Saprophytic (Adjective)
Meaning 1
Obtaining food osmotically from dissolved organic material.
Classification
Relational adjectives (pertainyms).
Related Words
Meaning 2
(of some plants or fungi) feeding on dead or decaying organic matter.
Classification
All adjective clusters.
Examples
- The mushrooms that grew in the forest were saprophytic, as they obtained nutrients by breaking down dead trees and other decaying materials.
- Saprophytic organisms play a crucial role in the ecosystem by recycling dead organisms and helping to replenish the soil with nutrients.
- In the garden, the gardener noticed a type of saprophytic fungus that was feeding on a dead oak tree, turning it into mulch.
- Saprophytic plants like Indian pipe plant and some types of orchids are rare because they can only thrive in environments with a sufficient supply of decaying organic matter.
- Certain types of saprophytic algae, such as oomycetes, feed on dead and decaying plant matter, helping to maintain the balance of aquatic ecosystems.