"Sunset over the preserve, Big Cypress National Preserve, 2015." by U.S. National Park Service , public domain
Big CypressEpiphytes |
featured in
National Parks Pocket Maps | ||
Florida Pocket Maps |
National Park Service
U.S. Department of the Interior
Big Cypress
Big Cypress
National Preserve
NPS/JAN SHIREY
Epiphytes
The epiphytes of South Florida leave the visitor with a sense of beauty and wonder. They help to create the idyllic landscape
representative of the Big Cypress Swamp. They also evoke a sense of wonder in that they grow in ways that seem so foreign to most.
With the protection that Big Cypress National Preserve affords, there is little doubt that these epiphytes will continue to impress for
many years to come.
E
piphytes are some of the most distinctive plants in the
world, yet most people are not familiar with their natural
beauty. Many are aware of parasites, which require a host to
live, while extracting nutrients from that host. Epiphytes are
similar in that they need a host to survive, but take nothing
from the host. Derivative of a Latin term meaning “upon
plants,” epiphytes can be found on many native trees. In
South Florida, there are many examples of epiphytic plants
that can be found throughout Big Cypress National Preserve.
Airplants
The most visible of all epiphytes in South Florida are the air
plants, or bromeliads. Looking like bird nests in the trees,
bromeliads are unique in the way they grow. Most plant root
systems have evolved to extract water and nutrients from the
ground, but air plants do not. The root structure of an air
plant is designed to form an anchor point to attach itself to
a tree. Since the roots do not extract water, air plants collect
water in a holding “tank” in the center of the plant. The shape
of the leaves direct all water to this reservoir. Dead insects
and other detritus also gather in this area, allowing nutrients
to leach into the water, aiding the growth of the airplant. The
pineapple is a well known bromeliad; however, it grows on
the ground instead of on trees.
Feeding on Lightning
Airplants also gather nutrients from a very unique source—
lightning. South Florida has the highest percentage of cloud
to ground lightning strikes than anywhere else in the country.
The heat released from a ground lightning strike is hotter
than the sun and stimulates a chemical process that creates
nitrogen oxides. When dissolved in water, the nitrogen
oxides allows airplants to extract the nitrogen.
Orchids
Some of the most well-known and ornate epiphytes in South
Florida are orchids. Of the 22,000 species of orchid found
worldwide, 36 species exist at Big Cypress.
Of those, 13 species are epiphytic (23 are terrestrial), and each
has a unique growing style. For example, the cowhorn orchid
(Cyrtopodium punctatum) has evolved a massive spongy
Anatomy of an Airplant
Lacking roots, air plants rely on collecting rain
water through their cup shaped leaves and storing it in
a central resevoir. The plant provides a habitat for small
animals such as frogs and insects that seek shelter,
nutrients, and water within the plant.
Southern
leopard frog
Water
base, where its roots attach to the host; in this spongy region,
water can be stored for later during the dry season. Similarly,
the ghost orchid (Polyrrhiza lendenii) grows stout thick
roots, which draw moisture directly out of the atmosphere
as needed by the plant. These two distinct growing styles
showcase the amazing ways in which orchids have adapted
to living in the swampy surroundings.
Hungry Plants
Many orchids feed on nutrients in much the same way. They
extract nutrients from the decaying matter that falls into
their source of water. Many ghost orchids can be found on
downed or dead trees, where the orchid can gather enough
nutrients from the rotting organic matter. In some extreme
cases, orchids use the droppings of passing birds to fertilize
the plant and ensure a healthy growing season.
Strangler Figs
The strangler fig is one of the most haunting and beautiful
plants in the Big Cypress swamp. Its ability to grow around
the host tree has given it the name, “strangler,” but also it is
the only epiphyte that will affect the host in which it grows.
The strangler fig grows very slowly as it matures, extracting
water and nutrients directly from the atmosphere. As the
plant gets larger, it may grow both up and down the trunk of
the host tree.
Eventually, the strangler fig will reach the ground at which
point the growth cycle speeds up greatly. The strangler fig
will encircle the roots of the host tree and eventually kill it. As
the host tree rots away, a hollow void is left with the strangler
fig standing alone. These eerie plants add a sense of wonder
while visiting the Big Cypress swamp.
Extra Protein
Each of the 750 fig tree species found throughout the world
are pollinated by a wasp specific to each fig. A chemical smell
attracts the female wasp to the fruit of the fig tree. While
inside the fruit, the wasp lays her eggs, where they hatch.
When the wasps reach maturity, the males and females mate,
and the females fly out in search of another fig to lay her eggs.
As the females fly out they are coated in pollen, and as they
fly into the next fig, they will pollinate that tree. The male
wasps never leave the fruit of the fig where they were born;
as a result, any organism that eats the fruit of the fig tree will
receive an extra protein bonus provided by the male wasps.
Little by little, strangler figs, like the one shown here,
slowly constrict their host trees, growing downward,
while using them for support. Over time, this ultimately
prevents the host tree from expanding, thus killing it. Their
growth resembles a spider’s web and the intertwining
root structure will eventually envelop the tree. Like a
scene from a horror movie in which plants slowly envelop
and kill forsaken hikers, the strangler fig’s competitive
advantage over the host tree is haunting, yet successful.
EXPERIENCE YOUR AMERICA
Epiphytes_FINAL.indd on HQ shareall, interp publications, 2,000 printed, 02/2015