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Life inside epiphytes Epiphytes are plants that grow on other plants, although they are not parasites. Bromeliads, also called “vase” or “urn” plants, are epiphytes. The largest bromeliads can hold several litres of water in their funnel-shaped centres. The centres of these plants are teeming with life: they are their own tiny ecosystems. ", "111-03aechmea.jpg", "", "320", "214"); ?> Ants, birds and bats may eat these plants’ leaves, flower stems, nectar, pollen and seeds. Centipedes, scorpions, cockroaches, ants, snakes, salamanders and lizards all hide in their long, narrow leaves. Amphibians reproduce in the centre of the plant, where water accumulates. About 500 species of aquatic organisms live in this ecosystem. Most freshwater invertebrates can be found inside bromeliads, from worms to snails, crabs, dragonflies, flies, beetles and mosquito larvae.
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