Question

Distinguish between parasitic and epiphytic roots.

Answer 1

Epiphytic plants are those small plants that grow on the stem or branches of large trees. They depend on the large plants just as a holding surface. Epiphytic plants have two types of roots;

• The clinging roots; that helps the epiphytic plant to get fixed on the barks of the tree.
• The epiphytic roots; that hangs freely in the air and absorbs moisture and stores it with the help of specialized tissue called velamen.

Whereas, Parasitic plants are those that solely depends on a host plant for the nutrition. Roots of the parasitic plants, called as Haustoria or sucking roots, are small and specialized so that to penetrate into and absorb water and nutrients from the host tissue.