phyto-, phyt-, -phyte

1. A plant living on dead or decaying matter.
2. Any vegetable organism that lives on decayed organic matter.
3. A saprotrophic organism; especially, a fungus or microorganism.
4. An organism, especially a fungus or bacterium, that grows on and derives its nourishment from dead or decaying organic matter that help natural decomposition of organic matter in water.
5. An organism that derives its nourishment by absorbing the products or remains of other organisms.

Many fungi and bacteria are saprophytes and are important in food chains in returning nutrients to the soil by means of putrefaction and decay.

1. A reference to saprophytes.
2. Designating the type of nutrition characteristic of a saprophyte which includes plants that obtain nutrients from dead or decaying organic matter.

After the manner of saprophytes.

1. The state of living as a saprophyte.
2. Saprophytic nutrition.

Feeding on decomposing plant material.

A plant living on humus.

A plant living in darkness.

A plant adapted to, or tolerating, high selenium levels in the soil, frequently used as an indicator of this particular type of soil content.