Phytotelma

Phytotelma (plural phytotelmata) is a small water-filled cavity in a terrestrial plant. The water accumulated within these plants may serve as the habitat for associated fauna and flora.

A rich literature in German summarised by Thienemann (1954)

The word "phytotelma" derives from the ancient Greek roots phyto-, meaning 'plant', and telma, meaning 'pond'. Thus, the correct singular is phytotelma.

The term was coined by L. Varga in 1928.^[9]

The correct pronunciation is "phytotēlma" and "phytotēlmata" because of the Greek origin (the stressed vowels are here written as ē).

Ecology

Often the faunae associated with phytotelmata are unique: Different groups of microcrustaceans occur in phytotelmata, including ostracods (Elpidium spp. Metacypris bromeliarum), harpacticoid copepods (Bryocamptus spp, Moraria arboricola, Attheyella spp.^[10]) and cyclopoid copepods (Bryocyclops spp.,Tropocyclops jamaicensis^[11]).^[12]

In tropical and subtropical rainforest habitats, many species of frogs specialize on phytotelma as a readily available breeding ground, such as some microhylids^[13] (in pitcher plants), poison dart frogs^[14] and some tree frogs (in bromeliads).^[15][16]

Many insects use them for breeding and foraging, for instance odonates, water bugs, beetles and dipterans.^[17][18] Some species also are of great practical significance; for example, immature stages of some mosquitoes, such as some Anopheles and Aedes species that are important disease vectors, develop in phytotelmata.^[4]

See also

• Nepenthes infauna
• Bromeliaceae

References