entirely within its host plant, for at least part of its lifecycle
  • An entomophyte is a plant living within or on the body of an insect (synonym entophyte)
  • For entophyte, see entomophyte above
  • An eophyte is a fossil plant which is found in the lowest beds of the Silurian age
  • An epiphyte is a plant that grows upon or attached to another living plant
  • An ergasialipophyte is a plant which is a relic of cultivation
  • An ergasiapophyte is a plant colonizing cultivated fields
  • An ergasiophygophte is a plant which is a fugitive from cultivation
  • An ergasiophyte is a foreign cultivated plant deliberately introduced
  • An ergasiphyte is a foreign cultivated plant
  • A euglenophyte is a member of the euglenids, a group of single-celled algae
  • A europhyte is a plant which grows in leaf mould
  • Eustigmatophytes are a small group of heterokont algae

[edit] F, G

  • A ginkgophyte is a Ginkgo tree, or one of its extinct relatives
  • Glaucophytes or glaucocystophytes are a small group of single-celled algae
  • A glycophyte is a plant adapted to nonsaline soil
  • A gypsophyte is a plant adapted to chalk or limestone

[edit] H

  • A halophyte is a plant which is tolerant of saline conditions, or adapted to a saline soil or soil influenced by salt water
  • Haptophytes or prymnesiophytes are a group of single-celled algae
  • A heliophyte is a plant which thrives in or tolerates full sunlight (cf. Ombrophyte, Sciophyte/Skiophyte)
  • A helophyte is a marsh plant (synonymous with limnodophyte)
  • Hemerophyte is a generic term for a plant introduced by humans
  • A hemicryptophyte is a herbaceous plant which has its wintering buds at or just above the soil surface
  • A heterophyte is a generic term for a plant which is dependent on another for its nutrition (cf autophyte)
  • A hydrogeophyte is a geophyte (q.v.) which grows in aquatic environments (e.g. water lilies)
  • A hydrohemicryptophyte is an aquatic hemicryptophyte (q.v.)
  • The term hydrophyte has two meanings:
    • a free-floating water plant
    • a plant adapted to high moisture levels (c.f. mesophyte, xerophyte)
  • A hydrotherophyte is an aquatic therophyte (q.v.)
  • A hygrophyte is a plant which thrives in very wet soil and/or is more or less restricted to moist sites

[edit] I, J

[edit] K

  • A kenapophyte is a plant which has colonised cleared land

[edit] L

  • A leimonapophyte is a plant which has been introduced into grassland
  • Limnodophyte is a term for a marsh plant (synonymous with helophyte)
  • Limnophyte is a term for a plant which grows in or on mud
  • A lithophyte is a plant growing on rock or on rocky soil
  • For lycopodiophyte, see lycophyte above

[edit] M

  • A macrophanerophyte
  • A macrophyte is a plant large enough to be seen with the naked eye, as distinct from the many microscopic algae
  • A magnoliophyte is a member of the Magnoliophyta (also known as angiosperms - the flowering plants)
  • A megagametophyte a gametophyte that produces female gametes (eggs).
  • Megaphyte is term used to refer to plants which typically have unbranched stems or trunks, which bear a crown of very large leaves, and often also possess a massive inflorescence.
  • A melangeophyte is a plant growing in loam or alluvium
  • A mesophanerophyte
  • A mesohydrophyte is a plant whose tolerance to moisture is intermediate between that of a mesophyte (q.v.) and a hydrophyte (q.v.)
  • A mesophyte is a plant adapted to medium moisture levels (c.f. hydrophyte, xerophyte)
  • A mesoxerophyte is a plant whose tolerance to moisture is intermediate between that of a mesophyte (q.v.) and a xerophyte (q.v.)
  • A metallophyte is a plant which is tolerant of substrates with a high metal content; metallophytes are divided into obligate metallophytes (which require such a substrate) and pseudometallophytes (q.v.)
  • A metaphyte is a multicellular plant
  • A microgametophyte is a gametophyte that produces male gametes (sperm).
  • A microphyte is a microscopic, usually unicellular, plant
  • A microphanerophyte
  • Used as an adjective monophyte means "composed of a single plant species"
  • A mycoheterophyte is a plant which obtains its nutrients from mycorrhizal fungus, which is often in turn parasitic on a photosynthetic plant (mycoheterophytes are thus indirectly parasitic on other plants; they are also known as epiparasites)
  • A myrmecophyte is a plant that lives in association with a colony of ants and possesses specialized organs in which the ants live.

[edit] N

  • A nanophanerophyte
  • A nanophyte
  • A neurophyte
  • A nitrophyte

[edit] O

  • An oceanophyte is a plant growing in the ocean
  • The term ombrophyte has two meanings:
  1. a plant which thrives in or tolerates shade (cf. heliophyte)
  2. a plant capable of withstanding a lot of rain
  • An oophyte
  • An orophyte is a plant inhabiting hills and mountains
  • An oxyphyte is a plant growing in soil which lacks oxygen
  • An oxylophyte is a plant adapted to acid soils

[edit] P

  • A paleophyte
  • A paraphyte
  • Pelagophytes are a small group of heterokont algae
  • A phaeophyte or fucophyte is a member of the brown algae
  • Phaeothamniophytes are a small group of heterokont algae
  • A phanerophyte is a tall-growing plant with living structures visible all year
  • A phorophyte
  • A photophyte
  • A phreatophyte is a deep-rooted plant that obtains water from a permanent ground supply or from the water table (or soil just above it)
  • A phycophyte
  • A phytophyte
  • A plotophyte is a floating plant, with stomata on its upper leaf surface only
  • A prasinophyte
  • A prophyte
  • A protophyte
  • A pseudometallophyte is a plant which can tolerate (but does not require) a substrate with a high metal content (c. f. metallophyte)
  • A pseudophyte
  • A psilophyte is a member of the division Psilophyta
  • A psychrophyte
  • A pyrophyte is a woody plant which has unusual resistance to fire e.g. because of exceptionally thick bark, or a competitive advantage over other plants following a fire e.g. because fire acts as a catalyst to fertile culm production (but see also Other terms ending in -phyte below)

[edit] Q, R

  • Raphidophytes are a small group of heterokont algae

[edit] S

  • A saprophyte is an organism, especially a fungus or bacterium, that grows on and derives its nourishment from dead or decaying organic matter.
  • A sciophyte (also spelt 'skiophyte') is a plant which thrives in or tolerates shade (synonymous with ombrophyte, cf. heliophyte)
  • For skiophyte, see sciophyte above
  • A spiladophyte is a plant which is adapted to growing in, or is tolerant of, clay

[edit] T

  • Thallophyte is a term for a member of the Thallophyta, a former subdivision of the plant kingdom used to group relatively simple plants with undifferentiated tissue.
  • A therophyte is a plant which survives between favourable seasons in the form of a seed; the therophytes form one of the categories of the Raunkiær system.
  • Tracheophyte is a term which is synonymous with vascular plant (from the former botanical division Tracheophyta)
  • A tropophyte is a plant adapted to climatic conditions in which periods of heavy rainfall alternate with periods of drought

[edit] U, V, W

[edit] X, Y

  • A xerophyte is a plant adapted to survive in very dry situations (c.f. hydrophyte, mesophyte)
  • A Xeropoophyte is a heathland plant
  • A Xeroxylophyte is a dry forest plant

[edit] Z

  • A zygophyte
  • A zyophyte Is any plant of a proposed class or grand division (Zygophytes, Zygophyta, or Zygosporeae), in which reproduction consists in the union of two similar cells. Cf. Oophyte.

[edit] Other terms ending in -phyte

[edit] Some zoological -phytes

  • An ectophyte is an animal which is phytophagous but which feeds only on the surface of plants, and does not penetrate their tissue
  • An endophyte is an animal that lives within a plant for at least part of its life without causing apparent disease.
  • Zoophyte is a term which refers to any of various invertebrate animals resembling a plant, such as a sea anemone or coral or sponge (and also an Australian band - see Zoophyte)

[edit] Medical "-phytes"

  • In addition to its use as a botanical term (see above), arthrophyte is a term used for an abnormal growth in a joint cavity
  • A chondrophyte is an abnormal cartilaginous mass that develops at the articular surface of a bone
  • Exophyte is term which relates to tumours
  • An osteophyte is an abnormal bony projection which forms on a joint (often due to arthritis)

[edit] Proper names ending in -phyte

  • Aquaphyte is the newsletter of the Center for Aquatic Plants and the Aquatic Plant Information Retrieval System (APIRS) of the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS).
  • In addition to its use as a botanical term (see above), Cryophyte is a beauty product marketed on QVC and Cryophyte Entertainment is a computer games company
  • Ecophyte Technologies is in Australian company specialising in applied and environmental geophysics
  • Ectophyte Insect Repellent and Oxxyphyte are drugs used on livestock, made by Agri-Dynamics
  • Entero-Phyte, Exze-Phyte and Ultraphyte are pet food supplements produced by Ultrateck
  • Pyrophyte, in addition to its botanical meaning, is:
    • the name of a piece of sculpture by Tom Joyce, illustrated on this page at Artnet.com, and
    • a fire safety material used in the products of Australian fire safety company Firesight
  • Superphyte is a health food supplement produced by Higher Nature
  • Zoophyte is an Australian band (and also a term which refers to any of various invertebrate animals resembling a plant, such as a sea anemone or coral or sponge)

[edit] Fictional -phytes

[edit] Miscellaneous other -phytes

  • The term actiphyte is used in relation to cosmetics

[edit] Other botanical -phytes which ought to have a definition on this page: can you help?

Some of these were found from a Google crawl and so may be typos or in other ways non-existent terms
  • Cophyte
  • Diplophyte
  • Genophyte
  • Hemaphyte

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  • Van Herk, C.M., (1999) Mapping of Ammonia Pollution with Epiphytic Lichens in the Netherlands Lichenologist 31 (1) 9-20.
  • Raunkiær, Christen C. (1934) The Life Forms of Plants and Statistical Plant Geography, published by Oxford University Press.
  • Zohary, M. (1962) Plant life of Palestine, published by Ronald Press Co.
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