Epiphytes are plants, which depend on other plants for

Answer: (b) mechanical support

Epiphytes (orchids, ferns) only use the host for support, to reach light.

The idea

An epiphyte is a plant that grows on another plant without taking anything from it. It sits on a branch only to get up into the light. It makes its own food and collects its own water from rain and moist air.

Epiphyte: uses the host for support only → orchids, many ferns → Parasite: takes food or water from the host → dodder (Cuscuta), mistletoe → Saprophyte: lives on dead matter → Insectivorous plant: traps insects for nitrogen → pitcher plant, sundew

Why the others are wrong

(a) That is a parasite (like Cuscuta). Epiphytes make their own food.

(c) They grow on trees to escape shade, not to get it.

(d) They take water from rain and humid air (orchids have spongy velamen roots), not from the host.

The trap

“Depends on other plants” sounds like a parasite taking food.

Also know

Epiphytes are most common in rainforests, where the air is humid and the forest floor is dark. Sandalwood is a partial root parasite: it makes its own food but taps the roots of nearby plants for water and minerals.