cryophyte

American  

[krahy-uh-fahyt] / ˈkraɪ əˌfaɪt /

noun

1. any plant, as certain algae, mosses, fungi, and bacteria, that grows on ice or snow.

2. any low-growing, succulent, blooming plant of the genus Cryophytum (orMesembryanthemum ), certain species of which form extensive mats along the southwestern coasts of the U.S.

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cryophyte British  

/ ˈkraɪəˌfaɪt /

noun

1. an organism, esp an alga or moss, that grows on snow or ice

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Etymology

Origin of cryophyte

First recorded in 1905–10; cryo- + -phyte