phreatophyte

American  

[free-at-uh-fahyt] / friˈæt əˌfaɪt /

noun

1. a long-rooted plant that absorbs its water from the water table or the soil above it.

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phreatophyte British  

/ frɪˈætəfaɪt /

noun

1. a plant having very long roots that reach down to the water table or the layer above it

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phreatophyte Scientific  

/ frē-ăt′ə-fīt′ /

1. A deep-rooted plant that obtains water from a permanent ground supply or from the water table, such as many tamarisk species. Phreatophytes are often found in arid environments.

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Other Word Forms

• phreatophytic adjective

Etymology

Origin of phreatophyte

1915–20; < Greek phreat- ( phreatic ) + -o- + -phyte

Example Sentences

For example, he doesn’t just camp under a big tree, but notes that under its canopy the air is cooler, “a palpable microclimate, as if the trees were generating their own breeze. A sycamore,” he adds, “is a phreatophyte or ‘well plant’ with deep roots to tap into what little water there is far below.”

From Los Angeles Times