heterophyte

American  

[het-er-uh-fahyt] / ˈhɛt ər əˌfaɪt /

noun

Botany.

1. a plant that secures its nutrition directly or indirectly from other organisms; a parasite or saprophyte.

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heterophyte Scientific  

/ hĕt′ər-ə-fīt′ /

1. A plant that obtains its nourishment from other living or dead organisms. For example, Indian pipe is a pale white plant without chlorophyll that obtains its nutrition from fungal symbionts.

2. See also heterotroph

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Other Word Forms

• heterophytic adjective

Etymology

Origin of heterophyte

hetero- + -phyte