Parasitic Creepers
#WednesdayWalk is a challenge started by @tattoodjay, The idea is to get out for a short walk, and get some shots of what you can see within a short distance of your home office or wherever you start.
From the child's first faltering step across the homely carpet, to the astronaut's "one giant stride for mankind" over the alien moon dust, walking is the simplest but most glorious declaration of human independence. - Duncan Minshull
I am sure they have a scientific name - which I am not aware of. I just call them Parasitic Creepers.
A parasitic creeper, or plant is a plant that derives some, or all of its nutritional requirement from another living plant. Their roots grow into the host plant they are attached to. This provides them with the ability to extract water and nutrients from the host. Most host plants don’t look very healthy after a while.
I guess this is all in Mother Nature’s scheme of things. But still, I can’t help feeling sorry for the host tree – unless it also derive some benefit from these creepers that I do not know of.
I am sure the Bird Nest Ferns are also parasitic plants. So, not only do the trees have to contend themselves with the parasitic creepers, they have to put up with the Bird Nest Ferns as well.
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Bird's nest fern are not parasitic but they are epiphytes, meaning that they don't grow in the ground but on trees. I'm not sure what the other is but I think it is also some kind of epiphytic fern. So the trees probably aren't being harmed. Beautiful specimens!
Thank you @nikv for taking a look, and for your input. I learned something new today.
I used to think that Bird Nest Ferns don't grow on the ground too. But recently, I came across these.
So, maybe the Bird Nest Ferns grew both on and above ground.
Cool shots of these the creepers do look cool on a tree trunk I must say but not if the kill the tree we need more trees not less
Thanks for joining Wednesday Walk :)
The creepers look to be strangling the tree, apart from extracting water and nutrients from the tree. However, I do not know whether there are mutual benefits. Maybe someone with the knowledge will enlighten us in the comments.
It does look that way from your photos, would be interesting to know for sure nature can sometimes surprise us
Let's see if someone will come along and enlighten us. 😊
Let hope so it would be good to know
It is an activity that fills us with life, being able to walk is the first warning that we are healthy.
You are very right. Thank you for taking a look, and for taking time to comment. 😊
Don't forget, that tree is host to possibly millions of life forms. There are bacteria and fungi all over it, many of them in a parasitic or symbiotic relationship. We just for some reason identify with the tree rather than them.
That is true. You open up another perspective. Thank you! 😊
Parisitic creepers?? We have some of those on steemit! I feel sorry for those trees,
As @geekpowered said, "We just for some reason identify with the tree..."
Maybe the tree benefits from these creepers too. I know with the Bird Nest Ferns, they are supposedly beneficial to both, although I still don't know how. I guess it is all in Mother Nature's scheme of things.
I still think it is a steemit type of clinginess sir Vincent! lol.
Great photos! We all depend on each other.
It is fine if the creepers are beneficial to the tree as well, but it looks like they are strangling the tree. Let's hope that I am wrong. 😊
I tried to id it and it might be Japanese Beard Fern. Lemmaphyllum microphylum
Thank you Melinda. I think you are right. 😊