Less than 1 percent of the light that strikes the top of the forest penetrates to the forest floor. In such darkness few green plants grow. As demonstration of the relative aridity of exposed branches in the high canopy, epiphytic cacti also occur in the Americas. Many are deciduous. The fig family is well represented among stranglers.
Parasites derive their nutrients by tapping into the roots or stems of photosynthetic species.
Rafflesia arnoldi , a root parasite of a liana, has the world's largest flower, more than three feet in diameter. It produces an odor similar to rotting flesh to attract pollinating insects. Saprophytes derive their nutrients from decaying organic matter. Some orchids employ this strategy common to fungi and bacteria. Common characteristics of tropical trees.