Saprophyte

From open-encyclopedia.com - the free encyclopedia.

A saprophyte is any organism which exists using nutrients from decaying animal or vegetable matter. Most species of Bacteria and Fungi are saprophytes. Those which are plants do not photosynthesize because of their dependence on decaying materials.

Some saprophytes are highly specialized, preferring only certain parts of certain plant species in a specific stage of decomposition. Others are fairly flexible, consuming what materials are available.

See also: Epiphyte