1. plants that grow on rocks or rocky surfaces, obtaining nutrients from the air and rain rather than soil
Usage: botanical term; plural form

Examples

• Many orchids are lithophytes that thrive on cliff faces.
• The botanist studied lithophytes growing on the granite outcrop.
• Lithophytes have adapted to survive without traditional soil.
• Some ferns are lithophytes that colonize rocky surfaces.
• The mountain’s lithophytes created a stunning vertical garden.
• These lithophytes absorb moisture directly from the humid air.