Foliicolous

Foliicolous refers to the growth habit of certain lichens, algae, fungi, liverworts, and other bryophytes that prefer to grow on the leaves of vascular plants.^[1][2][3] Foliicolous simply means 'growing upon leaves'^[4] whilst epiphyllous derives from the Greek epi-^[5] meaning on or over and phyllous means leaf^[6] so 'over leaf' and hypophyllous means 'under leaf'.^[7] The microhabitat on the leaf surface is called a phyllosphere.^[2][3]

Foliicolous lichens growing on a leaf on the Amazon jungle near Tena, Ecuador

See also

• Epibiont
• Epiphytes
• Phyllosphere
• Epiphytic fungus
• Parasitic plant
• Epilith
• Microbiota